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Lieutenant-Generai. 

GEORGE     WAvSHINGTON 

Commanding  the  Army,   i 798-1 799. 


/ 


THE    ARM\ 


OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES 
OF  STAFF  AND  LINE 
WITH  PORTRAITS  OF 
GENERALS-IN-CHIEF 


EDITED    KV 


THEO.    F.     RODENBOUGH 

BVT.  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  U.  S.  A. 


WILLIAM    L.    HASKIN 

MAJOR    FIRST   ARTILLERY 


NEW  YORK 

MAYNARD,   MERRILL,  &  CO. 
1S96 


'"\r' 


BY 

MAYNARD,  MERRILL,  &iCO. 


INTRODUCTION. 

TT  is  with  pleasure  tliat  I  avail  myself  of  an  opportunity  to 
-■-commend  this  effort  of  the  Military  Service  Institution  to 
provide  an  authentic  and  condensed  account  of  the  services  of 
the  Army,  from  the  creation  of  our  military  establishment  to 
the  present  day.  Each  staff-corps  and  regiment  of  the  line 
has  here  its  chosen  historian  and  its  modest  memoir  replete 
with  biographical  as  well  as  historical  data.  Its  form  gives  it 
a  unique  character  of  special  value  as  a  work  of  reference.  It 
represents  the  completion  of  a  series  of  historical  sketches  which 
have  appeared  from  time  to  time  during  the  last  few  years  in 
the  Journal  of  the  Military  Service  Institution  of  the  United 
States,  and  comprises  an  amount  of  gratuitous  labor  by  con- 
tributors and  of  public  spirit  on  the  part  of  the  publishers  that 
merits  public  acknowledgment.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that  it  deserves  a  place  in  every  public  library,  and  is  worthy 
of  preservation  by  all  collectors  of  military  works. 

NELSON  A.  MILES, 

Major-General 

Commanding  the  Army. 

Headquarters  of  the  Army, 

Washington,  D.  C,  Nov.   15,   1S95. 


Ml8£003 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


Introduction INIaj.-Gen.   Nelson  A.   Miles iii 

Esprit  dk  Corps Capt.  Charles  King ix 

STAFF  CORPS  AND  DEPARTMENTS. 

Adjutant  General's  Department Gen.  J.  B.  Fry I 

Inspector  General's  Department Major  J.  P.  Sanger 12 

Judge  Advocate  General's  Department.  .Col.  J.  W.  Clous 33 

Quartermaster's  Department . .  Capt.  O.   F.   Long 38 

Subsistence  Department Gen.  J.  W.  Barriger 67 

Medical  Department  Major  Clias.  Smart S3 

Pay  Department   Col.  A.  B.   Carey 100 

Corps  of  Engineers Gen.  H.  L.  Abbot in 

Ordnance  Department Major  C.  E.  Dutton 126 

Signal  Corps  Capt.  Wm.  A.  Glassford 136 

THE  LINE. 

First  Regiment  of  Cavalry Capt.   R.  P.  P.  Wainwright 153 

Second  Regiment  of  Cavalry Major  A.  E.  Bates  and   Capt   E.  J. 

McClernand 173 

Third  Regiment  of  Cavalry. Capt.  Chas.   INIorton 193 

Fourth  Regiment  of  Cavalry Gen.  T.  F.  Rodenbongh 211 

Fifth  Regiment  of  Cavalry Capt.  Eben  vSwift 221 

Sixth  Regiment  of  Cavalry Capt.  Wm.  H.  Carter 232 

Seventh  Regiment  of  Cavalry Major  E.  A.  Garlington 251 

Eighth  Regiment  of  Cavalry Capt.  C.  M.  O'Connor 268 

Ninth  Regiment  of  Cavalry Lieut.  Grote  Hutcheson 280 

Tenth  Regiment  of  Cavalry Capt.  John  Bigelow,  Jr  288 


First  Regiment  of  Artillery :\Iajor  W.  L.  Haskin 3'" 

Second  Regiment  of  Artillery Lieut.  W.  A.   Simpson 312 


vi  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Third  Regiment  of  Artillery Lieut.'  W.  E.  Birkhimer 328 

Fourth  Regiment  of  Artillery Lieut.  A.  B.  Dyer 351 

Fifth  Regiment  of  Artillery Lieut  J.  C.  Bush 376 


First  Regiment  of  Infantry Military  Service  Institution 401 

Second  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  \V.  M.  Wright 414 

Third  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  J.  H.   McRae 432 

Fourth  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  J.  A.  Leyden 452 

Fifth  Regiment  of  Infantry Military  Service  Institution 466 

Sixth  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  Chas.  Byrne 4S0 

Seventh  Regiment  of  Infantry. .  .  , Lieut  A.  B.  Johnson 49S 

Eighth  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  R.  H.  Wilson 511 

Ninth  Regiment  of  Infantry Capt.  E.  B.  Robertson 526 

Tenth  Regiment  of  Infantry Capt.  S.  Y.  Seyburn 531 

Eleventh  Regiment  of  Infantry Major  J.  H.  Patterson  and  Capt.  R. 

J.  C.  Ir\-ine 545 

Twelfth  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  Chas.  W.  Abbott,  Jr 555 

Thirteenth  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  J.  B.  Goe 575 

Fourteenth  Regiment  of  Infantry Col.  T.  M.  Anderson 586 

Fifteenth  Regiment  of  Infantry Capt.  H.  R.  Brinkerhoff 610 

Sixteenth  Regiment  of  Infantry Capt.  W.  V.  Richards 629 

Seventeenth  Regiment  of  Infantry Capt.  Chas.  St.  J.  Chubb 634 

Eighteenth  Regiment  of  Infantry Lieut.  C.  H.  Cabaniss,  Jr 643 

Nineteenth  Regiment  of  Infantr\- Capt.  C.  C.  Hewitt 657 

Twentieth  Regiment  of  Infantry Capt..  J.  N.  Coe 666 

Twenty-First  Regiment  of  Infantry.  .  .  .Capt.  Fred.  H.  E.  Ebstein ,  673 

Twenty-Second  Regiment  of  Infantry.  .Capt.  O.  M.  Smith 6S0 

Twenty-Third  Regiment  of  Infantry.  .  . Lieut.  J.  K.  Thompson 692 

Twenty-Fourth  Regiment  of  Infantry.  .Capt.  H.  W.   Hovey 695 

Twenty-Fifth  Regiment  of  Infantry Capt.  George  Andrews 697 

APPENDIX. 

I.  Circular  of  the  Publication  Committee 703 

II.  Extract  from  the  IMinutes  of  the  Publication  Committee 704 

III.  The  First  Infantry 704 

IV.  The  Seventh  Infantry 704 

V.  The  Fourteenth  Infantry 705 

VI.  Dates  of  Important  Campaigns,  etc 7o6 

VII.  Table  of  Losses  of  Regular  Regiments  during  1861-65 709 


PORTRAITS. 


GENERAL  OFFICERS  COMMANDING  THE  ARMY. 


FACE      I'ACE 


Josiah  Harmar,  Brevet  Brigadier-General    .     .    1789-91 

Arthur  St.  Clair,  Major-General 1791-92 

Anthony  Wayne,  Major-General 1792-96 

James  Wilkinson,  Brigadier-General  .  .  .  j  tSoo-I'' 
George  Washington,  Lieut. -General  ....  1798-99 
Alexander  Hamilton,  Major-General  ....    1 799-1 800 

Henry  Dearborn,  Major-General 1812-15 

Jacob  Brown,  Major-General      ......   1821-28 

Alexander  Macomb,  Major-General  ....    1828— ii 

Winfield  Scott,  Major-General 1 841-61 

George  Brinton  McClellan,  Major-General.  .  1862-62 
Henry  Wager  Halleck,  Major-General    .     .     .   1862-64 

Ulysses  Simpson  Grant,  General 1864-69 

William  Tecumseh  Sherman,  General     .  .    1869-83 

Philip  Henry  Sheridan,  General 1883-88 

John  McAllister  Schofield,  Lieut.-General  .  1888-95 
Nelson  Appleton  Miles,  Major-General  .     .     .   1895 


83 
1 1 1 
title 
153 
193 
251 
301 
351 
401 
452 
511 
545 
575 
629 

657 


Brevet  Brigadier-General 

JOSIAH     HARMAR 

Commanding  the  Army,  1789-1791- 


ESPRIT  DE  CORPS. 

By  Captain  CHARLES  KING,  United  States  Army. 

WHAT  a  cry  went  up  in  the  British  army  when  the  fiat  went  forth 
a  few  years  since,  depriving  those  proud  old  regiments  of  the 
line  of  the  designations  they  had  borne  for  twice  a  century  ! 
With  what  sorrow  were  the  old  colors,  with  their  blazoned  num- 
bers sent  back  to  "  Horse  Guards  "  and  with  what  wild  wonderment  were  the 
new  received  !  How  strange  it  seems  to  those  who  have  read  and  revelled 
in  the  history  and  traditions  of  that  most  gallant,  if  often  most  misled  of 
armies,  to  see  no  more  in  print  of  the  doings  of  the  55th,  the  88th— dashing 
old  "  Faugh  a  Ballaghs  ";  the  28th,  they  of  the  Square  at  Quatre  Bras  and 
Waterloo;  the  ist,  the  44th,  the  9th,  21st  and  47th,  all  old  and  war-tried 
foot  regiments— and  then  the  Highlanders— the  42d,  the  blessed  old  93d — 
Colin  Campbell's  pets,  he  who  never  addressed  them  except  by  their  nu- 
merical designation  !  Where  are  all  the  old  numbers  now  ?  Gone  to  be 
replaced  by  such  clumsy  appellations  as  the  South  Staffordshire  Light  In- 
fantry, the  Northumberland  Fusiliers,  the  West  Middlesex  Sharpshooters, 
and  the  "  Horse  Guards  "  only  knows  what  all. 

Of  course,  we  know  that  many  a  "  corps  "  that  bore  aloft  its  number  on 
Its  colors,  had  none  the  less  some  pet  name  in  which  it  took  pride— notably 
the  Highlanders— and  by  the  same  token  were  there  not  others  like  the 
50th  that  struggled  under  sobriquets  most  undeserved  }  But  the  88th  were 
"The  Connaught  Rangers,"  the  25th  "The  Kings  Own  Borderers,"  the 
42d  the  famous  "  Black  Watch  "  ;  and  then  we  had  the  "  Royal  Scots,"  the 
"Cameron  Highlanders,"  the  "Sutherland  Highlanders,"  the  "  BufTs,"  and 
so  on  ad  htfinitum,  almost,  but  one  must  draw  the  line  with  the  limits  of 
the  army.  How  those  fellows  must  have  felt  when  their  old  names  and 
numbers  were  stripped  at  the  whim  of  a  new  War  Ministry  !  Is  there  any 
one  in  our  service  competent  to  say  ? 

Of  course,  with  their  cavalry,  it  was  different.  To  be  sure,  some  of  the 
merry  old  Light  Dragoon  regiments  of  the  Peninsula  and  Charley  O'Malley 
days  had  been  transmogrified  into  hussars,  or  lancers,  but  the  change  was  not 
great.  Think  of  the  glorious  trio  that  made  up  Ponsonby's  Heavy  Brigade 
at  Waterloo  and  then,  under  gallant  Scarlett,  whipped  ten  times  their  weight 
at  Balaklava—"  The  Union  Brigade"  where  the  rose,  the  shamrock  and 
thistle  charged  side  by  side.  The  Royals  of  England,  the  Inniskillens  of 
Ireland  and  the  Scots'  Greys  whose  "  terrible  grey  horses"  made  Napoleon 
wince  at  Waterloo.  What  soldier  would  not  glory  in  pointing  to  the  num- 
ber of  his  regiment  of  Heavies,  and  saying  I  am  of  the  "  K.  D.  G's." — or  the 
Royals — or  the  Scots'  Greys  ! 

Then  take  the  beautiful  Light  Brigade,  they  whom  Lucan  launched  and 
Cardigan  led  to  their  fruitless  sacrifice.     The  world  never  saw  jauntier 


X  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

horsemen  than  those  fellows  of  the  8th  or  i  ith  Hussars,  or  the  17th  Lancers 
— the  "  Death  or  Glories  "  whose  snow-white  plastrons  have  gleamed  all 
over  the  globe.  They  at  any  rate  preserve  their  numbers  and  the  concom- 
itant "  honors."     So,  too,  in  the  French — so,  too,  in  the  German  service. 

"  These  legends  and  traditions  "  attached  to  regiments  that  have  won  a 
name  are  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  and  every  youngster 
joining  has  to  study  them  up  and  pass  his  "quizzing  "  on  any  and  all  ma- 
terial points,  or  he  is  no  true  soldier.  Is  it  not  the  custom  in  the  Prussian 
service  for  one  regiment  at  least — the  ist  Guard  Fusiliers — to  turn  out  on 
State  occasions  m  the  towering,  stately,  visorless,  high  pointed  and  ornate 
head-dress — resembling  more  the  mitre  of  a  bishop  of  the  Greek  Church 
than  any  martial  top  piece — that  was  worn  by  this  regiment  in  the  days  of 
Frederick  the  Great,  and  doubtless  introduced  among  his  impressed  Pots- 
dammers  by  his  royal  father?  Do  they  not  even  now,  when  on  review, 
march  past  with  the  utterly  absurd  goose-step  required  of  them  in  1750.? 
"  It  keeps  up  the  regimental  tradition."  That  is  au  it  is  for,  say  they.  But 
looking  about  us,  it  strikes  the  writer  that  it  is  a  great  deal— a  very  great 
deal. 

What  have  we  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  to  foster  Esprit  de 
Corps?— \o  preserve  regimental  tradition  ? 

No  distinctive  uniform,  of  course;  no  "  from-time-immemorial-head- 
gear"  like  the  Scots'  Greys  or  the  Coldstreams.  No  peculiar  facings  that 
tell  the  looker  on  "  Ah  !  there  goes  the  — th.  They're  the  fellows  that  held 
the  '  Molino,'  "  or  "  Look  there  !  That  means  he  belongs  to  the  Seventh. 
They  lost  half  their  number  in  one  Indian  fight  years  ago."  We  have  few 
banners,  colors  or  standards  to  speak  of.  Old  England  brings  (she  says 
"  fetches  ")  hers  reverently  home  and  places  them  with  pomp  and  prayer 
and  ceremony  and  presented  arms  and  uncovered  heads,  high  on  the  inner 
walls  of  her  grand  old  churches.  We,  when  ours  become  downright  shabby, 
get  a  new  set,  after  six  months'  correspondence  and  the  Lord  only  knows 
how  many  endorsements  ;  but  what  becomes  of  the  old  ones— who  can 
say  ? 

After  all  who  seems  to  care  much,  anyhow  }  About  the  only  time  we 
ever  saw  them  was  when  we  went  to  call  on  Mrs.  Colonel  and  noted  them 
still  eking  out  the  feeble  frontier  ornamentation  of  the  rather  cheerless 
room.  They  looked  a  little  more  in  need  of  dusting,  perhaps,  but  did  we 
ever  see  them  brought  forth  under  escort  of  "  such  a  company  '  and  re- 
ceived with  wholesale  honors?  Did  we  really  have  a  color-bearer  selected, 
with  his  corporals,  "  from  those  most  distinguished  for  bravery,  and  for  pre- 
cision under  arms  and  in  marching"  ?— And  did  they  have  any  distinctive 
badge  ?  Well— in  a  few  regiments— with  "  live  "  colonels,  yes  ;  but  in  most 
cases,  I  fear  me,  no. 

But  we  have  some  regiments,  Laus  Deo  !  in  which  tradition  and  legend 
and  fellowship  seem  to  go  hand  in  hand.  I  love  to  get  a  letter  from  a  Sec- 
ond Cavalryman  and  see  its  soldier  crest  and  the  motto  "  Toujours  Pret " 
on  the  envelope.  It  has  its  proud  story  written  out  in  full,  and  Roden- 
bough  and  his  comrades  have  told  its  glorious  past.  The  divided  days  of 
the  Seventh  are  gone  forever,  please  God,  and  a  splendid  regiment,  one  in 


ESPRIT  DE  CORPS.  xi 

pride  and  purpose,  has  sprung  from  the  thrilling  episodes  of  its  early  his- 
tory. Yet  who  is  to  gather  and  edit  those  scattered  records  of  savage  fight, 
cruel  suffering  and  final  triumph.  Price,  long  before  they  laid  him  in  his 
grave,  put  his  shoulder  to  the  wheel  (and  his  hand  in  his  pocket)  and  gave 
us  a  compilation  of  the  regimental  returns  of  the  Fifth  (Cavalry).  Wilhelm 
has  done  the  same  for  the  gallant  old  Eighth  Infantry.  Powell  told  the 
story  of  his  old  love— the  Fourth— before  promotion  took  him  from  it  ;  and 
even  one  of  those  "aggregations  of  batteries,"  the  First  Artillery,  has  found 
its  Boswell  in  Major  Haskin. 

None  the  less,  regimental  histories  are  few  and  far  between.  Young 
officers  entering  the  service  to-day,  look  in  vain  in  the  dusty  shelves  of  the 
regimental  library,  for  some  book  or  pamphlet  which  will  give  them  an  ink- 
ling of  the  past  service  of  the  command  with  which  their  lot  is  to  be  cast 
until  they  have  doubled  the  years  of  the  life  now  so  full  of  enthusiasm. 
Finding  nothing,  they  apply  to  some  graybeard  among  the  field  officers  or 
captains.  "  Tell  me  something  of  the  service  of  the  Steenth.  Where  was  it 
during  the  war?  "  And  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  he  will  come  away  disap- 
pointed. "  I  don't  know."  "I  wasn't  with  it  during  the  war.  The  '  nth  ' 
was  my  regiment  then."  Or,  "  I  was  commanding  a  brigade  of  volunteers. 
I  don't  know  who  CAN  tell  you,  unless  you  ask  old  Spigots,  yonder.  Seems 
to  me  he  was  Regimental  Quartermaster  in  those  days." 

There  is  many  a  reason  why  our  officers  have  not  been  to  blame  in  this 
matter.  The  reorganization  of  '71  resulted  in  such  a  shaking  up  and  re- 
shaking  that,  as  one  gallant  soldier  of  the  "  old  Army  "  remarked  in  answer 
to  a  query  :  "  What  regiment  do  I  belong  to  }     Well,  I  have  been  borne  on 

the  rolls  of  four  different  ones  in  the  last  sixty  days,  and  I'm  d d   if  I 

know  which  to  report  to." 

The  policy  adopted  by  the  Government  in  stationing  its  troops  on  the 
great  frontier  for  years,  after  the  Civil  War,  is  another.  Regiments  were 
broken  up  and  scattered  broadcast  over  an  entire  department,  merged  with 
troops  of  other  commands  ;  placed  under  the  orders  of  field  officers  of 
totally  different  organizations,  and  such  a  thing  as  esprit  de  corps  knocked 
higher  than  any  kite  the  famous  Gilderoy  ever  dreamed  of.  In  one  four- 
company  post  has  it  not  happened  that  no  two  of  the  companies  (including 
cavalry  troops)  belonged  to  the  same  regiment  ?  Other  reasons— indifler- 
ence  due  to  long  years  of  knockabout  service  on  part  of  the  seniors  and 
sarcastic  rebuffs  at  the  expense  of  the  juniors  ;  the  transfer  on  promotion  of 
field  officers  to  regiments,  in  which  they  found  themselves  as  much  at  home 
as  a  cat  in  a  strange  garret ;  the  absence  of  any  distinctive  regimental 
march  to  be  played  by  the  band  when  half  a  dozen  companies  got  together 
on  some  surprising  occasion.  All  these  and  others  have  tended  to  stifle 
the  growth  of  the  precious  vine  that  thrives  with  such  vigor  in  the  heart  of 
every  English  or  (Jerman  regiment  and,  twining  its  tendrils  about  every  in- 
dividual in  the  corps,  holds  them  together  in  bonds  indissoluble. 

But,  things  are  changing.  With  every  day  regiments  are  brought  more 
and  more  into  garrisons  by  themselves.  Wondrous  to  tell  there  are  posts 
where  all  the  ten  companies  bear  the  same  number  over  the  crossed  rifles 
on  their  forage  caps  and  where  the  colors  are  actually  saluted.     By  regi- 


xii  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY 

mental  order  the  Third  Infantry  never  marches  in  review  except  to  the 
stirring  "  six-eight "  swing  of  the  "  Rifle  Regiment,"  composed  and  dedi- 
cated to  them  by  Sousa.  The  Seventh  Cavalry  never  parades  without 
"  Comanche  "  draped  in  mourning,  and — mirabile  diciii,  the  forage  "  ex- 
pended "  in  feeding  the  gallant  old  steed,  who  has  never  done  a  stroke  of 
work  nor  carried  a  rider  since  '76.  has  not  been  stopped  against  somebody 
by  a  government  hitherto  as  unalterably  opposed  to  sentiment  as  Grad- 
grind  himself.     It  makes  one  think  of  Andrew  Jackson's  response  to  the 

would-be  defamers  of  heroic  old  Captain  C .     "  Gets  drunk  every  day  of 

his  life,  does  he  ?  Well,  so  he  shall,  if  it's  any  comfort  to  him  and,  by  the 
Eternal,  the  United  States  shall  pay  for  his  whiskey," 

The  old  Fifth — the  banner  infantry  regiment  in  the  days  when  Billy 
Chapman,  "  Beau"  Neill  and  R.  B.  Marcy  were  among  its  model  captains, 
and  best  known  since  as  "  Miles'  Mounted  Infantry"  in  the  tough  Indian 
campaigns  of  the  seventies,  has  never  lost  the  touch  of  the  elbow  that 
seemed  so  utterly  lacking  in  the  regiments  raised  in  '61  and  then  split  up 
like  so  much  kindling  wood  in  '66.  So,  too, "  The  Fourth  that  fought  at 
Tippecanoe  "  and  the  old  Sixth.  Matters  indeed  have  changed,  for  at  last 
comes  a  formulated  scheme  to  foster,  promote  and  preserve  the  regimental 
feeling  that  for  years  at  least  was  a  minus  quantity. 

If  ever  a  scheme  was  started  by  the  Military  Service  Institution  of  the 
United  States  that  should  command  the  respect  and  cooperation  of  every 
officer  who  has  a  pride  in  his  corps  and  regiment,  it  is  that  embodied  in 
General  Abbot's  circular  of  Nov.  loth.  The  idea  of  having  printed  in  suc- 
cessive numbers  of  the  Journal,  historical  sketches  of  each  regiment  in  the 
service,  and  of  the  Staff  corps  that  have  been  so  essential  to  the  army  in 
peace  or  war,  is  simply  an  inspiration. 


Staff  €orp$  and  Departments 


THE  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  DEPARTMENT. 

By  brevet  MAJOR-GENERAL  JAMES  B.  FRY, 
U.  S.  Army. 

ON  the  15th  of  June  1775,  George  Washington  was  elected  General  and 
Commander-in-chief.  It  was  resolved  (by  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, June  i6th)  "  that  there  be  appointed  for  the  American  Army 
two  (2)  major-generals,  with  pay  $166  per  month,  eight  (8)  briga- 
dier-generals and  one  (i)  adjutant-general,  with  pay  $125  per  month." 
Horatio  Gates,  Esq.,  (of  Virginia,  late  major,  British  army)  was  chosen 
adjutant-general  June  17th,  and  it  was  resolved  "that  he  shall  have  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general."  His  commission  was  signed  by  President  Han- 
cock, on  the  19th  of  June. 

On  July  17,  1775,  Congress  resolved  "that  the  convention  at  New 
York  be  desired  to  recommend  to  General  Schuyler  a  proper  person  for  a 
deputy  adjutant-general  or  brigade  major  for  the  Army  in  the  New  York 
department."  Subsequently,  on  September  the  14th,  Congress  resolved 
"that  Edward  Flemming,  Esq.,  be  appointed  deputy  adjutant-general  for 
the  Army  in  New  York  or  Northern  department,  with  the  rank  of  colonel, 
and  that  the  President  make  out  a  commission  for  him  accordingly,  and 
forward  the  same  the  first  opportunity."  On  November  8th,  Congress  ap- 
proved General  Schuyler's  appointment  of  Captain  David  Dimon  to  be 
brigade  major  and  ordered  him  a  commission  accordingly.  Meanwhile  the 
major-generals,  on  assuming  command  in  separate  departments,  and  the 
division  commanders  in  the  "Continental  "  Army  before  Boston,  had,  from 
the  necessity  of  the  case,  to  designate  suitable  persons  to  perform  the  func- 
tions of  deputy  adjutant-general  or  brigade  major.  By  resolution  of  July 
19th,  Congress  provided  that  "  it  be  left  to  General  Washington,  if  he 
thinks  fit,  to  appoint  three  (3)  brigade  majors,  and  commission  them 
accordingly." 

The  pressure  of  events,  during  this  year,  made  it  necessary  to  recognize 
in  the  continental  or  "  regular  "  establishment  such  officers  as  had  been 
raised  with  the  troops  in  the  several  colonies  by  the  provincial  conventions, 
or  councils  of  safety,  for  limited  periods.  These  resolutions  were  of  similar 
tenor  to  the  resolutions  of  November  4th,  which  directed  "  the  President  to 
sign  blank  commissions,  and  that  the  conventions,  or,  in  their  recess,  the 
councils  of  safety  for  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  respectively,  fill  them  up 
with  the  names  of  such  officers  as  they  may  think  proper,  and  return  a  list 
thereof  to  the  Congress."  The  adjutant-general  and  deputy  adjutants-gen- 
eral were  commissioned  to  those  offices,  respectively,  as  well  as  many  of 
the  earlier  appointments  of  brigade  majors.  The  office  of  brigade  major 
had  come  into  existence  early  in  the  history  of  the  constitutional  British 

I 


2  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

army.  The  officer  filling  it  was  detailed  from  the  officers  of  the  line,  re- 
ceiving, usually,  increased  pay  and  allowances.  His  functions  were  similar 
to  those  of  the  acting  assistant  adjutant-general  of  the  present  day.  The 
Army  had  but  one  adjutant-general  who  was  at  general  headquarters. 
Deputy  adjutants-general  performed  like  services  at  subordinate  army 
headquarters,  and  corps  and  wing  headquarters.  On  the  30th  of  March, 
1776,  Congress  resolved  "that  each  brigadier-general  when  on  command  be 
empowered  to  appoint  a  brigade  major."  It  was  resolved,  June  17th,  that 
"  General  Washington  be  directed  to  send  General  Gates  to  Canada,"  and, 
on  September  i6th,  that  "the  appointment  of  all  officers,  and  filling  up  of 
all  vacancies  (excepting  general  officers)  be  left  to  the  Government  of  the 
several  States,  t=  *  *  that  all  officers  be  commissioned  by  Congress." 
On  the  5th  of  June,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Joseph  Reed,  of  Pennsylvania,  aide- 
de-camp  to  the  General-in-chief,  was  elected  adjutant-general.  Reed  ap- 
pears to  have  resigned  about  January  22,  1777,  and  Brigadier-General 
Arthur  St.  Clair  acted  as  adjutant-general  until  his  promotion  to  major- 
general,  February  19,  1777,  when  Colonel  George  Weedon,  of  Virginia, 
performed  the  duties,  although  promoted  to  brigadier-general  February 
27,  1777.  On  the  2oth  of  February  it  was  resolved  that  "  the  President 
(of  Congress)  write  to  Major-General  Gates  and  inform  him  that  it  is  the 
earnest  desire  of  Congress  that  he  should  resume  the  office  of  adjutant- 
general,  and  that  his  present  rank  and  pay  shall  be  continued."  General 
Washington,  from  Headquarters  Morristown,  March  loth,  also  wrote  to 
Gates,  then  at  Philadelphia,  to  the  same  efifect,  but  the  latter  declined,  be- 
ing then  in  a  separate  command.  On  the  26th  of  March  it  was  "  ordered 
that  the  President  acquaint  General  Washington  that  Congress  expects  the 
office  of  adjutant-general  to  be  filled  up  by  a  speedy  appointment  of  a  per- 
son of  abilities  and  unsuspected  attachment  to  these  United  States,  and 
recommended  Colonel  William  Lee  to  his  consideration  for  this  purpose." 
Congress,  by  Resolution  of  September  27,  1776,  had  already  given  Wash- 
ington the  power,  for  six  months,  "  to  displace  and  appoint  all  officers 
under  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  to  fill  up  all  vacancies  in  every 
other  department  in  the  Ai?ierzcan  Army."  General  Washington,  in  a  let- 
ter to  Colonel  Timothy  Pickering,  of  Salem,  Massachusetts  (late  colonel 
Essex  County  Regiment),  dated  March  30,  1777,  offered  him  the  position 
"vacant  by  reason  of  the  resignation  of  Colonel  Reed,  and  the  power  of 
appointing  a  successor  resting  with  me."  When  Washington  wrote  to 
Pickering,  offering  him  the  appointment  of  adjutant-general,  he  enclosed  a 
letter  to  Lee  (who  had  been  recommended  for  the  position  by  Congress) 
offering  it  to  him — the  letter  to  Lee  to  be  forwarded,  in  case  Pickering 
should  decline.  Pickering  did  decline  and  sent  the  letter  to  Lee,  who  re- 
ported at  Washington's  headquarters.  Pickering,  however,  subsequently 
reconsidered  the  matter,  and  determined  to  accept,  whereupon  Lee  yielded 
his  claims.  On  the  5th  of  January,  1778,  Congress  proceeded  to  the  elec- 
tion of  an  adjutant-general  in  the  room  of  Colonel  Pickering,  who  was 
called  to  the  Board  of  War  by  Resolution  of  November  7,  1777,  and  the 
ballots  being  taken,  Colonel  Alexander  Scammel  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Continental   Line  was  unanimously  elected  adjutant-general.     Pickering, 


ADJUTANT-GENERAL S  DEPARTMENT.  3 

however,  continued  to  perform  the  duties  until  January  13,  1778,  when 
Scammel  assumed  them.  On  the  17th  of  May,  1779,  it  was  resolved  that 
"the  adjutant-general  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States  be  allowed  the 
same  rations  as  a  brigadier-general ;  that  he  be  permitted  to  engage  two 
assistants  and  one  clerk."  On  the  22d  of  June  it  was  resolved  that  "the 
adjutant-general  for  the  time  being  be  also  assistant  inspector  general." 
On  the  8th  of  January,  1781,  Brigadier- General  Edward  Hand  of  Penn- 
sylvania was  elected  adjutant-general  to  succeed  Scammel,  who  had  been 
appointed  colonel  of  the  ist  New  Hampshire  Regiment  Infantry,  Conti- 
nental Lme,  a  position  he  did  not  long  occupy  as  he  was  mortally  wounded 
by  a  Hessian   cavalryman   in   front  of  Yorktown,  Virginia,  September  30, 

1781,  and  died  a  prisoner  of  war  October  6,  1781.     On  the  ist  of  August, 

1782,  it  was  resolved  that  "  the  adjutant-general  be  appointed  by  Congress 
from  the  general  officers,  colonels,  lieutenant-colonels  commandant,  or 
lieutenant-colonels  in  the  Army.  *  *  *  He  shall  have  two  assistants 
and  one  clerk  to  be  appointed  by  himself  and  approved  of  by  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief. The  assistants  shall  be  majors  or  captains  of  the  Army. 
*  *  *  That  there  shall  be  as  many  deputy  adjutants-general,  of  the  rank 
of  field  officers,  as  there  may  be  separate  armies  in  the  United  States  that 
consist  of  one  or  more  divisions,  to  be  appointed  occasionally  by  the  com- 
manding officer  of  such  army,  whose  names  shall  be  returned  to  the  com- 
mander-in-chief for  his  approbation.     *     *     * 

"  The  deputy  adjutants-general  shall  appoint  each  one  assistant,  of  the 
rank  of  major  or  captam,  who  shall  be  approved  of  by  the  commanding  offi- 
cer under  whom  thej^  serve. 

"  That  there  be  one  major  of  brigade  to  each  brigade  in  the  armies  of  the 
United  States,  whether  of  cavalry,  artillery,  or  infantry,  who  shall  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  Commander-in-chief,  or  commanding  officer  of  a  separate 
army,  as  occasion  may  require,  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  adjutant- 
general  or  deputy  adjutant-general  as  the  case  may  be. 

"  These  regulations  shall  take  elTect  on  the  ist  day  of  January  next,  and 
from  thenceforth  all  acts,  resolutions,  pay  and  appointments  heretofore 
made  in  any  wise  respecting  the  department  of  adjutant-general  and  brigade 
majors  shall  cease  and  are  hereby  repealed."  On  the  31st  of  December  it 
was  resolved  that  "  Brigadier-General  Hand  be  and  is  hereby  continued  in 
the  office  of  adjutant-general."  He  retained  the  office  until  almost  all  of 
the  Revolutionary  Army  was  disbanded  on  November  5,  1783,  in  pursu- 
ance of  a  proclamation  issued  by  Congress  on  the  iSth  of  October  pre- 
vious. 

From  the  disbandment  of  the  Army,  1783,  until  the  act  of  March  3, 
1791,  there  was  no  regular  adjutant-general  (or  brigade  major  as  it  was 
sometimes  called),  and  no  authority  for  the  commissioning  of  such  an  offi- 
cer. On  October  31,  1784,  from  headquarters  ist  American  Regiment,  Fort 
Pitt,  Ensign  Ebenezer  Denny,  of  this  regiment  (late  of  ist  Pennsylvania 
.Continental  Line),  was  appointed  adjutant,  he  having  acted  as  such  from 
August  12,  1784.    On  July  31,  1787,  Congress  appointed  lieutenant-colonel 


4  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

commandant,  and  brevet  colonel,  Josiah  Harmar,  of  this  regiment,  a  brevet 
brigadier-general,  and  placed  him  on  duty  as  General-in-chief  with  the  emol- 
uments of  his  brevet  rank,  which  gave  him  command  not  only  of  his  own 
regiment  but  of  the  battalion  United  States  artillery.  On  the  28th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1787,  from  headquarters  Fort  Finney,  General  Harmar  appointed 
Ensign  Denny  as  acting  adjutant-general.  The  act  of  March  3,  i79i,gave 
the  President  power  to  call  into  service  the  militia  or  to  enlist  volunteers 
for  six  months,  and  to  form  them  into  regiments  under  the  denomination 
of  levies,  and  to  appoint  the  commissioned  officers.  Governor  Arthur  St. 
Clair,  of  the  Western  Territory,  was  appointed   major-general  March  4, 

1 791,  thereby  superseding  brevet  Brigadier-General  Harmar  as  "General- 
in-chief."  Lieutenant  Ebenezer  Denny,  adjutant  ist  U.S.  Infantry,  was  ap- 
pointed aide-de-camp  to  Major-General  St.  Clair,  September  30,  1791,  ingen- 
eral  orders  of  that  date  from  headquarters,  camp  on  the  Great  Miami,  near 
Fort  Washington.  (This  camp  was  afterwards  called  Fort  Hamilton.)  Brevet 
Major  Winthrop  Sargent,  of  Massachusetts  (late  Corps  of  Artillery,  Conti- 
nental Line),  was  secretary  of  the  Western  Territory,  under  Governor  St, 
Clair,  and  was  called  into  service  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  of 
militia,  early  in  September,  1791,  and  at  Ludlow's  Station  announced  as  act 
ing  adjutant-general.  In  the  disastrous  engagement  of  November  4,  1791 
with  the  Miami  Indians,  Colonel  Sargent  was  badly  wounded — receiving 
two  bullets  in  his  body  which  he  carried  until  his  death.  The  act  ol  March 
5,  1792,  recognized  a  "  general  staff,"  in  which  is  found  one  "  adjutant  "  to 
do  also  the  duty  of  "  inspector."  President  Washington  appointed  Win- 
throp Sargent,  late  acting  adjutant-general,  "  adjutant  "  and  "  inspector  " 
under  this  act  of  March  5th,  and  he  was  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  April  11, 

1792,  but  declined  the  appointment.  Meanwhile,  on  March  5,  1792,  Major- 
General  St.  Clair  had  resigned  his  commission,  and  Anthony  Wayne  'for- 
merly brigadier-general.  Continental  Army)  was,  on  the  same  day,  ap- 
pointed major-general,  and  placed  as  "  General-in-chief  "  over  the  United 
States  Army.  Capt.  Henry  de  Butts,  4th  Sub-Legion,  U.  S.  A.  (of  Mary- 
land), the  first  aide-de-camp  to  General  Wayne,  acted  as  adjutant-general 
until  the  office  was  filled  by  an  officer  specially  detailed  for  that  duty.  Major 
Michael  Rudolph,  who  had  been  a  captain  in  the  Maryland  Line  Continen- 
tal Army,  was,  while  major  of  dragoons,  U.  S.  A.,  then  nominated  and  con- 
firmed as  "  adjutant  "  and  "  inspector,"  February  23,  1793.  vice  Winthrop 
Sargent,  declined.  He  resigned  July  17,  1793,  and  was  succeeded  by  Major 
John  Mills,  2d  Sub-Legion,  U.  S.  A.,  of  Massachusetts,  who  was  confirmed 
as  "  adjutant  "  and  "  inspector,"  May  13,  1794,  vice  Rudolph,  resigned.  He 
died  in  office  July  8,  1796.  The  act  approved  March  3,  1795,  recognized  the 
office  of  *'  adjutant-general  "  to  do  also  the  duty  of  inspector,  and  directed 
that  "  the  present  military  establishment  of  the  United  States,  composed  of 
a  corps  of  artillerists  and  engineers  and  a  legion  to  consist  of  4S00  non-com- 
missioned officers,  privates  and  musicians  be  continued,  "  that  they  be  com- 
pleted,' etc.     This  is  the  first  mention  in  the  la^vs  of  a  "  legion." 

The  legion  was  the  favorite  idea  of  General  Henry  Knox,  then  Secretary 
of  War.  It  was  divided  into  four  sub-legions,  each  of  which  was  to  consist 
of    one  brigadier    or  sub-legionary  general,  with   one  aide-de-camp,  one 


ADJUTANT-GENERAL S  DEPARTMENT.  5 

brigade  or  sub-legionary  major  and  inspector,  one  quartermaster  and  one 
surgeon.  The  forces  in  each  sub-legion  comprised  1280  non-commissioned 
officers,  musicians  and  privates,  and  were  to  consist  of  one  troop  of 
dragoons,  one  company  of  artillery,  two  battalions  of  infantry,  and  one 
battalion  of  rifles — each  battalion  to  have  four  companies.  The  legionary 
staff  itself  was  to  consist  of  the  major-general  or  legionary  general,  two 
aides-de-camp,  one  adjutant  and  inspector,  one  major  commandant  of 
cavalry,  one  quartermaster,  one  deputy  quartermaster,  one  surgeon  and 
one  chaplam.  On  November  i,  1796,  pursuant  to  the  act  of  May  30,  1796, 
the  President  arranged  and  completed  out  of  the  legion,  four  regiments  of 
infantry,and  two  companies  of  light  dragoons, taking  care  as  far  as  practicable 
to  arrange  two  sub-legions  back  again  to  their  original  infantry  numbers,  the 
first  sub-legion  again  becoming  the  ist  regiment  United  States  Infantry — su- 
pernumerary officers  and  soldiers  were  discharged  from  that  date,  the  officers 
thus  discharged  receiving  each  six  months'  pay  and  subsistence.  The  act 
of  May  30,  1766,  directed  that  "  after  the  last  day  of  October,  1796,  the  military 
establishment  shall  consist  of  the  corps  of  artillerists  and  engineers,  two 
companies  of  light  dragoons,  four  regiments  of  infantry  of  eight  com- 
panies,' and  section  3  of  the  act  directed,  amongst  other  details,  that 
"there  shall  be  one  inspector  who  shall  do  the  duty  of  adjutant-general." 
The  general  staff  authorized  by  this  act  was  to  continue  in  service  only 
until  the  following  March  4th.  From  the  decease  of  Adjutant-General 
Mills,  in  July.  1796,  until  the  appointment  of  an  inspector  under  this  act, 
Major  Jonathan  Haskell,  4th  sub-legion,  a  revolutionary  officer,  and  Captain 
Edward  Butler  (Pennsylvania)  of  the  rifle  battalion,  4th  sub-legion,  sub- 
legionary  major  and  inspector,  were  successively  detailed  by  Major  General 
Wayne  to  perform  the  functions  of  adjutant-general  to  the  United  States 
Army.  On  February  27,1797,  MajorThomas  H.  Gushing  (Massachusetts) 
of  the  First  United  States  Infantry  (formerly  ist  Lieutenant  Massachusetts 
Line  Continental  Army),  was  appointed  by  the  President,  with  consent  of 
the  Senate,  to  be  "inspector."  He  by  law  was  also  required  to  do  the 
duty  of  "adjutant-general."  The  act  passed  March  3,  1797,  repealed 
section  3  of  the  act  of  May  30,  1796,  regulating  the  general  staff.  It 
made  no  provision  for  a  major-general  vice  Wayne  deceased — nor  for  an 
adjutant-general,  but  allowed  one  brigadier-general,  who  could  choose 
his  brigade  major,  also  an  inspector  from  the  captains  and  subalterns  in  the 
line.  The  act  of  May  22,  1798,  amended  the  act  of  March  3,  1797,  so  as 
to  permit  the  brigadier-general — who  was  now  General-in-chief — to  select 
his  brigade  major  and  inspector  or  either  of  them  from  commissioned 
officers  of  any  grade  in  the  line  of  the  Army.  Major  Gushing  had  not 
relinquished  his  rank  in  the  infantry  upon  receiving  the  commission  of 
inspector.  He  continued  to  perform  the  duties  of  inspector  and  adjutant- 
general,  under  detail,  even  after  his  commission  of  inspector  had  by 
operation  of  law  expired  March  3,  1797.  The  act  of  May  22,  1798, 
enabled  Brigadier-General  James  Wilkinson,  then  General-in-chief,  to  keep 
him  on  duty  as  "  inspector,"  section  2  of  this  act  giving  to  Major  Gush- 
ing by  name,  the  difference  between  his  major's  and  inspector's  pay  and 
allowances  while  thus  serving  by  appointment  of  General  Wilkinson,  from 


6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

March  3,  1797,  to  May  22,  1798,  No  other  officer  represented  the 
Adjutant-General's  Department  except  the  brigade  major  on  immediate 
duty  at  Army  Headquarters  from  March  3,  1797,  until  July  19,  1798, 
when,  under  the  act  of  May  28th  of  that  year,  Brevet  Major  William 
North,  of  Massachusetts,  (formerly  aide-de-camp  to  Major-General  Baron 
Steuben,  and  afterwards  Inspector  of  the  Army  in  1784)  was  appointed 
adjutant-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier- 
general.  This  act  (May  28,  1798)  authorized  'the  President  alojie  to 
appoint,  from  time  to  time  when  he  shall  judge  proper,  assistant  inspectors 
to  every  separate  portion  of  the  Army,  consisting  of  one  or  more  divisions, 
who  shall  be  deputy  adjutants-general  thereof,  respectively,  and  who  shall 
be  taken  from  the  line  of  the  Army,"  they  receiving  extra  pay  while  on  such 
duty. 

The  act  of  March  3,  1799,  provided  for  the  better  organization  of  the 
troops  heretofore  authorized,  and  directed  that  the  adjutant-general  of 
the  Army  (a  brigadier-general)  shall  be  ex-officio  assistant  inspector- 
general  (the  inspector-general  at  this  time  was  Alexander  Hamilton,  with 
the  rank  of  major-general),  and  that  every  deputy  inspector-general  shall 
be  ex-officio  deputy  adjutant-general,  and  shall  perform  the  duties  of  adju- 
tant-general of  the  Army  to  which  he  shall  be  annexed.  The  act  of  May 
14,  1800,  provided  for  the  disbandment  of  the  Army,  except  the  first  four  regi- 
ments of  infantry,  the  two  regiments  of  artillerists  and  engineers,  the  two 
troops  of  light  dragoons  and  the  general  and  other  staf?  authorized  by  the 
several  laws  for  the  establishing  and  organizing  of  the  aforesaid  corps.  In 
pursuance  of  this  act,  the  inspector-general,  adjutant-general,  and  other 
officers  appointed  for  the  "  Provisional  Army  "  raised  during  the  continu- 
ance of  differences  between  the  United  States  and  the  French  Republic 
were  disbanded  on  the  15th  of  June,  1800.  Brigadier-General  Wilkinson 
again  became  "  General-in-chief,"  in  consequence  of  such  disbandment 
Major  Gushing,  ist  U.  S.  Infantry,  continuing  to  be  inspector  to  the  Army, 
and  on  duty  under  immediate  orders  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  Major 
Gushing  continued  to  fill  the  office,  by  detail,  until  Gongress  again  made  it  a 
distinct  office.  The  act  of  March  i6th,  1802,  fixed  the  military  peace  estab- 
lishment at  one  regiment  of  artillerists,  two  regiments  of  infantry,  and  a 
corps  of  engineers,  not  to  exceed  twenty  officers  and  cadets,  and,  amongst 
other  details,  provided  for  one  "  adjutant  and  inspector  of  the  Army,"  to 
be  taken  irom  the  line  of  field  officers.  On  the  25th  of  March,  President 
Jefferson  sent  the  following  nomination  to  Gongress  :*=<=*"  Thomas 
H.  Gushing,  Adjutant  and  Inspector  of  the  Army,"  *  *  *  which 
nomination  was  confirmed  March  26,  1802.  Major  Gushing  became  by 
promotion  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  2d  U.  S.  Infantry,  April  i,  1802,  and 
colonel  of  his  regiment  September  7,  1 805,  but  as  the  only  limitation  as  to  the 
appointment  of  an  "  adjutant  and  inspector  "  was  that  he  should  be  a  "  field 
officer,"  Golonel  Gushing  continued  to  perform  the  duties  now  performed 
by  the  adjutant-general  of  the  Army,  until  April  2,  1807.  First  Lieu- 
tenant James  Riddle  Wilkinson,  (of  Maryland)  2d  U.  S.  Infantry,  was 
appointed  aide-de-camp  to  his  father,  the  General-in-chief— December  i, 
1804,— was  promoted  to  be  Gaptain  2d  U.  S.  Infantry,  December,  180S,  and 


ADJUTANT-GENERALS  DEPARTMENT.  7 

continued  to  perform  the  duties  of  aide-de-camp  and  of  actmg  assistant 
adjutant-general  to  the  troops  in  the  field  when  under  immediate  command 
of  his  father,  until  his  own  death,  September  7,  181 3.  There  appears  to 
have  been  no  change  in  the  legal  authorization  for  an  "  adjutant  and  in- 
spector" until  1812,  although  during  that  period  there  were  changes  in  the 
incumbents. 

The  act  of  January  i  ith,  amongst  other  details,  provided  for  five  briga- 
dier-generals, each  to  be  allowed  a  brigade  major  to  be  taken  from  the  cap- 
tains and  subalternsof  the  line,  and  for  one  adjutant-general  with  the  rank, 
pay  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier-general;  the  adjutant-general  to  be 
allowed  one  or  more  assistants,  not  exceeding  three,  to  be  taken  from  the 
line  of  the  Army,  with  the  same  pay  and  emoluments  as  a  lieutenant- 
colonel,  but  no  officer  detached  to  serve  in  the  general  staff  to  thereby 
lose  his  rank.  On  the  15th  of  March,  the  Hon.  William  North,  formerly 
adjutant-general  of  the  Army,  was  again  nominated  and  confirmed  as  adju- 
tant-general, but  he  declined  the  office,  and  on  the  6th  of  July,  Colonel 
Thomas  H.  Cushing,  2d  Infantry,  late  "  adjutant  and  inspector,"  was  ap- 
pointed and  confirmed.  Soon  afterwards  Adjutant-General  Cushing  was 
nominated  and  confirmed  a  brigadier-general  in  the  Army,  to  rank  from 
July  2,  1812.  which  was  an  earlier  rank  than  that  given  to  him  in  his  com- 
mission as  adjutant-general  with  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  General 
Cushing  continued,  however,  to  perform  the  duties  of  adjutant-general  at 
the  seat  of  government,  and  contributed  greatly  by  his  long  experience  as 
head  of  that  department,  towards  the  organization  of  the  large  regular  and 
volunteer  force  called  suddenly  into  existence  in  consequence  of  the  war 
with  Great  Britain. 

The  act  of  July  6,  181 2,  directs  that  "to  any  army  of  the  United  States, 
other  than  that  in  which  the  adjutant-general  shall  serve,  the  President 
may  appoint  one  deputy  adjutant-general  who  shall  be  taken  from  the  line, 
*  *  *  and  there  shall  be  to  each  deputy  adjutant-general  such  number 
of  assistant  deputies  (not  exceeding  three  to  each  department)  as  the  pub- 
lic service  may  require."  The  act  of  March  3,  1813,  organizing  the  "general 
staflf  "  of  the  Army,  provided  for  an  "  Adjutant-General's  Department"  to 
consist  of  an  adjutant  and  inspector-general,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emolu- 
ments of  a  brigadier-general;  not  exceeding  eight  adjutants-general,  each 
with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  colonel  of  cavalry ;  and  sixteen 
assistant  adjutants-general,  each  with  the  brevet  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments 
of  a  major  of  cavalry.  The  act  further  authorized  the  President,  when  he 
should  deem  it  expedient,  to  assign  one  of  the  brigadier-generals  to  the 
principal  Army  of  the  United  States,  who  should,  in  such  case,  act  as  adju- 
tant and  inspector-general,  and  as  chief  of  the  staff  of  such  Army.  This 
was  the  first  mention  of  the  "  Adjutant-General's  Department,'  eo  nomine. 
On  March  12,  1813,  Brigadier-General  Cushing  relinquished  his  junior  and 
now  superseded  commission  of  "  adjutant-general,"  and  was  assigned  to 
the  command  of  Military  District  No.  i,  comprising  the  States  of  New 
Hampshire  and  Massachusetts.  On  the  same  day  Brigadier-General  Zebu- 
Ion  M.  Pike.  U.  S.  A.,  was  appointed  by  President  Madison  to  be  "adju- 
tant and  inspector-general  "  to  the  Army  commanded  by  the  "  General-in- 


8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

chief,"  (Major-General  Henry  Dearborn)  but  on  April  27,  1813,  General 
Pike  was  killed  in  the  assault  and  capture  of  the  British  fortifications  at 
York  (now  Toronto),  Upper  Canada.  From  this  time  until  May  19,  1814, 
the  office  remained  v^acant,  the  act  of  March  3,  181 3,  having  been  construed 
to  the  effect  that  there  could  be  but  one  adjutant  and  inspector-general, 
who  must  either  be  an  officer  appointed  and  confirmed  to  that  office,  or 
else  be  a  brigadier-general  especially  designated  by  the  President  to  perform 
the  functions.  The  affairs  of  the  office  at  the  War  Department  were  mean- 
while administered  by  Colonel  A.  T.  Nicoll,  inspector-general,  and  Major 
C.  K.  Gardner,  25th  Infantry,  assistant  adjutant-general,  in  their  branches, 
respectively,  during  the  remainder  of  the  year  1813.  On  May  19,  1814,  Briga- 
dier-General William  H.  Winder,  U.  S.  A.,  was  appointed  "adjutant  and  in- 
spector-general," and  chief  of  staff  to  the  Northern  Army,  but  did  not  retain 
the  office  long,  as,  on  July  2d,  following,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command 
of  the  Tenth  Military  District,  and  commanded  the  American  forces  in  the 
affair  at  Bladensburg,  and  unsuccessful  defense  of  Washington.  General 
A.  T.  Nicoll,  inspector-general,  having  resigned,  June  i,  1814,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  John  R.  Bell,  inspector-general  (promoted  from  assist- 
ant inspector-general,  October  20,  1814),  at  the  War  Department.  In  the 
adjutant-general's  office,  proper,  Colonel  John  De  B.  Walbach,  adjutant- 
general,  administered  affairs,  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
from  December  30,  181 3,  until  November  22,  1814,  when  Daniel  Parker,  of 
Massachusetts,  chief  clerk  of  the  War  Department,  was  nominated  and 
confirmed  by  the  Senate  as  "  adjutant  and  inspector-general."  The  act  of 
March  3,  1S15,  reduced  and  fixed  the  military  peace  establishment  at  10,000 
men,  but  made  no  provision  for  an  "  Adjutant-General's  Department."  The 
act  required  the  President  to  discharge  supernumerary  officers  on  May  i, 
181 5,  or,  "as  soon  as  circumstances  may  permit,"  and  we  find  that  by  execu- 
tive general  orders  of  May  17,  1815,  one  adjutantand  inspector-general, and 
two  adjutants-general  were  "  provisionally  retained."  Had  not  President 
Madison  seen  fit  to  retam  such  officers  this  act  would  have  virtually  abol- 
ished the  department.  The  act  of  April  24,  1816,  recognized  and  made 
permanent  in  service,  these  officers,  thus  provisionally  retained,  and  de- 
clared that  the  department  should  hereafter  consist  of  an  adjutant  and 
inspector-general  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier- 
general  ;  an  assistant  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  to  each 
division  (of  which  there  were  two) ;  and  an  assistant  adjutant-general  with 
the  rank  of  major,  to  each  brigade  (of  which  there  were  four).  The  de- 
partment therefore  consisted,  at  this  time,  of  seven  officers,  and  general 
orders  of  May  3,  18 16,  based  on  the  act,  publishes  their  names,  etc. 

The  act  of  March  2,  1821,  fixed  the  military  peace  establishment  at  four 
regiments  of  artilleiy,  of  nine  companies  each;  seven  of  infantry,  of  ten 
companies  each,  and  the  corps  of  engineers,  and  provided  for  one  adjutant- 
general,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  colonel  of  cavalry,  and 
directed  that  the  aides-de-camp  to  the  major-general  and  the  brigadier-gen- 
erals should,  in  addition  to  their  other  duties,  perform  the  duties  of  assist- 
ant adjutant-general.  This  act,  in  effect,  reduced  the  department  to  one 
commissioned  officer. 


ADJUTANT-GENERALS  DEPARTMENT.  9 

Brigadier-General  Henry  Atkinson,  who,  in  order  to  be  retained  in  ser- 
vice, had  consented  to  be  arranged  according  to  his  earlier  commission  of 
colonel  and  brevet  brigadier-general,  was  offered  by  President  Monroe  the 
position  of  "  adjutant-general,"  but  he  elected,  on  August  13,  1 821,  to  take 
his  former  regiment,  the  6th  Infantry,  from  which  he  had  the  year  before 
been  promoted.  Colonel  James  Gadsden,  inspector-general,  was,  thereupon, 
on  the  same  day  (August  13,  1821)  appointed  adjutant-general.  The  Senate 
negatived  his  confirmation  on  March  22,  1822,  and  on  the  following  April 
1 2th,  the  President  renominated  him  for  the  office,  but  the  Senate  adhered 
to  its  original  determination.  Capt.  Charles  J.  Nourse,  2d  Artillery,  late 
"  assistant  adjutant-general,"  was  detailed  as  "acting  adjutant-general"  of 
the  Army,  May  8,  1822,  and  took  charge  of  the  office  and  continued  to  per- 
form the  functions  of  adjutant-general  until  relieved,  March  7,  1825,  by  the 
appointment  of  Captain  Roger  Jones,  3d  Artillery  (late  colonel  and  adju- 
tant-general), to  be  adjutant-general,  with  his  old  rank.  There  appears  to 
have  been  no  change  in  the  legal  status  of  the  department  from  1821  to 
1838,  when  the  act  of  July  5th  of  that  year,  increasing  the  military  estab- 
lishment, empowered  the  President  to  appoint  so  many  assistant  adjutants- 
general,  not  exceeding  two,  with  brevet  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a 
major,  and  not  exceeding  four  with  the  brevet  rank,  pay  and  emoluments 
of  a  captain  of  cavalry,  as  he  might  deem  necessary,  to  be  taken  from  the 
line  of  the  Army,  and  in  addition  to  their  own  to  perform  the  duties  of  as- 
sistant inspectors-general  when  the  circumstances  of  the  service  required  ; 
the  transfer  of  these  officers  to  be  without  prejudice  to  their  rank  and  pro- 
motion in  the  line,  which  was  to  take  place  in  the  same  manner  as  if  they 
had  not  been  transferred.  This  again  made  the  Adjutant-General's  Depart- 
ment to  consist  of  seven  officers.  The  act  of  March  3,  1839,  to  amend  an 
act  entitled  "  an  act  regulating  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  brevet  officers," 
approved  April  16,  1818,  directs  that  "  the  same  shall  be  construed  as  to  in- 
clude the  case  of  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  United  States."  This  act  reads 
"  The  officers  of  the  Army  who  have  brevet  commissions  shall  be  entitled 
to  and  receive  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  their  brevet  rank  when  on  duty, 
and  having  a  command  according  to  their  brevet  rank  and  at  no  other 
time."  Act  approved  June  18,  1846,  providing  for  the  prosecution  of  the 
war  between  the  United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  empowered  the 
President  to  appoint  as  many  additional  assistant  adjutants-general,  not  ex- 
ceeding four,  as  the  service  maj*  require,  with  the  same  rank,  pay  and  emolu- 
ments, and  to  be  charged  with  the  same  duties  as  those  now  authorized 
by  law;  appointments  to  continue  only  as  long  as  the  exigencies  of  the  ser- 
vice might  render  necessary.  Under  this  act  two  majors  and  two  captains 
were  appointed.  The  department,  therefore,  now  consisted  of  eleven  offi- 
cers. The  act  of  March  3,  1847,  making  provision  for  an  additional  number 
of  general  officers,  and  for  other  details,  directed  that  there  be  added  to  the 
Adjutant-General's  Department,  one  assistant  adjutant-general,  with  the 
rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  cavalr}',  and  two  assist- 
ant adjutants-general,  with  the  brevet  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  cap- 
tam  of  cavalry,  to  be  charged  with  the  same  duties  as  those  now  existing  by 
law,  and  the  officers  so  appointed  to  be  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war 


lo  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

with  Mexico.  This  brought  the  strength  of  the  department  up  to  fourteen. 
The  act  of  July  19,  1848,  repealed  so  much  of  the  act  of  March  3,  1847,  as 
required  the  discharge  at  the  close  of  the  war  with  Mexico  *  *  *  of  an 
assistant  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  lieuten- 
ant-colonel of  cavalry,  and  two  assistant  adjutants-general,  with  the  rank, 
pay  and  emoluments  of  a  captain  of  cavalry  ;  provided  that  no  vacancy 
happening  under  the  provisions  so  repealed  be  filled  up  until  further  au- 
thorized by  law.  The  act  of  March  2,  1849,  repealed  so  much  of  the  proviso 
to  the  3d  section  of  the  act  approved  July  19,  1848,  as  related  to  officers  of 
the  Adjutant-General's  Department,  which  left  the  department  with  an  ag- 
gregate strength  of  fourteen  officers,  with  authority  to  make  promotions 
and  fill  vacancies.  This  continued  to  be  the  strength  of  the  department 
until  1861.  The  act  of  August  3,  1861,  providing  for  the  better  organization 
of  the  Army,  directed  that "  hereafter  the  Adjutant-General's  Department 
shall  consist  of  one  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of 
a  brigadier  ;  one  assistant  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emolu- 
ments of  a  colonel  of  cavalry,  and  two  assistant  adjutants-general,  with 
the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  each  of  a  lieutenant-colonel  of  cavalry;  four 
assistant  adjutants-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  major 
of  cavalry,  and  twelve  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  captain  of 
cavalry  "  (total  20).  The  act  of  July  17,  1862,  directed  that  "one  colonel, 
two  lieutenant-colonels,  and  nine  majors  be  added  to  the  department  by 
regular  promotion  from  its  present  officers,  and  that  the  grade  of '  captain  ' 
be  abolished,  and  in  future  that  all  vacancies  in  the  grade  of  major  be  filled 
by  selection  from  among  the  captains  of  the  Army  " — (total  strength  of  the 
department,  20).  The  act  of  July  28,  1866,  directed  that "  the  adjutant-gene- 
ral shall  hereafter  be  appointed  by  selection  from  the  corps  to  which  he  be- 
longs." The  act  of  March  3,  1869,  prohibited  promotions  and  appointments  in 
the  Adjutant-General's  Departmeht,  but  by  act  of  March  3,  1 873,  the  appoint- 
ment of  one  assistant  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank  of  major,  was  author- 
ized. Thus  the  legal  strength  of  the  Adjutant-General's  Department  at  this 
time  was  one  brigadier-general,  two  colonels,  four  lieutenant-colonels,  and 
thirteen  majors  (twenty  in  all),  but  by  the  act  of  March  3,  1869,  prohibiting 
promotions  and  appointments,  the  department  became  reduced  to  one 
brigadier-general,  one  colonel,  three  lieutenant-colonels,  and  eleven  majors 
(sixteen  in  all).  The  act  of  March  3,  1875,  "  to  reduce  and  fix  the  Adjutant- 
General's  Department,"  directed  that  "  said  department  shall  hereafter  con- 
sist of  one  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  brig- 
adier-general ;  two  assistant  adjutants-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and 
emoluments  of  colonels ;  four  assistant  adjutants-general,  with  the  rank, 
pay  and  emoluments  of  lieutenant-colonels,  and  ten  assistant  adjutants-gen- 
eral, with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  majors" — (seventeen  members 
in  all).  This  act  also  repealed  so  much  of  the  act  approved  March  3,  1869, 
as  prohibited  promotions  and  appointments  in  the  Adjutant-General's  De- 
partment. 

The  act  of  February  28,  1887,  "to  effect  a  rearrangement  of  grades  of 
office  in  the  Adjutant-General's  Department  of  the  Army"  directed  that 
"  The  Adjutant-General's   Department   of  the  Army  shall  consist  of  one 


ADJUTANT-GENERALS  DEPARTMENT. 


II 


adjutant-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier-gen- 
eral ;  four  assistant  adjutants-general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments 
of  colonel ;  six  assistant  adjutants-general;  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emolu- 
ments of  lieutenant-colonel ;  and  six  assistant  adjutants-general,  with  the 
rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  major  :  Provided  that  the  vacancies  in  the 
grade  of  colonel  and  lieutenant-colonel  created  by  this  act  shall  be  filled  by 
the  promotion  by  seniority  of  the  officers  now  in  the  Adjutant-General's 
Department." 

At  this  date,  therefore  (May.  1891).  the  legal  strength  of  the  Adjutant- 
General's  Department  is  seventeen,  and  the  department  is  open  to  promo- 
tion and  appointments  on  the  occurrence  of  vacancies. 


THE    INSPECTOR    GENERAL'S    DEPARTMENT. 
By  Major  J.  P.  SANGER,  Inspector  General,  U.  S.  A. 

THE  office  of  inspector  general  dates  from  Dec.  13,  1777,  although 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Mottin  de  la  Balme,  a  French  cavalry  officer, 
was  appointed  by  congress  July  8,  1777,  inspector  general  of 
cavalry;  and  on  Aug.  11,  M.  du  Coudray,  a  French  artillery  officer, 
was  appointed  inspector  general  of  ordnance  and  military  manufactures  with 
the  rank  of  major  general.  It  is  not  probable  that  either  of  these  officers 
performed  much  service  as  inspectors,  for  the  entire  cavalry  force  consisted 
of  but  four  regiments,  used  chiefly  as  escorts,  messengers  and  orderlies, 
while  the  ordnance  and  military  manufactures  were  as  yet  unorganized. 
De  la  Balme  resigned  three  months  and  three  days  after  his  appointment, 
and  Du  Coudray  held  his  position  about  one  month.  He  was  drowned  Sep- 
tember 15,  while  attempting  to  cross  the  Schuylkill  en  route  to  army  head- 
quarters as  a  volunteer. 

On  October  26,  1777,  General  Washington  assembled  a  council  composed 
of  fourteen  general  officers  which  met  on  the  29th,  and  among  other  ques- 
tions submitted  to  it,  considered  the  following  :  "  Will  the  office  of  inspector 
general  to  our  army,  for  the  purpose  principally  of  establishing  one  uniform 
set  of  manoeuvres  and  manual,  be  advisable,  as  the  time  of  the  adjutant 
general  seems  to  be  totally  engaged  with  other  busmess  ?  "  It  was  ap- 
parently the  intention  that  each  member  of  the  council  should  submit  his 
views  in  writing,  but  only  those  of  General  Sullivan  on  the  subject  of  the 
inspectorship  have  been  preserved,  and  in  regard  to  that  he  wrote  : 

"  Such  an  officer  will  answer  an  exceedingly  good  purpose,  provided  a  person  who 
is  well  versed  in  the  manoeuvres  has  the  appointment,  and  the  major  and  brigadier 
generals  themselves  will  take  more  pains  to  teach  their  men  to  move  in  large  bodies, 
and  perform  such  manoeuvres  as  the  inspector  general  will  recommend.  If  the  person 
appointed  should  only  be  acquainted  with  the  trick  of  parade  of  a  single  company  or 
regiment,  and  has'not  extended  his  ideas  to  the  movements  of  armies,  it  will  be  rather 
a  disadvantage  than  benefit  to  the  army."* 

The  final  decision  of  the  council,  which  every  member  signed,  was  that 
"  such  an  officer  was  desirable,  the  manual  or  regulations  to  be  first  agreed 
upon  by  the  commander-in-chief,  or  a  board  of  officers  appointed  for  the 
purpose."  General  Conway,  one  of  the  members,  was  born  in  Ireland,  but 
educated  in  France  and  had  served  many  years  in  the  French  army.  He 
came  over  on  an  engagement  with  Messrs.  Dean  and  Franklin,  who  de- 
scribed him  as  a  soldier  of  high  character  and  abilities,  and  one  of  the 
most  skilful  disciplinarians  in  France.  He  was  commissioned  brigadier 
May  13,  1777,  joined  the  army  under  Washington  who  assigned  him  to 
the  command  of  a  brigade,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Brandywine 
and  Germantown,  and  the  operations  around  Philadelphia.     He  now  be- 

*  Original  manuscript.  State  Department. 


THE  INSPE C  TOR  GENERA  L  '5  DEPA  R  TMEN  T      1 3 

came  an  aspirant  for  the  position  of  inspector  general,  and  addressed  let- 
ters to  congress  proposing  a  plan  of  organization. 

These  letters  were  referred  to  the  board  of  war.  which,  on  December  12, 
1777,  reported  to  congress  that  they  had  considered  the  letters,  and  that  it 
was  expedient  to  the  promotion  of  discipline  and  to  the  reformation  of  the 
various  abuses  which  prevailed  in  the  different  departments,  that  an  ap- 
pointment should  be  made  of  an  inspector  general,  whose  duties  should  be 
to  determine,  with  the  consent  of  the  commander-in-chief,  the  instruction, 
discipline,  strength,  and  condition  of  all  organizations,  their  accounts, 
rations,  arms  and  equipment,  and  the  capacity  of  all  officers  ;  his  reports  to 
go  to  the  board  of  war,  and  a  copy  to  the  majors  of  regiments,  and  all  com- 
plaints and  grievances  to  congress.* 

It  was  further  resolved  that  two  inspectors  general  be  appointed,  which 
resulted  in  the  election  of  Brigadier  General  Thomas  Conway  with  the  rank 
of  major  general :  the  other  was  not  chosen. 

Fortunately  for  the  discipline  of  the  army  and  the  conduct  of  military 
operations,  this  plan  of  administering  the  inspectorship  was  not  carried  out. 
Its  effect  was  to  put  the  inspector  general  in  direct  communication  with 
congress  and  the  board  of  war.  In  the  hands  of  Conway,  and  the  board  of 
war  as  then  constituted,  such  a  weapon  would  have  beeen  irresistible,  and 
Washington  appears  to  have  fully  appreciated  the  danger.  On  the  2d  of 
January,  1778,  he  wrote  to  the  president  of  congress  opposing  the  appoint- 
ment of  Conway  and  transmitting  an  extract  from  the  proceedings  of  the 
council  of  generals,  in  regard  to  which  he  wrote  : 

"  The  enclosed  extract  from  the  proceedings  of  a  council  of  general  officers  will 
show  the  office  of  inspector  general  was  a  matter  not  of  such  modern  date  as  General 
Conway  maintains  it  to  be,  and  that  it  was  one  of  the  regulations  in  view  to  reform 
the  army. 

"  The  foreign  officers  who  had  commissions  and  no  commands,  and  who  were  of 
ability,  were  intended  to  be  recommended  to  execute  it,  particularly  the  Baron 
d'Arendt  with  whom  the  idea  originated,  and  whose  capacity  seemed  to  be  well  ad- 
mitted." f 

The  baron  was  a  Prussian  officer  and  colonel  of  the  German  regiment, 
and  served  as  aide-de-camp  to  Washington.  Conway  held  the  office  of 
inspector  general  until  April  28,  1778,  when  he  resigned. 

Although  Washington  did  not  employ  Conway  as  inspector  general,  he 
still  gave  heed  to  the  duties  of  the  office  which  ever  held  a  high  place  in  his 
mind.  In  a  letter  of  January  28,  1778,  to  the  congressional  committee,  which 
visited  his  camp  at  Valley  Forge,  to  mature  a  plan  for  the  better  adminis- 
tration of  the  army,  he  wrote  : 

"  In  an  army,  like  ours,  the  office  of  inspector  general,  principally  for  the  put  pose 
of  instituting  and  carrying  into  practice  an  uniform  system  of  manual  and  manceuvres, 
must  be  extremely  useful  and  advantageous.  A  number  of  assistants  to  this  office  will 
be  required,  as  one  man  would  be  incapable  of  superintending  the  practice  of  the  rules 
laid  down,  throughout  the  army  ;  and  unless  this  were  carefully  done,  it  would  be  of 
little  avail  to  establish  them.     It  would  be  proper,  in  my  opinion,  to  have  one  to  each 


♦Journals  of  Congress. 

t  Writings  of  Washington,  V^ol.  VI. 


14  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

brigade  ;  the  benefits  resulting  from  which  would  greatly  over-balance  the  considera- 
tion of  expense."* 

In  the  meantime,  December  i,  1777,  Lieutenant-General  Baron  von  Steuben 
arrived  at  Portsmouth,  N,  H.,  and  proceeded  to  York,  Pa.,  where  he  ten- 
dered his  services  to  congress  as  a  volunteer.  He  commenced  his  military- 
life  when  a  mere  child,  as  the  companion  of  his  father,  an  engineer  officer, 
and  became  aide-de-camp  to  Frederick  the  Great.  Congress  conferred  on 
him  the  rank  of  captain  by  brevet,  in  order  to  guard  against  any  incon- 
veniences which  might  result  were  he  taken  prisoner,  and  he  joined  the 
army  under  Washington  at  Valley  Forge,  February  23,  1778. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  he  accepted  the  appointment  of  temporary  in- 
spector and  entered  on  his  duties.  The  condition  of  the  army, — without 
sufficient  arms,  clothing,  rations,  medicines,  money,  organization,  instruction 
or  discipline,— was  deplorable  in  all  respects.  There  was  no  uniformity, 
while  the  short  terms  of  enlistment — three,  six,  and  nine  months — kept  up 
a  continual  flow  of  men,  who,  as  they  left  for  their  homes,  carried  off  with 
them  everything  serviceable  in  their  possession.  These  fluctuations  de- 
stroyed the  significance  of  divisions,  brigades  and  regiments,  which  bore  no 
resemblance  to  such  organizations.  It  was  impossible  to  obtain  correct  re- 
turns of  the  troops,  the  arms,  supplies,  or,  in  fact,  a  reliable  report  of  any- 
thing. Drill  regulations  of  any  kind  were  unknown ;  each  colonel  and 
general  had  a  system  of  his  own  ;  there  was  no  military  code.  The  interior 
economy  and  administration  of  regiments  and  companies  did  not  exist ; 
quartermasters  obtained  supplies  and  issued  them,  when  their  responsibility 
ceased,  while  that  of  the  captains  was  never  assumed  ;  hence  deficiencies 
were  not  known  or  explained.  Officers  and  men  absented  themselves  at 
will ;  desertion  was  general,  and  jealousies,  bickerings,  misunderstandings, 
insubordination,  extravagance,  and  waste  of  all  kinds  prevailed.  Unfed,  un- 
paid, insufficiently  sheltered,  and  literally  naked,  the  army  presented  a  picture 
of  inefficiency  almost  beyond  remedy.  These  conditions  naturally  suggested 
to  such  an  experienced  officer  as  Steuben  the  appropriate  remedies,  and 
although  many  of  them  were  beyond  his  reach  and  he  labored  under  the 
disadvantage  of  not  knowing  the  English  language,  he  set  about  his  task. 

To  the  defects  he  could  not  remedy  he  paid  no  attention,  but  devoted 
himself  to  completing  the  organization,  instruction  and  discipline  of  the 
troops.  To  this  end  he  formed  a  guard  for  the  general-in-chief  of  120 
men  drawn  from  the  line,  which  he  commanded  and  instructed  in  person, 
and  which  became  a  school  for  the  inspectors  and  other  officers.  The 
men  were  completely  uniformed,  armed  and  equipped,  and  their  military 
bearing  and  general  appearance  received  much  attention.  Impressed  by 
their  intelligence  and  aptitude,  the  short  time  for  preparation,  the  voluntary 
and  transitory  character  of  the  service,  and  the  ill  success  of  other  foreign 
officers  who  had  adhered  strictly  to  European  methods,  Steuben  very  sensi- 
bly reversed  the  old  system,  and,  as  he  says  m  his  memoirs,  instead  of 
"eternal  manual  exercises,"  the  purpose  of  which  was  not  apparent,  but 
which  exhausted  the  patience  of  the  recruits,  he  practiced  them  in  simple 
manoeuvres  having  a  palpable  object,  and  in  such  manner  as  to  make  plain 

♦Writings  of  Washington,  Vol.  VI. 


THE  INSPE  C  TOR  GENERA  L '  5  DEPA  R  TMEN  T.      1 3 

the  necessity  for  elementary  drill.  The  good  effects  of  this  plan  soon  be- 
came manifest,  and  on  March  28,  about  a  month  after  he  had  reported  to 
General  Washington,  the  latter  issued  an  order  announcing  that  the  Baron 
had  "obligingly  undertaken  the  exercise  of  the  office  of  inspector  general 
of  the  army,"  and  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonels  Davies,  Brooks,  Barber 
and  Mr.  Ternant,  as  sub-inspectors.  This  order  was  followed  by  others  re- 
quiring colonels  and  regimental  commanders  to  review  and  inspect  their 
regiments  weekly,  brigadiers  their  brigades  fortnightly,  and  major  generals 
their  divisions.  The  inspectors  were  held  responsible  for  the  discipline  of 
the  troops,  and  that  all  instruction  conformed  strictly  to  that  given  by  the 
Baron  to  the  model  company,  and  issued  by  him  with  the  consent  of  the 
general-in-chief. 

On  April  30th,  in  a  letter  to  congress,  Washington  explained  the  ill  con- 
sequences arising  from  a  want  of  uniformity  in  discipline  and  instruction 
throughout  the  army,  the  necessity  for  a  well  organized  inspectorship,  and 
what  had  been  done  up  to  that  time  by  Steuben.  In  the  month  following 
he  submitted  a  plan  under  which  the  business  of  the  office  was  to  form  a 
system  of  manual  and  manoeuvres ;  to  prepare  all  necessary  regulations  for 
the  government,  discipline  and  arrangement  of  the  army  in  all  its  branches  ; 
and  to  see  that  they  were  strictly  observed.  For  this  purpose  the  inspectors 
were  to  be  considered  "  the  instructors  and  censors  of  the  army  in  everything 
connected  with  its  discipline  and  management."  The  inspector  general  to 
be  under  the  direction  of  the  general-in-chief,  his  deputies  to  have  charge 
of  the  wings  or  divisions  under  the  major  generals  commanding,  and  the  in- 
spectors the  brigades.  He  recommended  Steuben  for  inspector  general, 
also  General  Cadwallader,  "  of  a  decisive  and  independent  spirit,"  Colonel 
Fleming  and  the  Barons  Arendt  and  Holtzendorf,  as  assistants. 

As  a  result  of  this  correspondence,  congress  on  May  5,  1778,  approved 
the  plan  and  appointed  Baron  Steuben  inspector  general  with  the  rank  and 
pay  of  major  general.  It  was  also  resolved,  "  that  there  be  two  ranks  of  in- 
spectors under  the  direction  of  the  inspector  general,  the  first  to  superintend 
two  or  more  brigades,  and  the  other  to  be  charged  with  the  inspection  of 
only  one  brigade." 

Steuben  soon  began  to  experience  difficulties  heretofore  unknown.  As 
long  as  he  was  a  volunteer  inspector  without  military  authority  as  such, 
there  was  no  open  opposition  to  his  plan  of  exercises  and  inspections,  to 
receiving  instructions  from  him  personally,  or  to  his  practice  of  turning  out 
the  troops  for  drill  which  he  did  at  his  volition.  His  appointment  as  major 
general,  however,  caused  much  ill  feeling  among  those  who  were  below  him 
in  rank,  and  those  of  the  same  grade  now  objected  to  the  privileges  and 
authority  previously  exercised  by  him.  Washington  also,  while  fully  ap- 
preciating the  benefits  to  the  army  that  had  resulted  from  his  efforts, 
thought  that  too  much  authority  might  be  prejudicial  to  the  inspectorship 
as  well  as  to  discipline,  and  accordingly  issued  an  order,  June  15.  177S, 
specifying  the  duties  of  the  inspectors,  and  requiring  all  rules  and  regula- 
tions to  be  first  approved  by  him,  and  then  either  published  in  orders  or 
communicated  by  his  direction. 

All  exercises  and  manoeuvres  were  to  be  executed  under  the  immediate 


i6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

orders  of  the  several  commanders,  the  inspectors  acting  as  assistants,  and 
the  manoeuvres,  which  the  Baron  had  practiced,  were  only  to  take  place 
after  orders  specially  issued,  in  each  case,  by  the  general-in-chief. 

Thus  the  extensive  powers  exercised  by  Steuben  when  his  office  was  first 
established,  and  which  were  considered  necessary  in  view  of  the  exigencies 
of  the  case,  were  brought  within  proper  limits,  and  the  safety  of  the  inspec- 
torship insured.  That  it  would  have  been  overthrown  had  not  Washington 
placed  a  wise  curb  upon  the  ambition  of  the  inspector  general,  or  had  he 
conceded  to  him  the  power  of  enforcing  subordination,  there  can  be  little 
doubt.  As  stated  by  Alexander  Hamilton,  at  that  time  aide-de-camp  to 
Washington,  in  a  letter  of  June,  1778,  to  Mr.  Duer,  a  member  of  congress 
from  New  York  :  "  The  novelty  of  the  office  excited  questions  about  its 
boundaries  ;  the  extent  of  its  operations  alarmed  the  officers  of  every  rank 
for  their  rights.  Their  jealousies  and  discontents  were  rising  to  a  height 
that  threatened  to  overturn  the  whole  plan." 

Steuben  continued  at  Washington's  headquarters  where  he  was  most  use- 
ful. In  the  execution  of  his  duties  he  met  with  obstacles  which,  according  to 
Hamilton,  "  were  thrown  in  his  way  by  many  of  the  general  officers,  incited 
to  it  by  Lee  and  Miffiin,"  and  inasmuch  as  he  had  not  been  able  to  induce 
congress  to  adopt  his  ideas  of  the  inspectorship,  he  now  insisted  on  a  per- 
manent command,  and  seemed  determined  to  leave  the  service  altogether  if 
it  were  not  given  him.  Provided  with  a  letter  from  Washington  to  the  presi- 
dent of  congress,  the  Baron  laid  his  case  before  that  body.  But  he  was 
not  successful  and  accordingly  devoted  himself  again  to  his  duties  as  in- 
spector general. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  at  Valley  Forge,  congress  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  confer  with  him.  To  this  committee  he  submitted  a  project  in  which 
he  discussed  the  causes  which  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  inspectorship, 
and  in  what  manner  it  could  best  be  made  to  conform  with  the  genius  of  the 
people  and  the  constitution  of  the  army. 

Reasoning  from  the  relation  of  the  inspectors  general  of  France  and 
Prussia,  who  were  accountable  to  the  king  alone,  he  thought  the  inspector 
general  should  be  answerable  to  the  board  of  war,  to  which  and  the  com- 
mander-in-chief, he  was  to  make  a  report  of  his  inspections.  In  the  event 
of  diflferences  between  the  commander-in-chief  and  the  inspector  general, 
congress  was  to  decide.*  In  other  words,  the  inspector  general  was  to  be  a 
staff  officer  of  the  board  of  war,  and  only  in  a  qualified  way  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  commander-in-chief. 

This  plan  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  congress  which  reported  that, 
after  fully  considering  it  and  consulting  with  the  Baron,  they  recommended 
— in  the  form  of  resolutions — that  there  should  be  one  inspector  general 
with  the  rank  of  major  general,  an  assistant  inspector  general  with  the  rank 
of  brigadier  general,  sub-inspectors  to  be  colonels  and  each  to  have  the 
troops  of  three  or  four  states,  the  offices  of  brigade  major  and  brigade  in- 
spector to  be  united,  and  the  regulations  of  the  department  to  be  as  pro- 
posed in  the  plan.  The  second  resolution,  among  other  things,  authorized 
inspectors  to  have  the  troops  under  arms  whenever  they  desired.    The 

♦Journals  of  Congress. 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERALS  DEPARTMENT.      1 7 

eighth  resolution  made  the  inspector  general  and  his  assistants  subject  to 
the  orders  of  congress,  the  board  of  war,  and  the  commander-in-chief.  The 
tenth  resolution  provided  that  every  officer  and  soldier  who  so  desired 
should  have  the  privilege  of  presenting  any  complaints  to  the  inspector.* 

The  report  was  referred  to  Washington  August  20.  who,  with  his  usual  pen- 
etration and  sagacity,  discussed  the  merits  and  weak  points  of  the  proposed 
plan  and  report.!  He  saw  that  while  it  embraced  many  of  the  fundamental 
principles  of  inspections,  it  was  fatally  defective  in  establishing  direct  com- 
munication between  the  inspector  general  and  the  board  of  war  ;  in  making 
the  inspector  general  independent  of  the  commander-in-chief  and  the  sub- 
inspectors  independent  of  the  subordinate  generals.  His  letters  and  ob- 
servations, together  with  the  report,  were  received  in  congress  September 
15,  whereupon  it  was  "  Ordered  that  the  report  and  observations  be  referred 
to  the  committee  of  arrangement,  and  that  they  be  directed  to  prepare  a 
plan  of  regulations  for  the  inspectorship,  agreeable  to  the  said  report  and 
observations."]: 

On  Thursday,  February  i8th,  the  committee  made  its  report,  whereupon 
the  following  plan  of  organizatioji  and  management  for  the  department  of 
the  inspector  general  was  agreed  to  :  There  should  be  an  inspector  general, 
who,  in  all  future  appointments,  should  be  taken  from  the  line  of  major 
generals,  and  whose  principal  duty  should  be  to  form  a  system  of  regula- 
tions for  drill  and  manoeuvre,  service  of  guards  and  detachments,  and  for 
camp  and  garrison  duty.  Together  with  his  assistants  he  was  to  review  and 
inspect  the  troops  and  receive  such  returns  as  the  commander-in-chief  or 
officers  in  command  might  direct,  reporting  all  defects  and  deficiencies  to 
the  officers  ordering  the  inspection  and  to  the  board  of  war ;  all  regulations 
whatsoever  to  be  finally  established  by  congress,  but  the  exigencies  of  the 
service  requiring  it,  temporary  regulations  might  be  introduced  by  the  in- 
spector general,  with  the  approval  of  the  commander-in-chief,  such  regula- 
tions to  be  communicated  to  the  army  by  the  adjutant  general,  and  trans- 
mitted at  once  to  the  board  of  war  for  the  action  of  congress  ;  to  be  as  many 
sub-inspectors  as  the  commander-in-chief  or  commander  of  a  detachment, 
in  view  of  the  strength  and  situation  of  the  army,  might  deem  necessary,  to 
be  taken  from  the  line  of  lieutenant-colonels  and  to  receive  their  instruc- 
tions relative  to  the  department  from  the  inspector  general ;  one  inspector 
to  each  brigade  to  be  taken  from  among  the  majors  and  the  office  to  be  an- 
nexed to  that  of  brigade  major ;  that  all  the  officers  of  the  inspectorship 
having  appointments  in  the  line  should  retain  their  rights  of  command, 
succession,  and  promotion,  but  they  should  not  exercise  command  except 
on  particular  occasions  and  by  special  assignment  of  the  commander-in- 
chief  ;  to  be  exempt  from  all  duties  except  those  of  their  office ;  the  inspec- 
tor general  to  be  subject  to  congress  and  the  commander-in-chief  only  ;  and 
the  sub-inspectors  to  be  also  subject  to  the  orders  of  the  division  and  bri- 
gade commanders  on  whose  stafl  they  were  serving  § 


*  Journals  of  Congress. 

t  Original  Manuscript  in  State  Department. 

t  Journals  of  :  ongress. 

§  Journals  of  Congress. 


i8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

From  this  it  appears  that  the  views  of  Washington  had  been  given  due 
weight,  and  that  the  dangers  to  discipline,  as  well  as  those  which  threatened 
the  inspectorship,  had  been  carefully  avoided. 

On  March  25,  Steuben  submitted  to  congress  a  system  of  drill  regulations 
for  the  infantry,  which,  on  the  29th,  were  approved  and  adopted. 

In  the  library  of  the  war  department  one  of  the  few  remaining  copies  of 
this  book  may  be  seen.  It  was  the  first  important  result  of  the  inspectorship, 
and  was  of  mestimable  benefit  to  the  army.  The  scope  of  this  sketch  will 
not  permit  an  analysis  of  these  regulations,  but  it  may  be  remarked  that 
they  partook  of  the  Baron's  very  practical  ideas  in  regard  to  the  character 
of  the  instruction  most  needed  to  prepare  the  troops  for  the  field.  Many  of 
the  rules  prescribed  and  the  customs  resulting  from  them  are  still  observed 
in  the  army ;  others  might  be  revived  with  benefit  to  discipline. 

The  regulations  having  been  formally  approved,  Washington,  on  April  12, 
May  4,  12,  22,  and  June  20,  1779,  issued  orders  making  the  inspector  general 
and  his  assistant  responsible  for  their  observance.  The  sub-inspectors  when 
their  divisions  were  detached  were  to  perform  the  duties  of  adjutant  general, 
and  the  new  duties  of  the  brigade  majors,  which  were  in  effect  the  same  as 
outlined  in  Steuben's  plan,  were  defined.  In  reference  to  inspections  the 
brigade  majors  received  their  instructions  from  the  inspector  general,  and 
from  the  sub-inspectors  of  the  divisions  to  which  they  belonged.  It  was 
doubtless  m  pursuance  of  this  idea,  of  uniting  the  duties  of  adjutant  general 
and  inspector  general  that  congress  on  June  22,  "  Resolved,  That  the 
adjutant  general  for  the  time  being,  be  also  assistant  inspector  general." 

The  organization  of  the  inspectorship  being  now  complete,  Washington 
on  July  I,  issued  an  order  prescribing  a  monthly  inspection  of  the  whole 
army,  and  directing  that  at  these  inspections  the  inspectors  be  furnished,  by 
all  company  commanders,  with  exact  returns  of  the  troops  and  of  all  govern- 
ment property  since  last  inspection  as  well  as  of  that  on  hand.  These  returns 
were  consolidated  into  division  returns  for  the  information  of  the  division 
commanders.  "  With  what  strict  scrutiny  were  the  inspections  made"  re- 
lates William  North : 

"  I  have  seen  the  Baron  and  his  assistants  seven  long  hours  inspecting  a  brigade  of 
three  small  regiments.  Every  man  not  present  must  be  accounted  for  ;  if  in  camp, 
sick  or  well,  they  were  produced  or  visited  ;  every  musket  handled  and  searched,  cart- 
ridge boxes  opened,  even  the  flints  and  cartridges  counted  ;  knapsacks  unslung  and 
every  article  of  clothing  spread  on  the  soldier's  blanket,  and  tested  by  his  little  book, 
whether  what  he  had  received  from  the  United  States  within  the  year  was  there,  if  not, 
to  be  accounted  for.  Hospitals,  stores,  laboratories,  every  place  and  every  thing  was 
open  to  inspection  and  inspected,  and  what  officer's  mind  was  at  ease  if  losses  or  ex- 
penditures could  not,  on  the  day  of  searching,  be  fully  and  fairly  accounted  for  ?  The 
inspections  were  every  month,  and  wonderful  was  the  effect,  not  only  with  regard  to 
economy,  but  in  creating  a  spirit  of  emulation  between  different  corps.  I  have  known 
the  subalterns  of  a  regiment  appropriate  one  of  their  two  rations  to  the  bettering  the 
appearance  of  their  men,  but  this  was  at  a  later  period  of  the  war,  when  supplies  and 
payments  were  more  ample  and  more  regular."* 

On  January   12,  1780,  congress  abolished  the  mustering  department  and 


■Kapp's  LUe  of  Steuben. 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERALS  DEPARTMENT.      1 9 

transferred  the  duties  to  the  inspector  general's  department.  The  efifect  of 
this  was  to  simplify  and  greatly  improve  the  administration  and  elFiciency 
of  the  army.  A  division  of  duties  so  closely  united  as  to  be  almost  identical, 
among  two  sets  of  officers  entirely  separated  by  official  lines  and  having  a 
different  responsibility,  resulted  in  much  friction  and  confusion  and  added 
to  thedifliculties  of  command.  That  the  change  was  in  the  interest  of 
economy  cannot  be  doubted,  and  on  May  7,  Steuben  submitted  a  plan  which 
included  the  duties  of  both  departments.  After  considering  this  plan, 
Washington  on  July  14th  addressed  the  following  to  the  president  of 
congress : 

"  I  enclose  a  plan  which,  in  conjunction  with  the  inspector  general,  I  have  framed 
for  the  consideration  of  congress.  It  is  indispensable  the  department  should  be  put 
in  full  activity  without  loss  of  time — the  speedier  the  decision  the  better.  A  large 
additional  allowance,  at  least  nominally,  for  the  inspectors,  is  proposed,  but  it  is  a  very 
imperfect  compensation  for  the  additional  trouble,  and  unless  some  extra  privileges 
and  emoluments  attend  the  office,  it  will  not  be  undertaken  by  officers  of  rank  and 
abilities."* 

This  plan,  expressing  the  concurrent  and  deliberate  views  of  Wash- 
ington and  Steuben,  should  be  given  in  full,  but  it  is  so  lengthy  that  only  a 
synopsis  is  permissible. 

It  provided  for  an  inspector  general  with  the  rank  of  major  general, 
to  be  taken  from  the  line  of  major  generals,  with  two  aides  and  two  secre- 
taries ;  an  assistant  inspector  general,  to  be  adjutant  general  of  the  main 
army;  an  inspector  to  each  division,  one  to  the  corps  of  cavalry,  one  to 
the  artillery,  one  to  the  independent  corps,  garrisons,  and  to  the  militia 
in  service,  to  be  taken,  when  practicable,  from  the  line  of  colonels  and  lieu- 
tenant colonels,  and  one  to  each  brigade  with  the  rank  of  major.  The  drill 
regulations  and  those  prescribing  discipline,  service  of  guards  and  detach- 
ments, camps  and  garrisons,  to  be  framed  and  their  execution  superintended 
by  the  inspector  general  of  the  army ;  the  assistant  inspector  general  to  act 
as  inspector  general  during  the  absence  of  the  latter,  and  to  perform  the 
duties  of  adjutant  general ;  the  inspectors  and  sub-inspectors  to  act  as 
adjutants  general  of  the  divisions  and  brigades,  receiving  their  instructions 
in  reference  to  inspection  duty  from  the  inspector  general  and  assistant 
inspector  general ;  the  troops  to  be  reviewed  and  mustered  by  the  inspector 
general  and  his  assistants  monthly,  noting  the  number  and  condition  of  the 
men,  their  discipline  and  drill,  the  state  of  the  arms,  equipments,  clothing, 
rations,  etc.,  rejecting  all  unserviceable  recruits,  discharging  or  transferring 
to  the  invalid  corps  all  men  disabled  in  the  service,  and  reporting  all  abuses, 
neglects  and  deficiencies  to  the  commander-in-chief,  the  commander  of  the 
organization,  and  to  the  board  of  war.  The  returns  of  men  and  material, 
as  required  in  Washington's  order  of  July  i,  were  continued,  as  were  the 
other  duties  and  responsibilities.  The  inspector  general  in  all  that  related 
to  inspections  was  subject  only  to  congress,  the  board  of  war,  and  the  com- 
mander-in-chief;  all  other  inspectors  to  the  commanders  with  whom  they 
served. 

This   plan  having  been  discussed,  congress,  on  September  25,  voted  that : 

'■'•  Original  Manuscript  in  State  Department. 


20  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

"  Whereas,  the  institution  of  the  department  hath  been  found  of  great  utility  to  the 
armies  of  these  United  States  ;  and  experience  hath  shown  that  it  may  be  rendered 
still  more  useful  by  an  extension  of  its  powers  and  objects,  therefore, 

"  Resolved,  That  the  former  establishment  by  a  resolution  of  February  i8,  177Q, 
and  all  subsequent  resolutions  relative  thereto,  be  repealed,  and  the  department  here- 
after have  the  following  form,  powers  and  privileges." 

Then  follows  the  plan  proposed  by  Washington  and  Steuben,  with  some 
changes,  and  Steuben  was  continued  as  inspector  general,  and  authorized 
to  appoint  all  officers  necessary  to  its  execution,  they  being  first  approved 
by  the  commander-in-chief. 

Considering  the  short  time  the  inspectorship  had  been  established  the 
plan  was  as  satisfactory  as  could  be  expected,  but  was  a  disappointment  to 
the  Baron.  Nevertheless  he  continued  actively  at  work  and  devised  many 
remedies  for  the  abuses  which  prevailed  throughout  the  army.  That  they 
were  numerous,  and  that  Washington  believed  in  the  efficacy  of  frequent 
inspections,  his  correspondence  fully  proves. 

On  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  Steuben  recommended  a  reduction  in 
the  number  of  inspectors  and  proposed  some  other  changes.  Accordingly, 
on  January  10,  congress  authorized  one  inspector  general,  to  be  appointed 
from  the  general  officers,  with  one  secretary  and  two  aides  to  be  taken  from 
the  line  ;  one  field  officer  of  the  line  to  be  inspector  of  each  separate  army, 
with  $80  per  month  additional  pay,  and  to  be  allowed  to  select  a  captain  or 
subaltern  to  assist  him.  in  the  duties  of  his  office,  with  $10  per  month  addi- 
tional pay.  The  inspectors  in  the  execution  of  their  offices  were  made  sub- 
ject only  to  the  orders  of  congress,  the  secretary  of  war,  the  commander- 
in-chief,  or  commanding  officer  of  a  separate  army.  The  authority  and 
duties  of  the  inspector  general  and  his  assistants  continued  unchanged. 

With  the  capitulation  of  Cornwallis  the  operations  of  the  main  army 
may  be  said  to  have  terminated.  Attention  was  now  concentrated  on  the 
southern  army,  and  every  effort  made  to  render  it  efficient,  but  with  little 
success.  The  dishonesty  and  extortion  which  had  characterized  the 
methods  of  supplying  the  troops  still  continued,  and  finally  engaged  the 
attention  of  congress,  which,  on  May  7,  1782,  provided  for  the  appointment 
of  inspectors  of  contracts  and  supplies  for  the  two  armies,  who  were  to 
report  any  fraud,  neglect  of  duty,  or  other  misconduct  by  which  the  public 
property  was  wasted  or  expense  unnecessarily  incurred. 

Under  these  resolutions  Colonel  Ezekiel  Cornell  of  Rhode  Island,  was 
made  inspector  of  contracts  for  the  main  army,  and  Colonel  Francis  Mentges 
of  the  5th  Pennsylvania  regiment,  the  inspector  of  the  southern  army. 
Both  of  these  officers  were  acting  as  inspectors  of  the  aforesaid  armies 
respectively. 

The  Peace  of  Paris  was  signed  January  20,  1783,  and  a  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities was  proclaimed  by  Washington  to  take  effect  April  19th. 

On  December  23d  Washington  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army 
and  retired  to  private  life.  The  same  day  he  addressed  a  letter  to  Steuben, 
the  last  he  ever  wrote  as  commander-in-chief,  in  which  he  said  : 

"  *  *  *  I  wish  to  make  use  of  this  last  moment  of  my  public  life  to  signify  in 
the  strongest  terms,  my  entire  approbation  of  your  conduct,  and  to  express  my  sense 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERAL'S  DEPARTMENT.      2 1 

of   the  obligations  the  public  is  under  to  you,  for  your  faithful  and  meritorious  ser- 
vices." 

On  December  30,  17S2,  congress  passed  a  resolution  complimentary  to 
Steuben,  and  on  March  24,  1784,  he  sent  in  his  resignation.  In  accepting 
it  congress  passed  a  resolution  of  thanks,  "  for  his  great  zeal  and  abilities," 
and  ordered  "that  a  gold  hiked  sword  be  presented  to  him  as  a  mark  of  the 
high  sense  entertained  for  his  character  and  services."  Washington  had 
previously  written  in  reply  to  the  Baron's  inquiry,  "  whether  or  no  he  con- 
sidered the  department  of  the  inspector  general  necessary  to  the  army,  and 
whether  it  had  been  conducted  according  to  his  wishes,"  as  follows: 

"  I  give  it  as  my  clear  opinion  that  it  has  been  of  the  greatest  importance  for  rea- 
sons too  obvious  to  need  enumeration,  but  more  especially  for  having  established  one 
uniform  system  of  manreuvres  and  regulations  in  an  army  composed  of  the  troops  of 
thirteen  States,  (each  having  its  local  prejudices)  and  subject  to  constant  deviations 
and  interruptions  from  the  frequent  changes  it  has  undergone.  It  is  equally  just  to 
declare  that  the  department  under  your  auspices,  has  been  conducted  with  an  intelli- 
gence, activity  and  eeal,  not  less  beneficial  to  the  public  than  honorary  to  yourself,  and 
that  I  have  abundant  reasons  to  be  satisfied  with  your  abilities  and  attention  to  the 
duties  of  your  ofilce  during  the  four  years  you  have  been  in  service."* 

Steuben  did  not  return  to  Europe,  but  made  his  home  in  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  died  of  paralysis,  November  28,  1794,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years. 

When  the  army  was  disbanded  it  was  divided  into  a  northern  and  south- 
ern force.  The  main  body  of  the  northern  army  was  stationed  along  the 
Hudson  river  from  Newburg  to  West  Point.  On  the  19th  of  March,  1784, 
Steuben  appointed  Major  William  North,  his  aide-de-camp,  inspector  of 
these  troops,  and  the  appointment  was  confirmed  by  congress  April  15, 
when  he  was  made  "  inspector  to  the  troops  remaining  in  the  service  and 
pay  of  the  United  States,"  which  consisted  at  the  end  of  April,  of  433  in- 
fantry and  80  artillery.  On  the  2d  of  June  congress  ordered  all  the  troops 
in  service  to  be  mustered  out,  except  25  privates  to  guard  the  stores  at  Fort 
Pitt,  and  55  at  West  Point.  Under  this  act  General  Knox  was  disbanded 
and  the  command  of  the  "  army  "  devolved  on  Captain  and  Brevet  Major 
Doughty,  of  the  artillery. 

From  this  date  to  July  31,  1787,  the  army  was  increased  and  reduced  sev- 
eral times ;  at  the  latter  date  it  consisted  of  one  regiment  of  infantry  and 
four  companies  of  artillery. 

On  June  25,  1788,  it  was  resolved  in  congress,  "  That  the  office  of  inspec- 
tor of  troops  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  immediately  cease,  and  be 
discontinued,  and  that  the  secretary  of  war  report  what  mode  may  be  most 
eligible  for  having  the  troops  inspected  in  the  future." 

In  accordance  with  these  instructions  he  wrote,  July  3,  1788,  to  the 
president  of  congress  as  follows: 

"  Agreeably  to  the  order  of  congress  of  the  25th  ultimo,  I  have  the  honor  to  re- 
port to  your  Excellency  that  the  recruits  at  present  raising  in  Connecticut,  New  Jer- 
sey and  Pennsylvania,  will  be  mustered  and  inspected  previously  to  their  marching  by 
Mr.  Stagg,  who  is  employed  in  this  office  and  is  adequate  to  the  business. 

♦Writings  of  Washington. 


22  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY, 

"  That  I  conceive  the  troops  on  the  frontiers  maybe  mustered  and  inspected  by 
the  majors  on  oath." 

Mr.  John  Stagg  was  the  chief  clerk  of  the  war  department,  and  an  ex- 
officer  of  the  Continental  army.  He  was  brigade-major  of  Conway's 
brigade,  and  of  course  had  performed  the  duties  of  inspector.  Under 
these  instructions  the  majors  of  the  regiments  acted  as  inspectors,  but 
Messrs.  Stagg  and  Francis  Mentges  were  inspectors  under  the  secretary 
of  war. 

The  war  department  was  established  August  7,  and  on  September  29 
congress  enacted  a  law  "  to  recognize  and  adapt  to  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States,  the  establishment  of  the  troops  raised  under  the  resolves  of 
the  old  congress." 

By  the  act  of  April  30,  1790,  the  infantry  regiment  had  three  battalions 
of  four  companies  each  ;  the  artillery  battalion  four  companies  ;  a  total  of 
1216  men.     Section  4  authorized  an  inspector  "  to  inspect  said  troops." 

Owing  to  Indian  hostilities  a  second  regiment  of  infantry  was  added 
March  3,  1791,  bringing  the  authorized  aggregate  strength  of  the  army  to 
2232.  On  March  4,  Arthur  St.  Clair  of  Pennsylvania  was  appointed  major 
general,  and  replaced  Harmar  in  command  of  the  Northwestern  Territory. 
The  inspector  of  this  army  was  Mr.  F.  Mentges,  already  mentioned. 

Owing  to  the  failure  of  his  expedition  against  the  Indians,  St.  Clair  re- 
signed March  5,  1792,  and  on  the  same  day  congress  added  three  more 
infantry  regiments  for  a  term  not  to  exceed  three  years.  One  of  these  regi- 
ments was  given  the  unique  organization  of  two  battalions  of  infantry,  and 
one  squadron  of  four  troops  of  light  dragoons. 

Provision  was  made  for  a  general  staff  in  which  there  was  an  "adjutant 
to  do  also  the  duty  of  inspector,  and  a  brigade-major  to  act  as  deputy." 
Colonel  Winthrop  Sargent  of  Massachusetts,  acting  assistant  adjutant 
general  of  St.  Clair's  army,  was  appointed  adjutant  and  inspector  but  de- 
clined, assigning  as  a  reason  that  the  office  was  not  attended  with  sufficient 
rank. 

General  St.  Clair  was  succeeded  by  General  Wayne,  and  the  army  was 
organized  by  Washington  into  a  legion  and  four  sub-legions,  making  the 
aggregate  strength  of  the  whole  5414. 

The  legionary  staff  included  one  adjutant  and  inspector,  and  that  of  the 
sub-legion  one  brigade-major  and  inspector.  As  Colonel  Sargent  declined 
his  appointment  General  Wayne  appointed  Captain  Henry  de  Butts,  of  the 
4th  sub-legion,  acting  adjutant  and  inspector,  March  17.  He  was  relieved 
by  Captain  Edward  Butler  of  the  4th  sub-legion,  who  acted  until  relieved 
February  23,  1793,  by  Major  Michael  Rudolph,  of  the  light  dragoons,  who 
was  appointed  adjutant  and  inspector  of  the  army.  He  resigned  July  17^ 
1793,  and  was  succeeded  by  Captain  Edward  Butler,  who  held  the  position 
until  May  13,  and  was  followed  by  Major  John  Mills,  2d  sub-legion. 

The  act  of  March  3.  1795,  provided  for  "  an  adjutant  general  to  do  also 
the  duty  of  inspector,"  and  gave  additional  compensation  to  the  brigade- 
majors. 

The  act  of  May  30,  1796,  provided  for  one  inspector  to  do  the  duty  of 
adjutant  general,  and  terminated  the  existence  of  the  legion.     On  February 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERALS  DEPA R TMEN T.      2 3 

27,   Major  Thomas  Gushing,   ist  infantry,  was  appointed  inspector  of  the 
army  and  performed  the  duties  of  adjutant  general. 

The  act  of  March  3,  1797,  repealed  the  foregoing  act,  and  provided  for 
one  brigadier  general,  to  choose  his  brigade-major  from  the  captains  of  the 
line.  As  Major  Gushing  had  not  relinquished  his  rank  in  the  line  upon  re- 
ceiving the  commission  of  inspector,  he  continued  to  perform  the  duties  of 
his  office  by  detail. 

By  the  act  of  May  22,  1798,  the  brigadier  general  was  authorized  to 
choose  his  brigade-major  and  inspector  from  among  any  of  the  commissioned 
officers  in  the  line  of  the  army. 

About  this  time  our  difficulties  with  France  assumed  a  threatening  aspect 
and  congress  authorized  a  provisional  army,  the  organization  of  which  fol- 
lowed the  principles  observed  towards  the  end  of  the  Revolution.  The 
troops  formed  brigades  and  divisions;  the  adjutant  general  was  deputy  to 
the  inspector  general ;  the  duties  performed  by  the  inspectors  were  generally 
such  as  devolved  on  them  during  the  Revolution  and  since.  All  inspectors 
were  given  additional  pay. 

On  July  3d  Washington  was  made  commander-in-chief,  and  on  the  i8th 
Alexander  Hamilton  was  appointed  inspector  general  with  the  rank  of  major 
general.  In  a  letter  addressed  to  the  secretary  of  war,  July  4,  Washington 
gave  his  views  at  length  respecting  the  importance  of  the  general  staff  to  the 
welfare  of  the  army. 

Referring  to  the  inspector  general  he  wrote  : 

"  If  the  inspector  general  is  not  an  officer  of  great  respectability  of  character,  firm 
and  strict  in  discharging  the  duties  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him,  or  if  he  be  too  pliant 
in  his  disposition,  he  will  most  assuredly  be  imposed  upon,  and  the  efficient  strength 
and  condition  of  the  army  will  not  be  known  to  the  commander-in-chief ;  of  course  he 
may  form  his  plans  upon  erroneous  calculations  and  commit  fatal  mistakes." 

Hamilton  selected  as  his  aides  Gaptain  George  Izard  and  Lieutenant 
Ethan  Allen  Brown.  Jacob  Brown,  who  became  a  major  general  in  1812  and 
commander  of  the  army,  was  his  military  secretary. 

A  few  days  after  receiving  his  commission,  July  28,  Hamilton  entered 
upon  his  duties,  which  far  exceeded  in  their  variety  and  scope  those  of  any 
other  officer  of  the  army.  Nothing  escaped  his  attention.  He  was  prac- 
tically at  the  head  of  the  war  department  and  chief  of  stafT,  both  the  secre- 
tary of  war  and  Washington  placing  unbounded  confidence  in  his  abilities, 
his  patriotism  and  integrity.  The  scope  of  this  sketch  will  not  allow  a  re- 
cital of  the  many  important  services  rendered  by  Hamilton  and  his  assistants. 
On  February  4  he  was  invested  with  the  command  of  all  the  troops  along 
the  northern  lakes  and  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  Among  the  many  objects 
which  he  had  under  consideration  was  the  plan  of  a  military  academy, 
which  had  also  been  suggested  by  Steuben,  and  had  repeatedly  received 
the  consideration  of  the  government,  but  without  result. 

He  submitted  his  plan  to  Washington  who  replied  undedateof  Decem- 
ber 12,  1779,  commending  the  idea  but  declining  to  make  any  observations 
on  the  details  of  the  plan. 

This,  the  last  letter  written  by  the  "  Father  of  his  country  "  before  his 
death,  which  followed  two  days  later,  suggests  the  reflection  that  the  last 


24  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

letter  written  by  him  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  and  just  before  resign- 
ing his  commission,  was  addressed  to  the  inspector  general  of  the  army,  the 
Baron  Steuben.  Like  Hamilton,  Steuben  had  been  appointed  to  his  office 
at  the  request  of  Washington,  and  both  shared  in  the  fullest  degree  his 
confidence  and  affection. 

As  our  difficulties  with  the  French  Republic  now  seemed  in  the  way  of 
adjustment,  congress,  May  14,  1800,  reduced  the  army.  On  May  13  Hamil- 
ton had  requested  leave  to  resign  his  commission  June  ist,  but  this  was  not 
granted,  as  it  was  thought  expedient  that  the  larger  bodies  of  troops  at  dif- 
ferent stations  should  be  mustered  out  by  him  in  person.  His  resignation 
was  finally  accepted  June  15.  He,  as  well  as  Steuben,  was  elected  president 
general  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati. 

On  the  resignation  of  Hamilton,  Major  Gushing  of  the  ist  infantry,  who 
had  been  inspector  and  adjutant  general  before  him,  and  who  was  a  division 
inspector  of  the  provisional  army,  once  more  resumed  the  office  of  inspector 
of  the  army.  He  continued  to  fill  the  ofiice  by  detail  until  congress  rees- 
tablished it  in  1 802.  The  office  of  adjutant  general  having  been  discon- 
tinued and  the  reduction  of  the  army  completed,  the  duties  which  had 
devolved  on  htm  were  transferred  to  the  inspector,  and  the  duties  of  inspec- 
tion prescribed  in  orders  from  the  headquarters  of  the  army  of  August 
19,  1800. 

On  November  30  the  country  was  divided  into  twelve  districts,  to  be 
commanded  by  regimental  and  battalion  commanders.  Musters  and  inspec- 
tions were  to  be  made  monthly  by  the  district  commanders  when  the  regu- 
lar inspecting  officers  could  not  attend.  The  order  is  noteworthy  in  pre- 
scribing that  "the  muster  and  inspection  of  a  garrison  should  not  be  made 
by  any  officer  belonging  to  it." 

On  the  resignation  of  Hamilton,  Brigadier  General  James  Wilkinson 
became  the  senior  officer  of  the  army  and  so  remained  until  March  27,  1812. 
Through  all  this  period  he  had  immediate  command  of  the  army,  the  head- 
quarters of  which  were  at  various  points,  depending  on  his  movements. 
The  adjutant  and  inspector  of  the  army  accompanied  him  or  not,  as  might 
be  directed,  and  performed  his  duties  generally  under  his  orders,  although 
sometimes  employed  by  the  secretary  of  war. 

The  injustice  of  assigning  to  an  officer  detailed  from  the  line,  without 
extra  compensation,  the  arduous  duties  of  adjutant  and  inspector,  induced 
congress  on  March  16,  1802,  to  again  establish  that  office  by  law,  and  Major 
Gushing  was  appointed  to  it  March  26,  and  held  the  position  to  September 
7,  1805.  Meanwhile,  April  i,  1802,  he  was  promoted  lieutenant  colonel  of 
his  regiment. 

Under  the  act  of  April  12,  1808,  the  army  was  increased  to  9921  aggre- 
gate, and  two  inspectors  to  be  taken  from  the  line  were  authorized.  On 
April  2,  Golonel  Gushing  was  succeeded  by  Major  Abimael  Nicoll  of  the 
artillery. 

From  the  close  of  the  Revolution  to  the  year  1808,  the  army  was  sub- 
jected, as  has  been  shown,  to  many  changes.  There  were  no  printed  regu- 
lations other  than  those  prepared  by  Steuben.  EfTorts  had  been  made  by 
Hamilton,  Pinckney  and  others,  to  revise  the  drill  books  and  to  compile 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERA L'S  DEPA  R  TMENT.      2  5 

regulations,  but  their  work  was  not  published.  The  systems  which  pre- 
vailed at  the  close  of  the  Revolution  continued,  modified  by  such  regula- 
tions and  oiders  as  circumstances  suggested. 

In  February,  1810,  Colonel  Alexander  Smyth  of  the  regiment  of  rifle- 
men, compiled  a  system  of  infantry  exercises  and  mancxuvres,  chiefly  from 
French  sources,  which  he  was  directed  to  test  with  the  troops  in  camp  near 
Washington,  "  there  being,"  so  says  the  order,  "  no  established  system  for 
the  army  of  the  United  States." 

Owing  to  the  difficulties  growing  out  of  the  Napoleonic  wars,  the  refusal 
of  the  British  to  evacuate  the  posts  surrendered  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris,  and 
the  depredations  and  insults  of  her  cruisers,  congress,  on  December  24, 
iSi  I,  increased  the  army.  The  staf?  included  one  inspector  general  with 
rank  of  brigadier  general,  with  two  assistants  to  be  taken  from  the  line  of 
lieutenant  colonels. 

On  May  4,  1812,  the  following  regulations  defining  the  duties  of  the  in- 
spector general  were  issued  by  the  secretary  of  war  : 

'  *  *  *  It  will  be  the  duty  of  the  inspector  general  to  organize  the  army  ;  to 
superintend  and  enforce  discipline  ;  to  visit  and  inspect  camps,  cantonments,  quarters, 
prisons,  places  of  arms  and  hospitals  ;  to  make  stated  and  unexpected  inspections  of 
troops,  arms,  equipments,  clothing,  ammunition  and  horses  ;  to  make  inspections,  re- 
turns, and  confidential  reports  relative  to  the  state  and  discipline  of  the  army  ;  to 
designate  men  and  horses  unfit  for  service  or  the  fatigues  of  war,  that  the  former  may 
be  discharged  or  sent  to  garrisons  and  the  latter  sold  ;  to  examine  the  books  of  quarter- 
masters, paymasters  and  companies,  and  ascertain  the  balances  ;  and  to  prescribe 
forms  of  returns  exhibiting  all  the  wants  of  the  army." 

These  regulations  are  a  summary  of  the  duties  which,  since  its  establish- 
ment, had  gradually  devolved  upon  the  department. 

On  May  16  the  president  was  authorized  to  appoint  from  the  captains 
and  subalterns  of  the  line,  one  sub-inspector  to  each  brigade  with  the  addi- 
tional monthly  pay  of  twenty-four  dollars. 

On  June  18  war  was  declared  against  Great  Britain,  and  on  the  26th 
the  army  was  given  a  more  perfect  organization,  comprising  a  general  staff, 
medical  staflf,  ordnance  department,  quartermaster's  department,  corps  of 
engineers,  four  regiments  of  artillery,  two  of  dragoons,  one  of  riflemen  and 
25  of  infantry,  an  aggregate  of  35,752.  The  country  was  divided  into  nine 
military  districts,  each  with  a  district  stafl?,  which  included  an  inspector. 
General  Dearborn  was  the  senior  officer  and  commanding  general  during 
the  war. 

By  the  act  of  July  6,  1812,  the  president  was  authorized  to  appoint  to 
any  army  of  the  United  States  other  than  that  in  which  the  inspector  gen- 
eral was  serving,  one  deputy  inspector  general  to  be  taken  from  the  line 
with  increased  pay,  and  such  number  of  assistant  deputies  as  the  service 
might  require. 

On  July  6  Colonel  Smyth  was  appointed  inspector  general,  and  on  July 
14  the  secretary  of  war  issued  instructions  merging,  temporarily,  the  offices 
of  adjutant  and  inspector  general  with  the  adjutant  general's  department, 
the  duties  of  both  to  be  performed  under  the  direction  of  the  adjutant  gen- 
eral, to  whom  Major  Nicoll  was  appointed  assistant.   Captain  William  King 


26  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMW 

of  the  15th  infantry  was  made  assistant  to  the  inspector  general.  In  Sep- 
tember General  Smyth  was  given  a  brigade  in  the  army  along  the  Niagara 
River,  commanded  by  Major  General  Van  Rensselaer  of  the  New  York 
militia.  On  the  resignation  of  that  officer  after  the  battle  of  Queenstown 
the  command  passed  to  General  Smyth. 

The  act  of  March  3,  1813,  organizing  the  general  staff,  provided  that  the 
adjutant  general's  and  inspector  general's  departments  should  consist  of 
one  adjutant  and  inspector  general  with  the  rank  of  brigadier  general ;  8 
adjutants  general  and  8  inspectors  general  with  the  brevet  rank,  pay,  etc.,  of 
colonel;  16  assistant  adjutants  general  and  16  assistant  inspectors  general 
with  the  brevet  rank,  pay,  etc.,  of  majors,  to  be  taken  from  the  line  or  not 
as  the  president  might  deem  expedient.  The  president  was  also  empowered 
to  assign  one  of  the  brigadier  generals  to  the  principal  army  to  act  as  ad- 
jutant and  inspector  of  such  army.  As  this  act  discontinued  the  offices  of 
adjutant  general  and  inspector  general,  it  was  held  that  General  Smyth, 
having  no  commission  in  the  line,  was  disbanded  and  no  longer  an  officer 
of  the  army.  He  sought  relief  from  congress,  but  was  unsuccessful  and 
ceased  to  be  an  officer  March  3,  1813.  The  most  notable  service  rendered 
by  him  while  inspector  general  was  the  preparation  of  regulations  for  the 
field  service,  manoeuvre  and  conduct  of  infantry,  a  copy  of  which  may  be 
seen  in  the  library  of  the  war  department. 

On  March  12  Brigadier  General  Zebulon  M.  Pike  was  appointed  adjutant 
and  inspector  to  the  army  commanded  by  General  Dearborn,  but  was  killed 
by  the  explosion  of  a  mine  m  the  attack  on  the  British  fortifications  at 
York,  Upper  Canada,  April  13th. 

From  the  death  of  General  Pike  to  May  19,  1814,  the  office  of  adjutant 
and  inspector  general  of  the  army  remained  vacant,  the  affairs  of  the  two 
branches  being  in  charge  of  Colonel  Nicoll,  inspector  general,  and  Major 
C.  K.  Gardner,  assistant  adjutant  general,  respectively. 

On  May  19  Brigadier  General  W.  H.  Winder  was  appointed  adjutant  and 
inspector  of  the  army,  and  chief  of  staff  to  the  northern  army  ;  on  July  2  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  loth  military  district.  On  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  army  in  June,  181 5,  he  retired  from  service  and  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law  at  his  home  in  the  city  of  Baltimore.  He  died  May 
24,  1824. 

Meantime  Colonel  A.  Y.  Nicoll,  who  had  been  in  charge  of  the  inspector's 
office  in  the  war  department,  resigned  June  i,  1814,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  John  R.  Bell,  inspector  general,  who  was  appointed  major  and 
assistant  inspector  general  July  29,  181 3.  On  November  22,  1814,  Mr.  Daniel 
Parker,  of  Massachusetts,  the  chief  clerk  of  the  war  department,  was  ap- 
pointed adjutant  and  inspector  general  of  the  army. 

On  the  reduction  of  the  army  in  181 5  the  8  inspectors  general  and  16 
assistant  inspectors  general  were  discharged  and  four  brigade  inspectors,  to 
be  taken  from  the  line  of  the  army,  substituted.  No  provision  was  made 
for  continuing  the  office  of  adjutant  and  inspector  general  of  the  army,  but 
under  the  discretion  given  the  president  he  retained  provisionally  one 
adjutant  and  inspector  general,  and  other  staff  officers.  In  March  the  ten 
military  districts  were  replaced  by  nine  military  departments,  forming  a 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERALS  DEPARTMENT.      2 7 

northern  and  a  southern  division,  each  division  and  department  having'  an 
inspector  generally  selected  by  its  commander. 

On  December  27  the  secretary  of  war  suggested  to  the  military  com- 
mittee of  the  House  the  expediency  of  providing  by  law  for  the  stafT  ap- 
pointments provisionally  retained  by  President  Madison.  This  led  to  the 
act  of  April  24,  1816,  organizing  the  general  staff,  which  recognized  and 
made  permanent  those  officers,  and  provided  for  one  adjutant  and  inspector 
general  of  the  army,  one  inspector  general  of  each  division,  and  an  assist- 
ant inspector  general  to  every  brigade  to  supersede  the  inspectors  author- 
ized by  the  act  of  March  3,  181 5,  and  to  be  selected  from  the  line  of  the 
army  or  from  civil  life,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments,  provided  by  the 
act  of  March  3,  1813.  Colonels  Hayne  of  the  dragoons  and  Wool  of  the 
infantry  were  announced  as  inspectors  general,  and  Captains  J.  M.  Davis, 
Wm.  McDonald  and  G.  H.  Manigault,  of  the  infantry,  Francis  S.  Belton, 
formerly  of  the  dragoons  but  now  in  civil  life,  and  John  Biddle  of  the  artil- 
lery, as  assistant  inspectors  general. 

By  the  act  of  April  14,  1818,  the  pay  of  division  inspectors  was  made 
equal  to  the  pay  of  division  adjutants  general.  The  administration  of  in- 
spectors continued  unchanged  until  October,  1820,  when,  by  orders,  all 
assistant  inspectors  general  were  placed  under  the  division  commanders 
acting  through  the  division  inspectors. 

By  the  act  of  March  2,  1821,  the  army  was  reduced  and  reorganized. 
The  office  of  adjutant  and  inspector  general  was  abolished,  and  but  two  in- 
spectors general,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  colonels  of  cavalry, 
authorized.  Colonels  Wool  and  Gadsden  (the  latter  appointed  October  i, 
1820,  but  not  confirmed)  were  continued  as  inspectors.  It  was  their  duty 
to  make  a  complete  annual  inspection  of  the  army  under  the  orders  of  the 
general  commanding,  the  troops,  posts  and  other  establishments,  being 
equitably  divided  between  them. 

On  May  17,  1 821,  an  order  was  issued  by  the  president  substituting  an 
eastern  and  western  department  for  the  two  divisions  into  which  the  coun- 
try was  divided  in  181 5.  In  August  Colonel  Gadsden  was  appointed  adju- 
tant general,  and  in  November,  Major  S.  B.  Archer  of  the  artillery  was 
appointed  to  succeed  him. 

In  December  the  inspections  were  specialized,  the  infantry  being  assigned 
to  Colonel  Wool,  and  the  artillery,  arsenals,  foundries  and  manufactories  of 
arms,  to  Colonel  Archer.  This  was  a  departure  from  the  practice  previously 
observed,  under  which  there  was  no  division  of  inspections  according  to  the 
previous  service  of  inspectors. 

During  the  years  1823  and  1824  additional  duties  were  imposed  on  in- 
spectors in  reference  to  returns,  reports,  accounts,  statements  and  invento- 
ries of  public  property,  and  they  were  held  responsible  for  all  estimates  for 
supplies,  which  were  to  be  made  on  consultation  with  post  commander. 
When  not  engaged  inspecting,  they  were  required  to  take  station  at  army 
headquarters. 

On  March  2  the  order  specializing  the  inspections  was  revoked,  and  the 
two  inspectors  were  directed  to  alternate  in  the  annual  inspections  which 
were  to  be  made  under  the  orders  of  the  commanding  general.     No  reasons 


28  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

for  this  change  are  given  in  the  order,  which  was  doubtless  issued  to  more 
perfectly  equalize  the  duties.  The  commandant  of  engineers  was  made 
inspector  of  the  military  academy. 

By  the  act  of  March  3,  1825,  authorizing  the  sale  of  unserviceable  ord- 
nance, arms  and  military  supplies,  congress  designated  inspectors  general  as 
primarily  the  proper  officers  to  inspect  public  property  with  a  view  to  its 
elimination  from  service.  By  Par.  4  of  G.  O.  58,  series  of  1825,  such  in- 
spections were  to  be  "  made  by  an  inspector  general  when  practicable." 

On  December  11,  1825,  Colonel  Archer  died  and  was  succeeded,  Decem- 
ber 31,  by  George  Croghan,  of  Kentucky,  formerly  lieutenant  colonel  of  the 
15th  infantry  and  renowned  for  the  defense  of  Fort  Sandusky,  Ohio,  in  1813, 
against  the  British  and  Indians. 

In  April,  1829,  inspectors  general  were  authorized  to  discharge  soldiers 
on  certificates  of  disability,  a  power  previously  exercised  by  them. 

On  May  19,  1837,  the  two  great  departments  were  changed  into  divisions 
with  different  limits,  and  divided  into  seven  geographical  departments.  To 
each  division  one  of  the  inspectors  general  was  assigned  as  chief  of  staff, 
and  to  perform  the  duties  of  adjutant  and  inspector  general.  The  act  of 
July  5,  1838,  having  added  two  assistant  adjutants  general  with  brevet  rank 
of  major,  and  four  with  rank  of  captain,  and  required  them  to  perform  the 
duties  of  assistant  inspectors,  the  two  inspectors  general  were  returned  to 
the  headquarters  of  the  army,  December  13. 

On  June  25  Brevet  Brigadier  General  Wool  was  appointed  full  brigadier, 
and  in  December,  1839,  was  succeeded  by  Major  Churchill  of  the  artillery. 

In  May,  1842,  the  following  important  addition  to  the  duties  of  inspec- 
tors was  made  by  the  secretary  of  war,  Mr.  John  C.  Spencer  : 

"  *  *  *  II.  It  is  made  the  duty  of  the  inspectors  general,  or  officers  acting 
as  inspectors,  carefully  to  examine  and  inspect  all  supplies  and  materials  procured  for 
the  construction  of  forts,  or  for  harbor  and  river  improvements,  and  all  the  means  ap- 
plicable thereto,  and  the  number  and  description  of  vessels,  boats,  machinery  and  in- 
struments, etc.,  and  they  will  inquire  into  all  contracts  for  supplies  and  materials  of 
all  kinds,  in  the  different  departments,  and  whether  the  articles  furnished  conform  to 
such  contracts,  and  also  into  contracts  made  by  the  quartermaster's  department  for  the 
transportation  of  troops  and  stores.  The  results  of  these  inspections  will  be  forthwith 
reported  as  provided  in  Par.  835." 

On  August  23,  1842,  an  act  of  congress  abolished  one  of  the  inspectors 
general,  but  on  January  12,  1846,  this  act  was  repealed.  During  this  period 
both  inspectors  continued  in  office,  and  were,  for  a  time,  on  duty  with  the 
army  in  Mexico. 

In  August,  1848,  G,  O.  49  divided  the  country  into  two  military  divisions, 
the  eastern  consisting  of  four  departments  and  the  western  of  five  depart- 
ments. There  were  in  addition  two  separate  departments,  Nos.  10  and  11, 
from  which,  in  October,  was  formed  the  third,  or  Pacific  division.  This  ar- 
rangement of  the  country  continued  until  October  31,  1853,  when  seven  mil- 
itary departments  were  substituted  for  it. 

Colonel  Croghan  died  January  8,  1849,  and  was  succeeded,  January  26, 
by  Captain  James  Duncan,  2d  artillery,  who  died  July  3,  and  was  followed 
June  10,  1850,  by  Major  George  A.  McCall,  3d   infantry. 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERAL'S  DEPARTMENT.      2() 

In  May,  on  the  accession  of  General  Scott  to  the  command  of  the  army 
the  inspectors  general  were  ordered  to  report  to  him  by  letter. 

On  October  i6,  General  Churchill  was  assigned  as  inspector  of  the  east- 
ern division  ;  Colonel  McCall  of  the  Pacific  division  ;  and  Brevet  Colonel 
Samuel  S.  Cooper,  assistant  inspector  general,  to  the  western  division.  On 
December  17  the  order  was  revoked  and  the  inspectors  were  again  attached 
to  army  headquarters,  but  ordered  to  inspect  the  three  divisions  in  regular 
rotation,  after  which  they  were  to  report  in  person  to  the  commanding  gen- 
eral. Colonel  McCall  resigned  April  29.  1853,  and  was  succeeded  by  Cap- 
tain J.  K.  Mansfield  of  the  Engineers,  May  28. 

No  change  in  the  number  of  inspectors  took  place  between  1842  and 
1861,  but  on  March  6,  i860.  Brevet  Colonel  Joseph  E.  Johnston  of  the  ist 
cavalry  was  assigned  to  duty  as  acting  inspector  general  of  the  army  accord- 
ing to  his  brevet  rank.  On  May  14,  1861,  Colonel  Mansfield  was  appointed 
brigadier  general  and  was  succeeded  on  the  same  date  by  Captain  and  Bre- 
vet, Lieutenant  Colonel  Henry  L.  Scott  of  the  4th  infantry. 

On  August  3,  1 86 1,  five  assistant  inspectors  general  with  rank  of  major, 
and  on  August  6  two  inspectors  general  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  were 
added  by  congress. 

No  change  in  the  number  of  regular  inspectors  occurred  until  1864,  but 
by  the  act  of  July  17,  1862,  an  inspector  general  with  the  provisional  rank 
and  pay  of  lieutenant  colonel  was  provided  for  each  army  corps.  The 
names  of  those  appointed  under  the  act  will  be  found  in  G.  O.  181  of  1862. 

No  change  in  the  organization  of  the  department  occurred  during  the 
war.  In  1861  Colonel  Marcy  was  appointed  brigadier  general  and  chief  of 
staff  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  so  served  to  November,  1862.  Colo- 
nel Sacket  was  inspector  general  of  that  army  to  1863,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  Schriver.  Baird,  Buford  and  Totten  were  general  offi- 
cers commanding  troops,  while  Hardie,  Davis,  Jones  and  Van  Rensselaer 
were  on  duty  as  inspectors.  When  not  assigned  to  one  of  the  armies  in  the 
field  they  were  under  the  orders  of  the  secretary  of  war.  Armies,  army 
corps,  divisions,  brigades,  geographical  divisions  and  departments,  had  in- 
spectors general,  assistant  or  acting  assistant  inspectors  general,  usually 
selected  by  the  several  commanders;  and  all  parts  of  the  army  were  subject 
to  frequent  inspections.  The  number  of  geographical  departments  increased, 
until,  in  1865,  there  were  29  departments  forming  five  divisions,  and  also  a 
number  of  districts  nearly  all  of  which  had  inspectors. 

On  January  22,  1866,  the  war  department  published  in  G.  O.  No.  5,  regu- 
lations relating  to  the  inspection  service,  which  prescribed  the  ordinary 
subjects  of  inspection  and  the  general  prmciples  to  be  observed.  This 
order,  based  on  the  wide  experience  of  the  department  up  to  date,  defined 
the  "  ordinary  duties  of  inspection  "  to  be 

"the  condition  as  to  efficiency,  discipline,  supplies,  etc.,  of  bodies  of  troops,  and 
the  resources,  geographical  features,  lines  of  communication  and  supply,  the  military 
wants,  etc.,  of  any  section  of  the  country  ;  the  military  status  in  any  field  of  opera- 
tions ;  the  condition  and  supply  of  military  materials  of  various  classes  ;  the  condi- 
,tion  of  the  administrative  or  disbursing  departments  of  the  service  ;  the  efficiency  and 
conduct  of  military  commanders  and  agents  ;  the  cause  of  failure  or  delay  in  move- 


30  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ments  or  operations  ;  of  losses  by  accidents,  disasters,  etc.,  and  in  general,  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  military  art  or  having  interest  in  a  military  point  of  view." 

In  the  ordinary  discharge  of  the  duties,  the  sphere  of  inquiry  was  thus 
made  to  include  every  branch  of  military  affairs,  being  defined  and  limited 
only  in  specific  cases  by  the  orders  issued.  This  order  and  the  circular  of 
November  2,  1868,  are  fundamental,  and  have  been  the  basis  of  all  subse- 
quent regulations  and  orders  affecting  the  department. 

The  act  of  July  28,  1866,  fixed  the  number  of  inspectors  general  with 
rank'of  colonel  at  four;  assistant  inspectors  general  with  rank  of  lieutenant 
colonel  at  three,  and  the  number  with  rank  of  major  at  two. 

In  October,  1868,  all  the  inspectors  and  assistant  inspectors  general  were 
assigned  to  divisions  and  departments  except  Colonel  Schriver,  who  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  bureau  and  made  inspector  of  the  military  academy. 
Selections  for  acting  inspectors  were  to  be  made  from  the  grades  of  field 
officers  who  had  served  not  less  than  ten  years.  The  inspectors  of  depart- 
ments were  made  subordinate  to  division  inspectors,  from  whom  they  were 
to  receive  instructions  relative  to  the  manner  of  performing  their  duties. 

The  act  approved  March  3,  1869.  prohibited  any  new  appointments  or 
promotions  in  the  department.  In  April  the  stations  of  inspectors  were 
changed,  and  Colonel  Marcy  was  assigned  as  inspector  general  at  army 
headquarters  and  Colonel  Schriver  with  the  secretary  of  war.  At  the  same 
time  department  commanders  were  ordered  to  make  inspections  of  the 
troops  and  posts  in  person  when  practicable. 

By  an  act  approved  June  8,  1872,  the  president  was  authorized  to  appoint 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Davis  to  the  rank  and  place  he  would  have  had  if  pro- 
moted at  the  time  of  Colonel  Hardie's  appointment.  This  act  increased 
the  number  of  colonels  to  five,  but  provided  that  there  should  be  no  pro- 
motion to  that  grade  until  the  number  of  colonels  was  reduced  to  four. 

In  October,  1872,  the  five  inspectors  general  were  assigned  to  stations, 
but  performed  their  duties  under  the  orders  of  the  secretary  of  war  and 
general  of  the  army;  the  three  assistant  inspectors  general  went  to  the 
headquarters  of  the  three  divisions.  Field  officers  of  the  line  were  detailed 
as  department  inspectors. 

In  January,  1873,  orders  were  issued  excepting  from  inspection  by  de- 
partment or  division  inspectors,  all  engineer  establishments,  officers  or 
agents.  The  act  of  March  3,  1873,  established  the  military  prison,  and  re- 
quired one  of  the  inspectors  general  to  visit  and  inspect  it  at  least  once  in 
three  months. 

In  April,  1874,  the  act  providing  for  the  inspection  of  disbursements  was 
passed.  It  embodied  a  principle,  previously  recognized  by  congress,  "that 
officers  detailed  for  this  duty  should  not  be  in  any  way  connected  with  the 
department  or  corps  making  the  disbursement."  This  act  was  at  first  con- 
strued to  require  monthly  inspections,  and  imposed  most  arduous  duties  on 
all  inspectors,  who  were  made  responsible  for  any  defalcation  or  misappli- 
cation of  the  public  money  or  property  which  "an  active  vigilance  on  their 
part  might  have  detected."  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  more  unjust  require- 
ment than  this,  or  one  more  clearly  unintended  by  the  law,  which  was  not 
designed  to  prevent  frauds  or  to  punish  criminals,  but  to  determine  the 


THE  INSPECTOR  GENERALS  DEPA R TMENT.      3  i 

necessity,  propriety  and  economy  of  disbursements,  and  whether  officers 
complied  with  the  law  in  keeping  their  accojnts  and  making  their  deposits. 
In  June,  1874,  inspections  of  disbursements  were  ordered  to  be  made  bi- 
monthly. 

By  the  act  of  June  23,  1874,  reorganizing  the  staff  of  the  army,  the  in- 
spector general's  department  was  to  consist  of  one  colonel,  two  lieutenant 
colonels  and  two  majors,  and  not  to  exceed  four  line  officers  to  act  as  in- 
spectors general ;  and  no  more  appointments  were  to  be  made  until  the 
number  of  inspectors  general  was  reduced  to  five,  but  no  officer  then  in 
service  was  to  be  reduced  in  rank  or  mustered  out.  This  law  settled  in  the 
affirmative  the  question  as  to  whether  the  inspectors  general  constituted 
a  department,  about  which  there  had  been  some  variance  of  opinion. 

In  April,  1876,  the  secretary  of  war  directed  the  inspector  general  to  re- 
port to  the  general  of  the  army,  and  to  be  under  him  in  all  matters  relating 
to  military  control  and  discipline.  In  May  a  reassignment  of  the  inspectors 
was  made,  by  which  two  were  ordered  to  army  headquarters  and  the  others 
to  the  three  divisions.  Reports  of  the  inspection  of  troops  and  military 
posts  were  to  be  forwarded  through  regular  channels  to  the  inspector  gen- 
eral's office,  and  inspectors  were  ordered  to  note  on  such  reports  the  reme- 
dies applied,  and  all  superior  commanders  to  endorse  on  them  their  action, 
"  for  the  information  of  the  general  of  the  army."  In  July  the  inspections  of 
disbursements  were  ordered  to  be  made  quarterly,  and  the  annual  inspection 
of  national  cemeteries  required  by  law  was  assigned  to  this  department, 
but  in  1879  it  was  dispensed  with  unless  specially  ordered. 

Congress  having  declared  by  the  act  of  June  16,  1874,  that  the  inspectors 
general  constituted  a  department,  and  the  disproportion  between  the  rank 
of  the  senior  inspector  general,  or  head  of  the  department,  and  that  of  the 
other  chiefs  of  bureau  having  been  pointed  out,  the  act  of  December  12, 
1878,  conferred  on  the  senior  inspector  general  the  rank  of  brigadier  general, 
and  fixed  the  number  of  colonels  at  three,  lieutenant  colonels  two,  and 
majors  one. 

In  August,  1879,  it  was  ordered  by  the  secretary  of  war  that  every  post, 
station  and  command  of  the  army  should  thereafter  be  inspected  at  least 
once  each  year  by  division  and  department  inspectorsunder  the  direction  of 
their  respective  commanders,  and  that  in  addition,  post,  station  and  other 
permanent  commanders  should  make  similar  inspections,  annually,  between 
September  ist  and  5th,  and  forward  the  reports  to  the  inspector  general's 
office.  This  order  published  a  blank  form  of  report  which  all  officers  making 
inspections  were  required  to  use. 

Between  May,  1878,  and  September,  1879,  post  schools  and  post  ceme- 
teries were  made  special  subjects  of  inspection,  and  inspectors  were  required 
to  have  destroyed  in  their  presence  all  unserviceable  articles  having  no 
money  value  at  the  place  where  inspected. 

By  the  act  of  March  3,  1883,  it  was  made  the  duty  of  the  inspector  gen- 
eral of  the  army  to  inspect  the  Soldier's  Home  in  person  once  each  year. 

By  the  act  of  Februarys.  1885.  the  department  was  given  its  present 
organization. 

March  8,  18S5,  General  Sacket  died  and  was  succeeded  on  the  nth  oy 


32  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Colonel  N.  H.  Davis,  who  retired  September  23,  and  was  followed  by  Colo- 
nel A.  Baird. 

In  August,  inspections  of  disbursements  were  ordered  to  be  made  once 
every  four  months;  in  March,  1886,  amendments  of  the  regulations  were 
made  prescribing  the  manner  of  such  inspections,  and  in  June  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  military  departments  of  colleges  was  assigned. 

The  hospital  corps  having  been  organized  by  the  act  of  March  i,  1887, 
orders  were  issued  in  August  establishing  the  rules  and  regulations  affect- 
ing it,  and  inspectors  general  were  required  to  examine  into  the  efficiency 
of  its  members  and  of  the  company  litter  bearers. 

On  August  20,  1888,  General  Baird  was  retired,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  Roger  Jones  the  same  date.  General  Jones  died  January  26, 1889, 
and  was  succeded  by  Colonel  J.  C.  Breckinridge,  January  30,  1889. 

In  January,  1889,  the  inspection  of  the  supply  division  of  the  war  depart- 
ment, and  in  November  the  annual  inspection  of  the  militia  were  assigned 
to  the  department. 

Between  1889  and  1894  many  other  important  orders,  regulations  and 
decisions  have  been  issued  affecting  the  duties  of  the  department,  which 
culminated  in  the  amendment  of  paragraph  955  A.  R.,  by  G.  O.  No.  38,  of 
1890,  which  was  the  same  in  spirit  as  G.  O.  No.  84  of  1879,  and  G.  O.  No.  17, 
of  1882,  under  which  the  entire  military  establishment  was  to  be  inspected 
annually,  the  public  works  under  engineer  officers  alone  excepted.  They 
however  were  now  included,  and  remained  on  the  list  of  inspections  to  July 
5th,  when,  by  G.  O.  No.  45,  of  1892,  they  were  again  excepted. 

By  G.  O.  No.  23,  the  bureau  of  information  was  established,  and  shortly 
after  the  inspection  of  the  militia  passed  under  the  supervision  of  the  adju- 
tant general. 

The  last  important  duty  assigned  the  department,  is  the  annual  inspec- 
tion of  the  national  homes  for  disabled  volunteer  soldiers,  prescribed  by  the 
act  of  August  18, 1894. 


Major-General 

ARTHUR     ST.   CLAIR 

Commanding  the  Army,   i  791-179:; 


JUDGE  ADVOCATE  GENERAL'S  DEPARTMENT. 

By  Lieut.-Col.  J.   W.   CLOUS,  Dei-.  J.  A.  General, 
Professor  of  Law,  U.  S.   M.  A. 

HISTORY  is  said  to  repeat  itself.  Mr.  Clode  in  his  treatise  on  the 
military  and  martial  law  of  England,  says  that  in  the  English  civil 
war  of  the  17th  century  the  opposing  armies  of  the  king  and  of  the 
parliament  were  governed  under  the  same  military  code.  So 
in  1775  the  same  thing  happened  in  this  country.  At  that  time  the 
"Ministerial"  Army,  as  Gage's  and  Burgoyne's  forces  were  called,  was 
governed  by  the  British  Mutiny  Act  and  Articles  of  War.  When  the 
Continental  Congress  raised  an  army  in  defense  of  the  liberty  of  America, 
that  assembly  could  find  no  military  code  better  suited  to  their  requirement 
than  the  then  current  British  Articles  of  War,  and  accordingly  on  the 
30th  of  June,  1775,  they  put  forth  Articles  of  War  (sixty-nine  in  number) 
on  the  model  of  the  English  for  the  government  of   the  Continental  army. 

The  adoption  of  this  code  was  followed  on  the  29th  of  July,  1775,  by 
the  creation  of  the  office  of  "Judge  Advocate  of  the  Army"  to  which 
on  the  same  day  William  Tudor,  a  law  pupil  of  John  Adams  and  a 
leading  counsellor  of  Boston,  was  elected.  The  title  of  Judge  Advocate 
General  was  attached  to  this  office  on  August  10,  1776,  and  the  amended 
Articles  of  War,  adopted  on  September  20,  1776,  by  the  Revolutionary 
Congress  of  the  United  States  provided  that  "  The  Judge  Advocate 
General,  or  some  person  deputed  by  him,  shall  prosecute  in  the  name  of 
the  United  States  of  America." 

William  Tudor,  having  resigned  in  1777,  was  succeeded  by  John 
Lawrance,  a  distinguished  jurist,  who  had  served  with  the  army  in  the  field 
both  as  a  regimental  and  as  a  staf?  officer.  Meanwhile  certain  deputy 
judge  advocates  were  appointed  for  different  armies  and  for  the  army  at 
large. 

Colonel  Lawrance  resigned  in  1782,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  principal 
deputy,  Thomas  Edwards,  who,  so  far  as  the  records  show,  was  the  last 
incumbent  of  the  office  of  Judge  Advocate  General  prior  to  the  adoption 
of  the  Constitution. 

Under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1797,  reorganizing  the  army,  Captain 
Campbell  Smith,  4th  Infantry,  was  appointed  to  the  ofiice  of  Judge  Advocate 
to  the  army.  He  contmued  to  hold  the  office  till  it  ceased  to  exist  by 
the  force  of  the  Act  of  March  16.  1002,  which  also  reduced  the  line  of  the 
army  to  one  regiment  of  artillery  and  two  of  infantry. 

Next,  we  find  that  the  Act  of  January  11,  1812,  provided  for  the 
appointment  of  one  Judge  Advocate  to  each  division,  and  the  statute  of 
April  24,  1816,  "  for  reorganizing  the  general  staff"  increased  this  number 
to  three   for  each  division,  but  by  the  Act  of  April  14,  1818,  this  change 

33 


34  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

was  repealed  and  the  former  number  restored.  Among  the  eighteen 
judge-advocates  appointed  .under  this  act  we  find  the  name  of  Henry 
Wheaton,  the  eminent  publicist,  professor  of  law,  and  diplomat,  whose 
work  on  the  "  Elements  of  International  Law "  is  to-day  one  of  the 
standard  authorities. 

By  the  operation  of  the  Act  of  March  2,  1821,  reducing  the  military 
establishment  of  the  United  States,  the  office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  was 
discontinued,  and  remained  so  until  the  Act  of  March  2,  1849,  authorized 
the  President  to  appomt  a  suitable  person  as  Judge  Advocate  of  the  army, 
to  be  taken  from  the  captains  of  the  army,  Captain  John  F,  Lee  of  the 
Ordnance  Department  was  accordingly  appointed,  and  held  the  office  until 
it  was  superseded  by  the  legislation  of  1862. 

The  Act  of  July  17,  1862,  created  the  office  of  Judge  Advocate  General, 
with  the  rank,  pay  and  allowance  of  a  colonel  of  cavalry,  and  authorized  the 
appointment  of  a  judge  advocate,  with  the  rank  and  pay  of  a  major  of  cav- 
alry, for  each  army  in  the  field. 

Under  the  Act  of  June  20,  1864,  the  Bureau  of  Military  Justice  was  cre- 
ated, attached  to,  and  made  a  part  of,  the  War  Department,  during  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  then  existing  War  of  the  Rebellion.  The  Judge  Advocate 
General  was  made  the  head  of  this  Bureau  and  given  the  rank  and  pay  of  a 
brigadier  general.  The  appointment  of  an  Assistant  Judge  Advocate  Gen- 
eral with  the  rank  and  pay  of  colonel  of  cavalry  was  also  authorized. 

Upon  the  reorganization  of  the  army  under  the  Act  of  July  28,  1866,  the 
Bureau  of  Military  Justice  with  its  organization  was  continued  in  operation 
and  ten  of  the  judge  advocates  then  in  office  retained  in  service  and  soon 
after  made  part  of  the  regular  establishment  of  the  army.  By  the  subse- 
quent Act  of  April  10,  1869,  this  number  was  fixed  at  eight. 

Under  the  Act  of  June  24,  1874,  the  office  of  Assistant  Judge  Advocate 
General  was  discontinued  and  no  appointments  in  the  corps  of  judge  advo- 
cates were  to  be  made  until  the  number  was  reduced  to  four,  which  was  to 
be  the  permanent  number  of  the  officers  of  that  corps. 

The  Bureau  of  Military  Justice  and  the  Corps  of  Judge  Advocates  of  the 
army  were  by  the  act  of  July  5,  1884,  consolidated  under  the  title  of  "Judge 
Advocate  General's  Department,"  to  consist  of  one  Judge  Advocate  Gene- 
ral with  the  rank,  pay  and  allowances  of  a  brigadier  general,  one  Assistant 
Judge  Advocate  General  with  the  rank,  pay  and  allowances  of  a  colonel ; 
three  Deputy  Judge  Advocate  Generals,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  allowances 
of  lieutenant  colonels ;  and  three  judge  advocates,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  al- 
lowances of  majors,  and  under  the  same  act  the  Secretary  of  War  is  authorized 
to  detail  such  number  of  line  officers  as  may  be  necessary  to  serve  as  acting 
judge  advocates  of  Military  Departments,  who  shall  have  the  rank,  pay 
and  allowances  of  captains  of  cavalry.  This  is  the  present  organization  of 
the  Judge  Advocate  General's  Department,  and  under  the  authority  just 
quoted  there  are  present  five  officers  of  the  line  serving  as  acting  judge 
advocates  of  Departments.  These  have  been  specially  selected  from  the 
first  lieutenants  of  the  line,  who  have  studied  law  and  been  admitted  to  the 
bar. 

Under  the  existing  statutes  the  Judge  Advocate  General  is  required  "  to 


JUDGE  A D  J XICA  TE  GENERALS  DEFT.  3 5 

receive,  revise  and  cause  to  be  recorded  the  proceedings  of  all  courts-mar- 
tial, courts  of  inquiry,  and  military  commissions  and  to  perform  such  other 
duties  as  have  been  performed  heretofore  by  the  Judge  Advocate  General 
of  the  army."  and  under  his  direction  the  "  judge  advocates  shall  perform 
their  duties."  In  connection  with  the  duties  thus  specified  the  Judge  Advo- 
cate General  is  required  by  existing  regulations  to  render  reports  to  the 
Secretary  of  War  upon  such  cases  tried  by  military  courts  as  require  the 
action  of  the  President,  as  well  as  when  applications  for  clemency  or  other 
relief  are  presented  to  the  President  or  Secretary  of  War  by  persons  who 
have  been  convicted  by  military  courts.  He  also  prepares  and  revises  charges 
and  renders  opinions  upon  all  such  questions  of  military  law  as  may  be  re- 
ferred to  him  for  opinion  by  the  Secretary  of  War  or  the  Commanding  Gen- 
eral of  the  army.  He  also  assists  the  latter  in  the  review  of  cases  of  courts- 
martial  coming  under  his  cognizance. 

The  "  other  duties"  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General  mentioned  in  the 
statute  consist  in  the  preparation  of  all  sorts  of  legal  papers,  and  in  the  ren- 
dering of  opinions  upon  all  questions  of  law  arising  in  the  administration  of 
the  War  Department  referred  to  him  under  the  interior  business  regulations 
established  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  In  this  connection  the  Judge  Advo- 
cate General  is  in  effect  the  law  officer  of  the  War  Department,  holding 
practically  the  same  relation  of  advisory  counsel  to  the  Secretary  of  War  as 
is  held  by  the  several  solicitors  or  Assistant  Attorneys  General  towards  the 
chiefs  of  the  executive  department  to  which  they  are  attached. 

The  acting  judge  advocates  and  judge  advocates  detailed  for  duty  at 
Department  iieadquarters  are  under  the  immediate  command  of  Depart- 
ment commanders,  and  their  duties  chiefly  consist  in  preparing  or  revising 
charges,  serving  on  general  courts-martial,  examining,  revising  and  report- 
ing upon  the  records  of  military  courts  received  at  the  headquarters  at 
which  they  are  serving,  and  generally  in  assisting  their  immediate  com- 
manders in  the  examination  of  questions  of  law  arising  in  the  administra- 
tion of  their  commands.  These  officers  are  frequently  called  upon  to  ap- 
pear as  counsel  for  the  United  States,  or  for  officers  or  soldiers  of  the  army 
in  the  courts  of  the  United  States,  in  habeas  corpus  and  other  proceedings 
as  well  as  before  the  civil  and  criminal  courts  of  the  States  and  Territories 
within  the  command  to  which  they  are  attached.  It  is  therefore  necessary 
that  they  should  have  a  legal  education  and  be  members  of  the  bar. 

Since  1874,  one  of  the  judge  advocates  of  the  army  has  been  from  time 
to  time  assigned  to  duty  as  Professor  of  Law  of  the  United  States  Military 
Academy,  at  West  Point,  New  York. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  foregoing  paper  the  writer  has  made  free  use  of 
the  "Sketch  of  the  History  and  Duties  of  the  Judge  Advocate  Gen- 
eral's Department"  prepared  by  the  Judge  Advocate  General  and  dated 
March  i,  1878. 

This  sketch  would  be  incomplete  without  a  reference  to  the  effect 
produced  by  the  Civil  War  upon  the  administration  of  military  justice  in 
the  army,  the  Judge  Advocate  General's  Department  being  the  agency 
through  which  great  changes  were  brought  about. 

It  may  justly  be  said  that  before  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  we  had  no  mi!- 


S6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

itary  jurisprudence.  The  jurisdiction  exercised  by  military  tribunals  was 
withdrawn  from  public  observation,  their  decisions  were  buried  in  the  War 
Department.  Writers  on  military  law  could  draw  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances few  materials  from  sources  similar  to  those  which  furnish  any 
writer  on  constitutional  law  both  information  and  authority. 

Scattered  into  small  commands,  occupying  widely  separated  stations  on 
a  vast  frontier,  without  connection  by  railroads  or  telegraphs,  with  superior 
headquarters  located  at  a  great  distance,  the  greatest  portion  of  our  small 
army  served  for  years  preceding  the  war  far  removed  from  civilization,  pro- 
tecting the  enterprising  pioneer  in  his  search  for  a  new  home  in  the  far 
west.  Beyond  the  reach  of  civil  authority,  obliged  to  maintain  discipline 
among  his  troops,  and  in  duty  bound  to  give  to  the  settlers  within  the  vicin- 
age and  to  the  passing  immigrant  that  protection  of  life  and  property  which 
is  in  organized  civil  communities  obtained  through  the  local  civil  authori- 
ties, the  commanding  officer  of  a  frontier  station  was  often  forced  to  resort 
to  the  law  of  necessity  for  the  preservation  of  discipline  within  and  good 
order  and  security  without.  Arbitrary  punishments  therefore  had  often  to 
take  the  place  of  trials  by  courts-martial.  Absolute  master  within,  and  from 
without  the  only  power  that  could  be  invoked  by  the  civilian  for  his  protec- 
tion, the  commanding  officer  exercised  more  power  than  was  ever  contem- 
plated to  be  conferred  by  the  genius  of  our  institutions  upon  a  military 
officer  in  time  of  peace. 

Under  these  conditions  the  call  to  arms  sounded  in  1861,  and  the  scattered 
regular  forces,  when  replaced  by  volunteers,  were  collected  and  sent  to  the 
front.  Many  of  their  officers  took  high  positions  in  the  newly  organized 
volunteer  forces. 

The  men  comprising  these  new  forces,  coming  from  all  walks  of  life, 
brought  up  under  the  segis  of  civil  law,  under  which  they  could  only  be 
tried  by  their  peers  and  according  to.  the  law  of  the  land,  did  not  take 
kindly  to  the  arbitrary  punishments  for  infractions  of  discipline,  as  admin- 
istered to  a  great  extent  in  the  regular  forces.  The  publicity  of  these  pun- 
ishments, the  influence  of  the  press,  and  the  interest  taken  by  the  public  at 
large  in  the  citizen  soldiery,  as  reflected  by  the  members  of  Congress  with 
a  large  number  of  their  constituents  in  the  ranks  of  the  army  of  the  Union  ; 
finally  led  to  the  abandonment  of  unauthorized  punishments  and  of  punish- 
ments not  in  accord  with  the  spirit  of  public  opinion  of  the  times. 

The  importance  of  the  administration  of  military  justice  under  the  mili- 
tary code  and  under  the  laws  of  war  increased  in  proportion  as  the  field  of 
military  operations  was  extended  and  new  armies  were  raised.  The  agency 
which  supervised  this  branch  of  staff  administration  in  the  army  up  to  the 
beginning  of  the  Civil  War  was  without  an  organization  capable  of  expanding 
and  meeting  the  new  demands  made  upon  it.  There  was  but  one  officer, 
and  his  duties  had  been  confined  to  taking  charge  of  the  records  of  courts- 
martial.  An  eminent  statesman  and  able  jurist,  the  Hon.  Joseph  Holt,  was 
appointed  Judge  Advocate  General  by  President  Lincoln  upon  the  creation 
of  that  office  by  Congress  in  1862,  and  a  corps  of  judge  advocates  was  cre- 
ated at  the  same  time.  Under  this  legislation  and  until  the  close  of  the 
war  thirty-nine  officers  were  appointed  in  that  corps.     They  had  generally 


JUDGE  ADVOCATE  GENERALS  DEPT.  ij 

performed  active  service  in  the  field  as  volunteer  officers  and  all  of  them 
had  a  legal  education.  Previous  to  their  appointment  the  administration 
of  military  justice  in  the  field  was  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  volunteer 
officers.  Among  them  were  judges  who  had  left  the  bench  and  lawyer.^ 
who  had  abandoned  their  briefs  to  take  up  arms  for  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
Many  of  them  found  their  way  to  places  where  their  legal  training  made 
them  useful  to  commanding  generals  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties  as 
convening  and  reviewing  officers  of  courts-martial.  As  an  evidence  of  the 
valuable  and  eminent  services  of  these  officers,  as  well  as  of  those  of  the 
corps  of  judge  advocates  in  their  new  field,  it  is  only  necesary  to  refer  to  the 
scholarly  reviews  of  courts-martial  proceedings  published  in  the  orders  of 
the  various  armies. 

During  the  great  struggle  for  the  supremacy  of  the  Union  every  line  of 
our  military  code  was  brought  into  practice  and  when  necessary  interpreted 
and  construed.  Military  law  is  but  a  part  of  the  law  of  the  land,  and  there  is 
no  distinction  between  it  and  other  portions  of  the  law  in  respect  to  the 
rules  according  to  which  it  should  be  construed,  or  in  respect  to  the  neces- 
sity of  observing  established  principles  in  its  administration.  Besides  this, 
nearly  every  crime  known  to  the  common  law  was  brought  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  military  courts. 

Our  military  jurisprudence  was  thus  founded  during  the  most  critical 
period  of  our  national  history  by  General  Holt  with  the  assistance  of  his 
able  corps  of  judge  advocates.  To  one  of  these — Colonel  Winthrop — the 
army  is  indebted  for  a  treatise  on  military  law  in  which  for  the  first  time 
are  collected  for  the  benefit  of  the  soldier,  the  lawyer,  the  judge  and  the 
historian,  the  precedents,  decisions  and  opinions  which  have  become  part 
of  our  law  military. 

In  substance  and  form  our  Articles  of  War  were  but  little  changed  during 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  During  the  past  eight  years,  however,  important 
improvements  have  been  made  in  our  military  code.  Previous  con- 
victions are  now  authorized  to  be  taken  into  consideration  in  awarding 
punishments  upon  conviction  ;  enlisted  men  are  furnished  with  counsel  at 
their  request ;  judge-advocates  of  courts-martial  are  excluded  from  the 
closed  sessions  of  courts;  a  code  of  punishment  has  been  established  by 
the  President  under  authority  of  an  act  of  Congress;  summary  courts  have 
been  created ;  judge  advocates  and  trial  officers  of  summary  courts  are 
authorized  by  law  to  administer  oaths  in  military  cases,  etc.  Nearly  all  of 
these  changes  had  their  origin  in  recommendations  emanating  from  the 
office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General. 

The  duties  of  judge  advocates  are  inseparable  from  the  military  system 
of  every  civilized  nation.  But  under  the  genius  of  our  institutions,  officers 
educated  both  in  military  and  civil  law  are  necessary  adjuncts  of  our  mili- 
tary administration.  Subordination  of  the  military  to  the  civil  authorities 
is  an  axiom  in  our  government ;  the  military  person  is  amenable  to  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  civil  courts  of  the  land,  both  state  and  national.  As  an 
eminent  statesman  aptly  remarked,  "this  is  a  government  of  law,  and  all 
authority  exercised  must  find  its  warrant  thereunder." 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT. 
By  Captain  OSCAR  F.  LONG,  A.  Q.  M.,  U.  S.  Army. 

TO  chronicle  properly  and  systematically  the  history  of  the  Quarter- 
master's Department  would  be  to  write  a  history  of  the  army,  of 
which  it  forms  so  important  a  part,  with  which  it  is  so  intimately 
associated,  and  without  which  it  could  not  exist ;  for  otherwise  our 
army  would  be  but  a  predatory  mob,  organized  but  not  supplied  ;  dependent 
upon  chance  for  its  existence,  and  for  its  supplies  upon  forays,  like  the 
forces  of  the  feudal  barons  of  mediaeval  times.  The  supply  departments  are 
the  mainstay  of  an  army. 

In  their  relations  the  departments  of  the  army  are  correlative.  Upon 
the  efficiency  of  the  one  the  success  of  the  other  is  largely  dependent.  The 
army,  which  is  the  faithful  servant  of  the  nation  it  represents,  reflects  also 
the  condition  of  the  people,  socially  and  economically.  It  faithfully  por- 
trays the  evolution  from  the  earliest  times  to  the  present, — from  barbarism 
to  civilization,  and  keeps  pace  with  the  progress  of  the  country.  Its  labors 
have  been  intimately  associated  with  the  spread  of  civilization,  and  no  other 
agency  has  been  so  potent  in  perfecting  the  permanency  of  our  republic, — 
and  making  its  success  assured  and  its  power  respected— as  has  been  our 
army. 

Whether  in  peace  or  war  its  duties  have  been  onerous,  but  cheerfully 
borne.  Whether  dealing  with  savage  foe  or  foreign  invader,  success  has 
crowned  its  efforts. 

During  times  of  peace  the  army  is  dependent  for  its  very  existence  upon 
the  moods  of  Congress,  and  the  whims  of  caprice, — moods  as  variable  as 
those  of  the  ocean,  and  whims  like  those  of  the  breeze.  During  times 
of  war,  the  country  and  Congress  depends  upon  the  army  for  active  aid, 
whether  to  suppress  insurrection,  repel  invasion,  or  to  fight  for  actual  exist- 
ence as  a  free  and  independent  people,— a  freedom  and  independence  vouch- 
safed by  our  Constitution,  a  legacy  left  us  by  our  forefathers,  still  faithfully 
guarded. 

The  evolution  which  has  brought  our  army  to  its  present  state  of  useful- 
ness, has  been  dependent  upon  circumstances  and  conditions  in  the  history 
of  the  country,  at  its  different  epochs,  and  the  necessities  then  existing.  As 
with  the  army,  so  with  the  departments  which  constitute  its  staff,  and  with 
the  several  branches  of  the  line,— the  cavalry,  artillery  and  infantry  ;  for  from 
time  to  time  each  has  been  changed  in  numbers  and  in  organization  as  cir- 
cumstances and  conditions  have  changed,  and  in  order  that  they  might  the 
better  meet  conditions  or  necessities  then  existing.  The  change  has  not  been 
radical;  it  has  been  more  in  the  nature  of  enlargement  and  improvement, 
as  necessity  demanded. 

This  development  has  brought  the  army  through  various  and  varied 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  39 

vicissitudes  to  its  present  state  of  perfection,  and  has  been  necessary  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  a  modern  civilization  in  a  country  whose  geo- 
graphical isolation  is  its  protection,  and  whose  military  and  naval  strength, 
its  safeguard. 

Though  essentially  a  nation  of  soldiers,  in  time  of  peace  we  do  not  pre- 
pare for  war.  On  the  contrary,  from  our  very  isolation  we  rest  in  a  state  of 
fancied  security. 

Whether  in  peace  or  war,  the  army  is  mainly  dependent  upon  its  supply 
department,  the  duties  of  which  are  important  and  multifarious,  the  obliga- 
tions great,  and  the  responsibilities  enormous. 

Facts  are  interesting  and  figures  tedious,  but  to  show  the  importance  of 
the  operations  of  a  great  department  of  supply,  they  are  a  necessity,  par- 
ticularly in  referring  to  the  work  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  during 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  when  the  enormous  expenditure,  perfect  account- 
ability, and  recognized  efTiciency,  are  of  record  as  unequalled  in  military 
history,  ancient  or  modern. 

The  following  is  but  a  brief  brochure,  containing  the  more  important 
facts  connected  with  the  organization  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department" 
from  the  War  of  Independence  to  the  present  time,  compiled  from  the  most 
authentic  available  data. 

FROM    1775    TO    1812. 

The  earliest  legislation  relating  to  the  Quartermaster's  Department  is 
found  in  the  Journals  of  Congress.  The  Continental  Congress  in  session  at 
Carpenter's  Hall,  Philadelphia,  adopted  the  following  resolution   June  16, 

1775  ■■ 

"  Resolved,  That  there  be  one  Quartermaster  General  for  the  grand  army, 
and  one  deputy  under  him  for  the  separate  army.  *  *  *  That  the  pay  of 
the  Quartermaster  General  be  $80  per  month,  and  that  of  the  deputy  $40 
per  month." 

The  same  Congress,  on  the  19th  of  July,  1775,  adopted  the  following 
resolution  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  appointment  of  a  Quartermaster  General  *  *  * 
be  left  to  General  Washington." 

Acting  under  this  authority  General  Washington  appointed  Major 
Thomas  Mifflin,  of  Pennsylvania,  Quartermaster  General  ;  and  writing  to 
the  President  of  Congress  on  the  21st  of  September,  informed  him  of  the 
fact,  hoping  and  believing  that  such  appointment  would  be  universally  ac- 
ceptable. 

Major  Mifflin,  immediately  after  his  appointment,  entered  upon  his 
duties  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department. 

Prior  to  December  22,  1775,  no  provision  had  been  made  for  the  rank  of 
the  one  who  filled  the  position  of  Quartermaster  General  of  the  Army  of  the 
United  Colonies,  but  on  that  date  the  following  resolution  was  passed  by 
Congress  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Quartermaster  General  have  the  rank  of  a  colonel 
in  the  Army  of  the  United  Colonies." 

On  the  i6th  of  May  following,  Colonel  Mifflin  was  elected  by  Congress  a 
brigadier  general  of   the  army,  w  hereupon  he  resigned  his  offlce  of  Quarter- 


40  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

master  General,  and  on  the  5th  of  June,  1776,  Stephen  Moylan  was  elected 
to  fill  the  vacancy. 

The  position  and  duties  of  Quartermaster  General  appear  to  have  been 
distasteful  to  Colonel  Moylan,  and  having  tendered  his  resignation  to  Con- 
gress, that  body,  on  the  ist  of  October,  1776,  resolved  that  "Brigadier 
General  MifBin  be  authorized  and  requested  to  resume  the  said  office,  and 
that  his  rank  and  pay  as  brigadier  general  be  still  continued  to  him."  In 
accordance  with  this  resolution,  General  Mififlin,  on  October  i,  1776,  again 
took  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1776,  the  Congress  empowered  General  Wash- 
ington to  appoint  a  clothier  general  for  supplying  the  army.  The  duties  of 
this  office,  however,  did  not  at  that  time  pertain  to  the  Quartermaster's  De- 
partment. 

On  February  19,  1777,  General  Miffiin  was  elected  a  major  general  by 
the  Continental  Congress.  On  the  8th  of  October,  1777,  he  requested  leave 
to  resign  his  commission  of  major  general  and  office  of  Quartermaster  Gen- 
eral on  account  of  ill  health;  and  November  7,  1777,  the  Congress  resolved 
'that  his  resignation  of  the  office  of  Quartermaster  General  be  accepted,  but 
that  his  rank  and  commission  of  major  general  be  continued  to  him,  with- 
out the  pay  annexed  to  that  office,  until  the  further  order  of  the  Congress. 
With  a  view,  however,  to  temporarily  retam  his  services  in  the  Quarter- 
master's Department,  the  Congress  resolved,  on  the  8th  of  November,  1777, 
that  he  "  be  desired. — notwithstanding  his  resignation  of  Quartermaster 
General  was  accepted, — to  continue  in  the  exercise  of  that  office,  and  that 
he  be  invested  with  full  powers  to  act  until  another  Quartermaster  General 
should  be  appointed  and  should  enter  upon  the  duties  of  the  office."  It 
does  not  appear,  however,  that  he  again  entered  formally  upon  these  duties. 

The  condition  of  the  Quartermaster's  Departmental  this  time,  without 
an  ostensible  head,  and  with  an  organization  to  a  certain  extent  defective 
and  incomplete,  was  regarded  with  much  solicitude  by  General  Washington. 

In  this  emergency  Major  General  Nathaniel  Greene,  an  able,  gallant 
officer  and  personal  friend  of  General  Washington,  was  selected  by  him  to 
I  ill  the  vacancy,  and  was  elected  by  Congress  on  March  2,  1778.  That  body 
gave  him  authority  to  employ  two  assistant  quartermasters  general, 
who  should  be  acceptable  to  him,  and  power  to  appoint  all  other  officers  of 
his  department,  and  specially  provided  that  General  Greene  should  retain 
his  rank  of  major  general  in  the  army,  which  he  then  held. 

General  Greene  unwillingly  accepted  the  office.  He  disliked  any  ap- 
pointment which  required  the  keeping  and  expenditure  of  public  funds,  and 
was  unwilling  to  forego  the  opportunities  which  might  arise  for  active 
service  in  the  regular  line  of  the  army.  It  was  only  at  the  earnest  entreaty 
of  Washington  that  he  finally  consented,  stipulatmg  meanwhile  that  he 
should  not  lose  his  right  of  command  in  action. 

Entering,  however,  upon  his  new  duties  he  executed  them  with  great 
zeal  and  ability,  encountering  obstacles  of  no  ordinary  kind,  and  rendering 
services  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  army.  He  considered,  however, 
that  Congress  had  not  promptly  seconded  his  views  in  relation  to  the  busi- 
ness of  the  department,  and  he  was  disinclined  to  remain  at  its  head.     On 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  41 

the  22d  of  April,  1779,  he  wrote  to  General  Washington  that  he  would  be 
happy  to  obtain  the  command  in  the  South,  if  General   Lincoln's  physical 
condition  rendered  him  incapable  of  continuing  in  command. 
General  Washington  replied  April  24,  1779,  ^s  follows  : 

"  I  am  sorry  for  the  difficulties  you  have  to  encounter  Ih  the  department  of  Quar- 
termaster, especially  as  I  was  in  some  degree  instrumental  in  bringing  you  into  it.  If 
your  judgment  points  to  a  resignation  of  your  present  office,  and  inclination  leads  to 
the  Southward,  my  wishes  shall  accompany  it." 

It  does  not  appear,  however,  that  this  point  was  pressed  by  General 
Greene  at  the  time.  He  rendered  active  services  in  the  field  in  1779  while 
Quartermaster  General.  The  question  having  been  raised  as  to  his  proper 
command  under  such  circumstances,  he  wrote  to  General  Washington  on 
the  subject,  and  received  a  reply  dated  September  3.  1779,  stating  that  when 
General  Greene  accepted  office  as  Quartermaster  General  and  made  a  reser- 
vation of  his  rank.  General  Washington  did  not  consider  that  he  was  to  re- 
tain thereby  an  actual  permanent  command.     He  further  wrote  : 

"  The  military  reason  which  prevents  a  Quartermaster  General  from  exercising  com- 
mand in  ordinary  cases  I  take  to  be  this,  that  whatever  may  be  the  fact,  the  presump 
tion  is  that  both  in  action  and  out  of  action  he  has,  generally  speaking,  sufificient 
employment  in  the  duties  of  his  office,  and  circumstances  alone  can  decide  when  these 
are  compatible  with  actual  command." 

Congress,  on  November  25,  1779,  Resolved,  "  That  the  department  of  the 
Quartermaster  General  to  be  for  the  future  under  the  superintendence  and 
direction  of  the  Board  of  War." 

At  this  time  the  attention  of  Congress  had  been  attracted  to  the  organ- 
ization of  the  stafT  departments  as  they  then  existed,  and  on  January  21,  22, 
and  23,  1780,  three  commissioners, — Mr.  Schuyler,  a  member  of  the  Conti- 
nental Congress;  General  Miffiin,  and  Colonel  Pickering,  — were  chosen  to 
make  inquiry  into  the  expenses  of  these  departments. 

In  view  of  this  inquiry  a  draft  of  a  plan  of  reorganization  of  the  Quarter- 
master's Department,  considered  practicable  both  by  General  Washington 
and  General  Greene,  was  submitted  by  the  latter  to  this  committee. 

Great  hostility  to  both  of  these  officers,  however,  was  manifested  by  cer- 
tain members  of  the  Congress,  especially  on  the  part  of  those,  who  it  is 
believed,  had  organized  the  movement  to  place  General  Gates  at  the  head 
of  the  army  ;  and  the  plan  finally  submitted  to  that  body  and  adopted  by  it 
on  the  15th  July,  1780,  following,  was  found  to  differ  widely  from  that  which 
had  been  proposed  by  them. 

The  new  law  provided  for  one  Quartermaster  General  and  one  Assistant 
Quartermaster  General,  to  be  appointed  by  the  Congress ;  one  Deputy 
Quartermaster  foi  the  main  army,  and  one  for  each  separate  army,  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Quartermaster  General,  who  was  also  to  appoint,  if  he 
deemed  it  necessary,  a  deputy  for  each  state,  to  be  approved  by  the  Supreme 
Executive  of  the  State,  said  deputies  to  appoint,  in  turn,  as  many  assistants 
as  required,  and  also  all  store-keepers,  contractors,  clerks,  conductors, 
artificers,  and  laborers,  found  necessary  to  the  service  to  be  appointed  by 
the  deputies  in  their  respective  districts.     The  act  occupies  several  pager 


42  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

and  enters  into  the  most  minute  details  for  the  government  of  the  depart- 
ment. 

General  Greene  was  greatly  dissatisfied  with  the  new  law.  He  consid- 
ered the  number  of  assistants  too  small,  their  salaries  too  low,  and  the  whole 
scheme  inefficient.  Early  in  August,  1780,  he  tendered  his  unconditional 
resignation  as  Quartermaster  General,  requesting  Congress  to  appoint  his 
successor  at  once  without  loss  of  time,  and  expressing  his  desire  to  remain 
no  longer  in  the  department  than  was  necessary  to  close  his  accounts  and  to 
set  fairly  in  operation  the  new  system  as  adopted  for  the  future  government 
of  the  department.  August  5,  1780,  Congress  Resolved,  "  That  the  absolute 
refusal  of  Major  General  Greene  to  act  under  the  new  arrangement  of  the 
Quartermaster  General's  Department,  has  made  it  necessary  that  the  office 
of  Quartermaster  General  be  immediately  filled  "  ;  and  on  the  same  day 
Colonel  Timothy  Pickering  was  elected  by  Congress  to  fill  the  vacancy. 
Thereupon  Congress  adopted  this  resolution  : 

Resolved,  That  Timothy  Pickering,  Esq.,  having  been  appointed  Quartermaster 
General,  upon  an  extraordinary  emergency,  be  continued  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
war  ;  but  that  the  exercise  of  all  his  powers  at  the  said  board,  and  his  pay  as  a  member 
thereof,  be  suspended  during  such  time  as  he  shall  continue  Quartermaster  General. 

That  while  he  holds  the  office  of  Quartermaster  General  he  have  the  rank  of  colonel 
and  the  pay  and  rations  of  a  brigadier  general  over  and  above  the  pay  allowed  the 
Quartermaster  General  in  the  late  arrangement  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department. 

Upon  assuming  the  duties  of  his  office  Colonel  Pickering  found  many 
serious  difficulties  with  which  to  contend.  The  scarcity  of  funds,  the  de- 
preciation of  the  currency,  and  the  want  of  system  and  harmony  in  the 
Quartermaster's  Department  under  the  new  organization,  seriously  inter- 
fered with  the  prompt  transaction  of  business. 

On  March  14,  1782,  Congress  by  resolution  authorized  the  appointment 
of  one  additional  deputy  quartermaster  for  the  Southern  Army,  and  on  the 
same  day  reduced  the  pay  of  the  Quartermaster  General  to  that  of  Major 
General. 

On  October  23,  1782,  Congress  Resolved, 

"  That  the  establishment  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  by  resolution  of  Con- 
gress of  July  15,  1780,  be  after  January  i,  17S3,  repealed,  and  the  following  regula- 
tions then  adopted  in  its  stead. 

"  Resolved,  That  there  be  one  Quartermaster  General,  the  present  Quartermaster 
General  to  be  continued  in  office  ;  and  hereafter  as  vacancies  arise  to  be  appointed  by 
Congress. 

"  That  the  Quartermaster  General,  with  the  approbation  of  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  appoint  the  following  officers  for  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  viz. : 

"  For  the  Main  Army:  One  Deputy  Quartermaster,  one  Wagon  Master,  one 
Commissary  of  Forage,  one  Director  and  one  Sub- Director,  of  a  Company  of  Arti- 
ficers. 

"  For  the  Southern  Army  :  One  Deputy  Quartermaster,  one  Deputy  Commissary 
of  Forage,  one  Deputy  Wagon  Master,  one  Director  and  one  Sub- Director  of  a  Com- 
pany of  Artificers,  and  as  many  Assistants  in  the  Main  and  Southern  Army  to  perform 
the  duties  of  Quartermasters  of  Brigades,  Storekeepers,  Clerks  and  such  other  duties  in 
the  Quartermaster's  Department  as  the  service  may  require,  and  also  as  many  Wagon 
Conductors." 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  43 

The  business  of  the  department  was  growing  less  with  a  constantly 
decreasing  army,  and  with  a  view  to  economy  and  reduction  of  expenses, 
Congress  on  the  25th  July,  1785,  resolved  that  the  department  of  Quarter- 
master General  be  considered  as  ceasing  from  that  date,  and  that  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  and  all  others  concerned  be  governed  accordingly. 

By  a  resolution  of  Congress,  dated  September  29,  1785,  a  commissioner, 
previously  appointed  for  the  settlement  of  the  accounts  of  the  Quarter- 
master General's  department,  was  authorized  and  directed  to  enter  upon  a 
general  settlement  of  the  various  accounts  of  Col.  Pickering,  as  Quarter- 
master General,  and  of  the  several  deputies  serving  in  the  department. 

On  May  8,  1786,  Mr.  Jonathan  BurriU  was  elected  by  Congress  as  Com- 
missioner to  settle  the  accounts  of  the  Quartermaster's  department  at  a 
compensation  of  $1250  per  annum. 

On  October  2,  1788,  Congress  adopted  the  report  of  a  Committee 
appointed  to  make  full  inquiry  into  the  proceedings  of  the  Department  of 
War.  This  Committee  remarks  on  the  afifairs  of  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  as  follows : 

"  The  Quartermaster's  Department  on  the  frontiers  is  arranged  on  principles  highly 
economical  and  beneficial  to  the  public.  Instead  of  an  officer  at  the  head  of  this 
department,  with  his  train  of  attendants,  all  supplies  are  furnished  by  the  contractors 
of  provision,  who  have  also,  from  time  to  time,  contracted  with  the  Secretary  of  War, 
to  furnish  all  necessary  articles  on  the  frontiers,  which  shall  be  required  for  the  troops, 
on  the  following  principles. 

"  1st.  No  article  to  be  furnished  but  by  an  order  in  writing  from  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  troops,  or  the  commanding  officer  of  a  separate  post,  who  shall  be  respon- 
sible to  the  Secretary  of  War,  that  only  such  articles  shall  be  ordered  as  the  situation 
of  the  troops  render  indispensably  necessary. 

"  2d,  That  for  all  articles  so  furnished  the  original  bills  of  parcels  shall  be  produced 
by  the  contractor,  which  shall  be  verified  upon  oath  if  required. 

' '  3d.  That  no  charge  shall  be  allowed  the  contractors  which  shall  be  deficient  in  the 
vouchers,  the  nature  of  which  are  precisely  pointed  out. 

"4th.  That  for  all  supplies,  advances  and  services  rendered  in  thisHne,  the  contrac- 
tors shall  have  an  allowance  made  of  five  per  cent,  on  the  settlement  of  their  account, 
every  six  months  at  the  Treasury.  All  necessary  articles  which  are  furnished  within 
the  state  for  the  troops,  are  purchased  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  without  any  commis- 
sion or  charge  theron  to  the  public." 

This  arrangement  existed  previously  to  the  resolve  of  Congress  for  abol- 
ishing the  Quartermaster  General's  Department,  July  25,  1785.  The  Quar- 
termaster's Department  at  this  time  existed  more  in  name  than  reality.  It 
had  no  organization  or  eflfective  force. 

On  March  4,  1789,  the  first  Congress  of  the  United  States  convened  in 
Federal  Hall,  New  York  City.  The  army  at  this  time  consisted  of  about 
2000  men,  and  no  legislation  affecting  an  increase  of  this  force  appears  to 
have  been  thought  necessary  by  Congress  until  1791,  when  the  Indian  hos- 
tilities on  the  western  frontier  attracted  the  special  attention  of  that  body. 
After  a  careful  examination  of  the  subject,  it  was  decided  to  establish  a  line 
of  posts  sufiicient  to  maintain  communication  from  the  Ohio  to  the 
Maumee,  the  intention  being  to  build  a  strong  fort  on  that  river,  and  to 


44  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

leave  in  it  a  garrison  of  a  thousand  men,  large  enough  to  send  out  detach- 
ments to  keep  the  neighboring  Indians  in  awe. 

On  the  3d  of  March  an  act  was  passed  which  authorized  raising  and 
adding  another  regiment  to  the  force  at  that  time  in  the  service,  etc.  From 
sections  5  and  6  of  this  act  is  taken  the  following. 

"  In  case  the  President  of  the  United  States  should  deem  the  employment  of  a 
major  general,  brigadier  general,  a  quartermaster,  and  chaplain,  or  either  of  them, 
essential  to  the  public  interest,  that  he  be,  and  he  hereby  is,  empowered,  by  and  with 
the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  to  appoint  the  same  accordingly.  *  *  * 
The  quartermaster  shall  be  entitled  to  the  same  pay,  rations,  and  forage  as  the  lieu- 
tenant colonel  commandant  of  a  regiment." 

On  the  4th  of  March,  the  day  following,  Major  General  St.  Clair  was 
made  commander-in-chief  of  forces  destined  for  Forts  Pitt  and  Washington 
and  neighboring  posts  as  places  of  rendezvous,  whence  to  carry  out  the 
plan  of  campaign  above  referred  to  ;  and  on  the  same  day  Samuel  Hodg- 
den,  of  Pennsylvania,  having  been  appointed  a  quartermaster  under  the  act, 
by  President  Washington,  was  confirmed  as  such  by  the  Senate. 

On  March  5,  1792,  an  act  was  passed  making  further  provision  for  the 
protection  of  the  frontier.  Under  section  7  of  this  act,  fixing  the  monthly 
pay,  rations  and  forage  to  be  allowed  to  officers  of  the  army,  the  grade  of 
deputy  quartermaster  was  recognized,  although  it  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  created  by  legislation  of  Congress.  This  section  also  provided  for  the 
detail  of  line  officers  as  quartermasters  of  the  regiments  being  formed, 
with  additional  compensation  for  the  extra  duty  thus  performed  by  them. 

On  March  28th  General  St.  Clair  left  Philadelphia  for  Fort  Washington, 
via  Fort  Pitt,  arriving  there  May  15th  following.  Quartermaster  Hodgden, 
however,  tardily  followed  his  commanding  officer  and  failed  to  reach  Fort 
Washington  until  September  loth,  although  an  express  had  been  received 
by  him  some  time  previously  from  General  St.  Clair  to  hasten  forward. 
The  little  army,  numbering  about  2000  men,  suffered  in  the  meantime  and 
subsequently  for  the  want  of  the  most  necessary  supplies. 

The  quartermaster's  and  other  stores  forwarded  from  the  east  to  the 
troops  were  found  to  be  deficient  in  quantity  and  bad  in  .quality.  Boats 
for  the  transportation  of  the  troops  were  not  in  readiness;  horses  which 
were  to  be  furnished  by  the  contractors  were  not  brought  forward  ;  the 
rations  of  the  men  were  failing,  and  the  green  forage  for  the  animals  had 
been  touched  by  the  early  frost.  In  short,  the  extreme  deficiencies  and  de- 
rangements of  the  business  of  the  quartermaster  and  contractor  of  pro- 
visions were  considered  to  have  been,  to  a  great  extent,  the  cause  of  the 
subsequent  failure  of  the  expedition. 

On  April  19,  1792,  Quartermaster  Hodgden  was  superseded  by  James 
O'Hara,  of  Pennsylvania,  the  latter  being  nominated  by  President  Wash- 
ington and  confirmed  by  the  Senate  as  Quartermaster  General,  although  the 
law  at  this  time  only  provided  for  a  "quartermaster." 

In  May  following,  the  duties  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  were 
somewhat  reduced  by  the  transfer  of  the  power  of  purchasing  and  con- 
tracting for  army  supplies  to  the  Treasury  Department,  as  will  appear  from 
Section  5  of  act  approved  May  8,  1792,  as  follows  : 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT  45 

"  That  all  the  purchases  and  contracts  for  supplying  the  army  with  provisions, 
clothing,  supplies  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  military  stores,  Indian  goods, 
and  all  other  supplies  or  other  articles  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  War,  be  made 
by  or  under  the  direction  of  the  Treasury  Department." 

In  accordance  with  the  request  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  in  a 
letter  to  Congress  dated  December  2,  1794,  it  was  further  enacted,  February 
23.  1795.  that  an  officer  be  appointed  in  the  Treasury  Department,  to  be 
known  as  the  Purveyor  of  Public  Supplies,  "whose  duty  shall  be,  under 
the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  to  conduct  the  procuring 
and  providing  of  all  arms,  military  and  naval  stores,  provisions,  clothing 
and  generally  all  supplies  requisite  for  the  service  of  the  United  States.  " 
The  compensation  was  §2000  per  annum. 

The  grade  of  Quartermaster  General,  which  had  been  abolished  July  25, 
1785,  appears  to  have  been  again  recognized  in  an  act  of  March  3,  1795. 
for  continuing  and  regulating  the  military  establishment.  This  act  also 
recognizes  a  Deputy  Quartermaster  General  and  regimental  quartermasters. 
The  grade  of  Quartermaster  General,  however,  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
specifically  recreated  by  legislation  of  Congress  until  the  act  of  May  30. 
1796.  At  that  time  an  act  was  passed  authorizing,  among  other  general 
staff  officers,  a  Quartermaster  General.  The  same  act  provided  that  the  gen- 
eral staff  should  contmue  in  service  until  March  4,  1797,  and  no  longer.  On 
June  I,  1796,  Lieutenant  Colonel  O'Hara  having  resigned,  John  Wilkins, 
Jr.,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  appointed  by  President  Washington  and  confirmed 
by  the  Senate  as  Quartermaster  General  under  this  act. 

On  March  3,  1797,  the  act  of  May  30,  1796,  was  amended  to  continue  the 
grade  of  Quartermaster  General,  that  officer  to  receive  the  pay  and  emolu- 
ments previously  authorized  by  law. 

During  the  following  year,  by  reason  of  the  unfriendly  demonstrations 
of  France,  it  was  considered  necessary  to  temporarily  increase  the  force  of 
the  army  to  meet  any  exigency  which  might  arise.  Accordingly  Congress, 
by  an  act  of  May  28,  1798,  authorized  the  President  "in  the  event  of 
declaration  of  war  against  the  United  States,  or  of  actual  invasion  of  their 
territory  by  a  foreign  power,  or  of  imminent  danger  of  such  invasion 
discovered,  to  call  into  active  service  a  provisional  army  of  not  exceeding 
10,000  men." 

Section  7  of  this  act  provided  that  in  case  the  President  should  judge 
the  employment  of  a  Quartermaster  General  essential  to  the  public  interest, 
he  was  authorized  to  appoint  the  same  accordingly,  subject  to  the  confirma- 
tion of  the  Senate.  The  Quartermaster  General  was  to  be  entitled  to  the 
rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  lieutenant  colonel. 

General  Washington  had  retired  to  private  life  and  was  then  residing  at 
Mount  Vernon.  Just  before  the  close  ol  the  session  of  Congress  he  was 
nominated  and  confirmed  Lieutenant  General  and  Commander-in-chief  of  all 
the  troops  to  be  raised.  This  command  Washington  accepted  with  the  ex- 
press condition  that  he  should  not  be  called  into  active  service  until  the 
army  was  in  a  situation  to  require  his  presence,  unless  urgency  of  circum- 
stances should  sooner  make  it  necessary. 

On  December  31,  179S,  President  John  Adams  transmitted  to  Congress 


46  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

a  special  report  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  dated  December  24,  relative  to 
the  reorganization  of  the  army.  * 

Congress,  taking  the  entire  subject  of  army  reorganization  into  consid- 
eration, passed  the  act  of  March  3,  1799.  Sections  10  and  12  of  this  act  read 
as  follows: 

Section  10.  That  there  shall  be  a  Quartermaster  General  of  the  army  of  the  United 
States,  who  shall  be  entitled  to  the  rank,  pay,  emoluments,  and  privileges  of  a  major 
general. 

Section  12.  That  to  any  army  of  the  United  States,  other  than  that  in  which  the 
Quartermaster  General  shall  serve,  there  shall  be  a  Deputy  Quartermaster  General,  who 
shall  be  a  field  officer,  and  who,  in  addition  to  his  other  emoluments,  shall  be  entitled 
to  $50  per  month,  which  shall  be  in  full  compensation  for  his  extra  services  and  trav- 
elling expenses  ;  but  the  provisions  of  this  act  are  not  to  affect  the  present  Quarter- 
master General  of  the  army  of  the  United  States,  who,  in  case  a  Quartermaster  General 
shall  be  appointed  by  virtue  of  this  act,  is  to  act  as  Deputy  Quartermaster  General,  and 
shall  hereafter  have  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel  ;  and  that  to  every  division  of  an 
army  there  shall  be  a  division  quartermaster,  who  in  addition  to  his  other  emoluments, 
shall  be  entitled  to  $30  per  month,  which  shall  be  in  full  compensation  for  his  extra 
services  and  travelling  expenses  ;  and  that  to  every  brigade  there  shall  be  a  brigade 
quartermaster,  who,  in  addition  to  his  other  emoluments,  shall  be  entitled  to  $24  per 
month,  which  shall  be  in  full  compensation  for  his  extra  services  and  travelling  ex- 
penses ;  each  of  which  officers  shall  be  chosen  by  the  Quartermaster  General  from 
among  the  regimental  officers. 

It  was  also  provided  by  this  act  that  no  regimental  officer  of  higher  rank 
than  a  captain  be  appointed  a  division  quartermaster,  and  that  no  one  of 
higher  rank  than  first  lieutenant  be  appointed  quartermaster  of  a  brigade. 

The  difficulties  with  France  which  were  at  this  time  apprehended  were 
not  to  any  serious  extent  realized,  hostilities  being  mainly  carried  on  by  the 
navy,  and  under  the  acts  of  Congress  of  February  20  and  May  14,  1800,  en- 
listments and  military  appointments  under  the  act  of  March  2,  1799,  were 
suspended. 

The  appointment  of  a  new  Quartermaster  General,  under  the  act  of  March 
3,  1799,  was  not  made,  and  Mr.  Wilkins  remained  in  charge  of  the  duties  of 
the  station,  his  position  being  raised  to  that  of  major  general,  as  would  ap- 
pear from  a  message  of  President  JefTerson  to  Congress  in  1802. 

By  the  act  of  March  16,  1802,  fixing  the  military  peace  establishment,  it 
was  enacted  that  the  army  be  reduced  to  one  regiment  of  artillerists  and 
two  of  infantry,  with  the  necessary  officers.  Sections  3,  16  and  17  of  this  act 
provide  for  the  appointment  of  paymasters,  assistant  paymasters,  and  mili- 
tary agents,  upon  whom  the  duties  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  were 
thenceforth  to  devolve.  They  authorized  the  appointment  of  one  paymaster 
of  the  army,  seven  paymasters,  and  two  assistants,  who,  in  addition  to  their 
other  duties,  were  to  have  charge  of  the  clothing  of  troops  ;  also  the  appoint- 
ment of  three  military  agents,  and  such  number  of  assistant  military  agents  as 
might  be  thought  expedient  by  the  President,  not  exceeding  one  at  each  mili- 
tary post,  it  being  the  duty  of  these  agents  and  assistants  to  purchase,  receive, 
and  forward  to  their  destination  all  military  stores  and  other  articles  for  the 
troops  in  their  respective  departments,  and  all  goods  and  annuities  for  the 
Indians  ;  they  were  to  make  returns  of  all  property  which  would  come  into 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT. 


47 


their  possession  to  the  Department  of  War.  Both  paymasters  and  agents 
were  required  to  file  bonds  for  the  faithful  performance  of  their  duties. 
Under  operation  of  this  act  John  Wilkins,  Jr.,  ceased  to  be  Quartermaster 
General,  and  Peter  Gansevoort,  of  New  York,  for  the  northern  department ; 
William  Linnard,  of  Pennsylvania,  for  the  middle  department ;  and  Abraham 
D.  Abrahams,  of  Georgia,  for  the  southern  department,  were  appointed  by 
President  Jefferson  as  military  agents,  and  confirmed  as  such  by  the  Senate, 
April  29,  1802. 

The  next  legislation  relating  to  the  Quartermaster's  Department  is  found 
in  the  act  of  April  12.  1808,  which  granted  authority  to  raise,  for  a  limited 
time,  an  additional  military  force  in  view  of  apprehended  difficulties  with 
foreign  powers.  This  act  provided  for  two  brigade  quartermasters  and  a 
quartermaster  to  each  of  the  eight  regiments  to  be  raised  under  it. 

THE  WAR    OF  1812-1814. 

At  this  time  war  with  Great  Britain  seemed  imminent,  as  serious  com- 
plications had  arisen.  It  was  hoped  by  diplomacy  to  avoid  the  impending 
calamity,  but,  as  a  prudential  measure,  it  had  been  decided  to  further  in- 
crease the  military  force,  and  by  the  act  of  January  11,  181 2,  thirteen  new 
regiments  were  authorized  to  be  added  thereto.  On  March  28th,  following, 
an  act  was  approved  reestablishing  the  Quartermaster's  Department  and  re- 
viving the  grade  of  Quartermaster  General. 

Provision  was  made  for  a  Quartermaster  General  and  four  deputy  quarter- 
masters, to  be  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  and  as  many  assistant  deputy 
quartermasters  as  the  service  might  require,  to  be  appointed  by  the  Presi- 
dent alone.  The  Quartermaster  General  to  have  the  rank  and  pay  of  a 
brigadier  general,  and  the  deputy  quartermasters  $60.00  per  month,  five 
rations  and  forage  for  two  horses.  The  assistant  deputy  quartermasters 
$40.00  per  month,  three  rations,  and  forage  for  one  horse. 

These  officers  were  to  purchase  military  stores,  camp  equipage  and 
other  articles  requisite  for  troops  and  provide  means  of  transportation. 

The  act  also  provided  for  a  Commissary  General  of  Purchases  with  a 
salary  of  S3000  per  annum,  and  necessary  assistants  with  compensation 
derived  from  commissions  on  money  disbursed,  not  exceeding,  however, 
$2000  per  annum.  The  Commissary  General  of  Purchases  was  required  to 
purchase  all  arms,  military  stores,  clothing — formerly  purchased  by  pay- 
masters— and  all  articles  of  supply.  The  Deputy  Commissaries  were,  in 
cases  of  necessity,  to  act  under  the  orders  of  the  Quartermaster  General 
in  purchasi/ig  supplies. 

The  office  of  purveyor  of  public  supplies,  and  the  offices  of  the  military 
agents  were  abolished. 

Under  this  act  President  Madison  nominated  William  Jones,  of  Penn- 
sylvania, to  be  Commissary  General  of  Purchases,  and  Morgan  Lewis,  of 
New  York,  to  be  Quartermaster  General,  and  they  were  confirmed  by  the 
Senate  on  April  3  and  4,  1812,  respectively. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  181 2,  an  act  was  approved  organizing  a  corps  of 
artificers,  to  be  attached  to  the  Quartermaster  General's  Department.  This 
corps  was  to  consist  of  one  superintendent,  appointed  by  the  President. 


48  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

four  assistants,  two  master  masons,  two  master  carpenters,  two  master 
blacksmiths,  two  master  boat-builders,  two  master  armorers,  two  master 
saddle  and  harness  makers,  twenty  house  carpenters,  five  ship  carpenters, 
twenty  blacksmiths,  sixteen  boat-builders,  sixteen  armorers,  twelve  saddle 
and  harness  makers,  and  twenty-four  laborers,  to  be  selected  from  the  pri- 
vates of  the  army,  or  engaged  from  among  citizens  by  the  superintendent. 
The  corps  of  artificers  was  to  be  engaged  for  three  years,  unless  sooner  dis- 
charged by  the  President. 

On  May  14th  following  an  act  was  approved,  establishing  an  ordnance 
department  and  creating  the  grade  of  Commissary  General  of  Ordnance, 
which  act  at  once  relieved  the  Commissary  General  of  Purchases  of  some 
of  the  most  important  duties  then  devolving  upon  him. 

On  the  i8th  of  June,  1812,  war  against  Great  Britain  was  declared  and 
on  June  26,  1812,  an  act  was  approved  for  the  more  perfect  organization 
of  the  army  of  the  United  States  and  providing  for  the  increase  of  the 
same. 

By  an  act  of  July  6,  of  the  same  year,  the  President  was  authorized  to 
increase  the  number  of  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  by  the 
appointment  of  one  Deputy  Quartermaster  General  to  any  army  of  the  United 
States  other  than  that  in  which  the  Quartermaster  General  was  serving, 
and  such  number  of  assistant  deputies,  not  exceeding  thirty,  as  the  public 
service  may  require.  The  military  force  was  further  increased  by  act  of 
January  29,  1813.  On  March  3d  following  an  act  was  approved  providing 
for  the  supplies  required  for  the  army  and  for  the  accountability  of  persons 
intrusted  with  the  same. 

On  June  2,  1813,  Richard  Cutts,  of  Massachusetts,  was  nominated  by 
President  Madison  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate  as  Superintendent  General 
of  Military  Supplies,  under  the  provisions  of  the  above  act. 

March  3,  181 3,  an  act  was  also  passed  "  for  the  better  organization  of  the 
general  stafT  of  the  army,"  making  radical  changes  in  the  Quartermaster's 
Department.  It  provided  for  eight  Quartermasters  General,  eight  Deputy 
Quartermasters  General,  and  thirty-two  assistant  deputy  Quartermasters 
General ;  the  Quartermaster  General  attached  to  the  principal  army  to  have 
the  brevet  rank  and  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier  general  as  be- 
fore ;  all  other  Quartermasters  General  to  have  the  brevet  rank  and  the  pay 
and  emoluments  of  colonels  of  infantry,  and  the  deputies  and  assistant  dep- 
uties to  have  the  brevet  rank  and  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  majors  of 
cavalry  and  captains  of  infantry,  respectively  ;  the  President  to  take  these 
officers  from  the  line  or  not,  as  he  might  consider  expedient. 

Section  5  made  it  the  duty  of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  prepare  a  code  of 
regulations  for  the  better  government  of  the  staff  departments,  to  be  used 
for  the  army  upon  receiving  the  approval  of  the  President. 

Under  the  provisions  of  this  act  Robert  Swartwout,  of  New  York,  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Madison  as  Quartermaster  General  on  March  21,  181 3, 
and  designated  as  chief  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  in  place  of  Gen- 
eral Lewis,  who  had  on  March  2d  of  that  year  received  the  appointment 
of  major  general  in  the  army. 

On  the  loth  February,  1814,  it  was  enacted  that  three  regiments  of  rifle- 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  49 

men  be  raised,  one  quartermaster  and   one  quartermaster  sergeant  being 
allowed  to  each. 

On  March  30.  1814.  it  was  enacted  that  three  regiments  of  artillery  be 
formed  into  one  corps,  and  organized  into  twelve  battalions,  one  quarter- 
master being  authorized  to  each  battalion.  That  in  lieu  of  two  regiments 
of  light  dragoons  in  service,  there  be  organized  one  regiment  *  *  *  with 
one  quartermaster  *  *  *  and  one  quartermaster  sergeant.  Section  20 
of  this  act  prohibited  taking  quartermasters  of  any  grade  from  the  line  of 
the  army. 

FROM   18 1 5  TO  1846. 

On  the  nth  of  February,  1815,  news  of  the  proclamation  of  peace  was 
brought  to  New  York,  causing  the  greatest  joy  and  enthusiasm  throughout 
the  country.  February  17th  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  ratified  the 
treaty  of  peace  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  which  had 
been  concluded  at  Ghent  on  December  24,  1814. 

On  the  3d  of  March  following  an  act  was  passed  by  Congress  reducing 
the  army,  and  fixing  the  military  peace  establishment  at  10,000  men,  which 
provided  for  one  quartermaster  and  quartermaster  sergeant  to  each  regi- 
ment of  artillery  and  riflemen  ;  also  four  brigade  quartermasters,  to  be  taken 
from  the  subalterns  of  the  line.  This  act  made  it  the  duty  of  the  President 
to  discharge  all  otHcers  who,  by  its  operation,  became  supernumerary. 
Accordingly,  on  May  17,  181 5,  orders  were  issued  from  the  Adjutant  and 
Inspector  General's  office  announcing  that  the  President  had  so  arranged 
the  general  stafT  as  to  include  one  Quartermaster  General  and  two  Deputy 
Quartermaster  Generals,  provisionally  retained,  and  the  four  brigade  quar- 
termasters provided  for  by  the  law  ;  all  other  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's 
Department,  whose  accounts  were  unsettled,  were  to  be  allowed  to  remain 
in  service  during  a  reasonable  period,  for  the  single  purpose  of  rendering 
and  settling  them. 

Robert  Swartwout  was  continued  Quartermaster  General,  with  the  brevet 
rank  of  brigadier  general. 

At  this  time  the  United  States  was  divided  into  two  military  divisions, 
viz. :  Division  of  the  North  and  Division  of  the  South,  the  two  Deputy 
Quartermasters  General,  provisionally  retained,  being  assigned  to  these  re- 
spective divisions. 

On  December  27,  181 5,  William  H.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  War,  in  a 
report  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  referred  to  the  staff  officers  who 
had  been  provisionally  retained  in  the  military  service,  and  recommended 
that  in  organizing  the  general  staff  provision  be  made,  among  other  officers, 
for  one  Quartermaster  General,  who  should  be  stationed  at  Washington. 
This  recommendation  does  not  appear  to  have  received  favorable  considera- 
tion at  that  time,  but  on  the  24th  of  April,  1S16,  an  act  was  passed  reorgan- 
izing the  staff  departments. 

The  first  section  of  this  act  authorized  the  appointment  of  one  Quar- 
termaster General,  with  one  Deputy  Quartermaster  General  to  each  division, 
and  an  assistant  of  each  to  every  brigade  ;  these  latter,  by  the  law,  super- 
seded the  brigade  quartermasters  and  inspectors  then  existing. 

Section  5  provided  that  the  purchasing  department  consist  of  one  Com- 


50  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

missary  General  of  Purchases,  as  before  authorized,  one  deputy  commissary 
to  each  division,  six  assistant  commissaries  of  issues,  and  as  many  military 
storekeepers,  to  be  subject  to  the  rules  and  articles  of  war  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  officers  of  the  army,  as  the  service  might  require.  The  salaries  of 
the  latter  were  to  be  regulated  by  the  Secretary  of  War  according  to  the 
duty  they  were  performing,  not,  however,  to  exceed  the  pay  and  emolu- 
ments of  a  captain  of  infantry.  The  salaries  of  the  former  were  fixed  by 
law. 

Section  7  made  it  the  duty  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  to 
prescribe  the  quantity  and  kind  of  clothing  to  be  issued  annually  to  the 
troops. 

Section  9  authorized  all  officers  of  the  general  staf?  to  retain  the  pay 
and  emoluments  secured  to  them  by  the  act  of  3d  March,  181 3. 

General  orders  issued  from  the  Adjutant  and  Inspector  General's  office, 
May  3,  1816,  announced  that,  in  conformity  with  the  above  act,  James  R. 
Mullany,  of  New  York,  and  George  Gibson,  of  Pennsylvania,  had  been  ap- 
pomted  Quartermasters  General  of  the  divisions  of  the  north  and  south, 
respectively,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  to  date  from  April  29,  1816. 

On  the  14th  April,  1818,  an  act  was  passed  further  regulating  the  stafT 
of  the  army,  in  accordance  with  a  plan  suggested  by  Mr.  Calhoun,  Secre- 
tary of  War. 

Section  3  of  this  act  repealed  so  much  of  the  act  of  April  24,  1816,  as 
allowed  one  Quartermaster  General  to  each  division,  and  provided  that  the 
Quartermaster's  Department  consist,  in  addition  to  the  two  Deputy  Quarter- 
masters General  and  the  four  assistant  deputy  Quartermasters  General,  then 
authorized,  of  one  Quartermaster  General,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emolu- 
ments of  a  brigadier  general,  and  as  many  assistant  deputy  Quartermasters 
General  as  the  President  might  deem  proper,  not  exceeding,  in  the  whole 
number,  12.  This  act  also  repealed  former  acts  relating  to  forage,  wagon 
and  barrack-masters. 

President  James  Monroe,  under  this  act,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to 
general  orders  from  the  Adjutant  and  Inspector  General's  office,  of  April 
30,  1818,  appointed  William  Gumming,  of  Georgia,  Quartermaster  General, 
to  date  from  April  18,  1818,  in  lieu  of  Quartermasters  General  of  divisions. 

General  Gumming  declined  the  appointment  conferred  upon  him,  and 
on  theSth  May,  1818,  Brevet  Colonel  Thomas  S.  Jesup,  Lieutenant  Colonel 
3d  United  States  infantry,  was  appointed  Quartermaster  General  by  Presi- 
dent Monroe  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

Immediately  upon  the  receipt  of  the  notice  of  this  appointment.  Colonel 
Jesup.  then  at  Brownsville,  Texas,  started  for  Washington  city,  and  upon 
the  15th  of  June,  1818,  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  new  position. 

On  the  17th  July  following  he  submitted  to  the  Secretary  of  War  a  com- 
prehensive/^r^>/  of  the  nature  and  functions  of  the  Quartermaster's  De- 
partment and  the  duties  of  its  officers.  This  projet,  having  met  with  the 
approval  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  was  embodied  by  Major  General  Win- 
field  Scott  in  the  code  of  regulations  compiled  under  the  act  of  March  3, 
181 3,  and  published  for  the  information  and  guidance  of  the  army,  in  July, 
1 82 1.     The  following  is  a  verbatim  copy  : 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  5' 

Quartermaster  Genkrai.'s  Omick, 
17th  July,  1S18. 
The  principal  objects  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  are  :  To  insure  an  ample 
and  efficient  system  of  supply.     To  give  the  utmost  facility  and  effect  to  the  move- 
ments and  operations  of  the  Army.     And  to  enforce  a  strict  accountability  on  the  part 
of  all  officers  and  agents  charged  with  monies  or  supplies. 

To  accomplish  these  objects,  the  following  regulations  are  proposed  : 
The  Quartermaster  General,  as  chief  of  the  department,  will  be  stationed  at  Wash- 
ington, and  be  allowed  one  assistant,  one  clerk,  and  as  many  subaltern  officers   as  the 
duties  of  his  office  may  require.     He  will  be  liable,  however,  to  be  ordered  to  any 
point  where  his  presence  may  be  necessary,  or  his  services  required. 

He  will  have  the  direction  of  the  correspondence  of  his  department,  and  it  shall  be 
his  duty  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  frontiers,  both  maritime  and  interior,  and 
with  the  avenues  leading  to  the  contiguous  Indian  and  foreign  territories,  with  the  re- 
sources of  the  country,  and  particularly  of  the  districts  on  the  frontier,  with  the  most 
eligible  points  for  concentrating  troops  and  supplies,  whether  in  relation  to  offensive 
or  defensive  operations,  with  the  military  force  of  different  sections  of  the  country. 
The  relative  expense  of  concentrating  at  particular  points,  and  the  relative  military 
advantages  of  those  points.  And  with  the  prices  of  all  articles  of  supply  and  of 
transportation.  It  shall  also  be  his  duty  to  cause  barracks  and  storehouses  to  be  con- 
structed, to  designate  the  sites  for  depots,  the  routes  for  transportation  and  communi- 
cation between  different  posts  and  armies,  and  the  course  of  military  roads. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Quartermaster  General  to  prescribe  a  uniform  system 
of  returns,  reports,  statements  and  estimates  for  his  department,  and  he  shall,  under 
the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  have  the  entire  control  of  the  deputies  and  as- 
sistants, and  generally  of  all  officers  and  agents  acting  in  or  making  disbursements  on 
account  of  the  department,  in  all  that  relates  to  the  administrative  part  of  their  duties, 
and  to  their  accountability — the  generals  or  commanding  officers  having  the  military 
control. 

The  deputies  or  assistants  whom  the  Quartermaster  General  may  assign  to  the 
posts  of  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Pittsburg,  Detroit,  Saint  Louis,  and  New  Orleans, 
shall  not  be  removed  from  their  stations  except  by  authority  of  the  War  Department. 

Officers  of  the  Quartermaster  General's  Department  shall  not  be  subject  to  detail, 
nor  be  employed  upon  any  other  duties  than  those  of  their  department,  except  by 
order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  or  of  a  general  commanding  a  division. 

No  officer  of  the  Quartermaster-General's  Department  will  be  permitted  to  engage, 
either  directly  or  indirectly,  in  trade  or  traffic  of  any  description. 

All  monies  for  the  Quartermaster's  Department  will  be  drawn  by  the  Quartermaster 
General,  and  distributed  by  him  to  disbursing  officers,  as  the  service  may  require  ;  the 
receipts  of  those  officers  will  be  his  vouchers,  and  on  producing  them,  or  evidence 
of  the  transmission  of  the  money,  he  shall  receive  a  credit,  and  the  person  receiving 
the  money  shall  be  charged. 

Accounts  of  subordinate  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  whether  of 
money  or  of  property,  will  be  forwarded  quarterly  to  the  Quartermaster  General. 
They  will  be  examined  and  transmitted,  with  the  remarks  of  the  Quartermaster  Gen- 
eral, to  the  proper  accounting  officer.  Should  vouchers  be  suspended  or  disallowed, 
the  accounting  officer  will  return  them  to  the  Quartermaster  General  with  his  reasons 
in  writing  for  such  suspension  or  disallowance  ;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Quar- 
termaster General  to  require  from  the  officer  proper  vouchers,  or  the  necessary  explana- 
tions. 

Whenever  practicable,  the  senior  quartermaster  of  each  separate  army  may  be  re- 


52  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

quired  to  receive  and  account  for  all  monies  received  on  account  of  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  for  that  army.  MiHtary  departments  represent  separate  armies  ;  the  senior 
quartermaster,  therefore,  may,  if  required,  receive  and  account  for  all  monies  for  the 
service  of  his  department. 

Officers  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  will  forward  their  accounts  for  settle- 
ment at  the  times  prescribed  ;  on  failure  of  which  they  will  be  recalled,  and  their 
places  supplied  by  others. 

All  officers  charged  with  monies  or  stores  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  will 
make,  from  time  to  time,  such  returns,  reports,  statements,  and  estimates  as  the  Quar- 
termaster General  may  require. 

No  expenditure  will  be  made  at  permanent  posts  in  time  of  peace  for  the  erection 
or  repair  of  barracks  and  quarters,  where  the  whole  sum  required  to  complete  the 
work  shall  exceed  five  hundred  dollars,  unless  ordered  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Whenever  any  extraordinary  expenditure  shall  be  required,  particularly  if  it  do  not 
properly  belong  to  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  officer 
requiring  the  same  to  furnish  the  quartermaster  with  duplicate  certificates  of  the 
necessity  of  such  expenditure.  If  it  be  made  necessary  by  the  failure  of  any  other  de- 
partment, the  fact  must  be  stated. 

The  Quartermaster  General  may,  whenever  he  shall  deem  it  necessary,  cause  a 
thorough  inspection  to  be  made  of  the  books  and  accounts  of  quartermasters.  This 
inspection  shall  embrace  property  as  well  as  money,  and  shall  extend  to  contracts,  to 
the  prices  paid  for  articles  purchased,  the  prices  paid  for  transportation,  and  gener- 
ally to  every  article  of  supply,  and  to  all  objects  connected  with  the  department.  The 
books  and  accounts  of  the  Quartermaster  General  shall  be  subject  to  a  similar  inspec- 
tion. 

Inspecting  officers  will  notice  in  their  reports  all  orders  of  commanding  officers  re- 
quiring the  expenditure  of  money  contrary  to  regulations.  They  will  state  particularly 
whether  supplies   be   forwarded    promptly,    and   whether  proper   regard   be  paid  to 

economy. 

(Signed)  Th.  S.  Jesup, 

Quartertnaster  General. 
Approved  : 

vSigned)  J.  C.  Calhoun. 

The  following  letter  is  interesting  as  showing  the  scope  of  the  Quarter- 
master's Department  in  those  early  days  : 

Washington,  Dec.  14,  1819. 

Sir  : — In  reply  to  the  questions  propounded  to  me  this  morning,  I  have  the  honor 
to  observe,  that  if  it  be  the  intention  of  the  Government,  in  operating  against  Florida, 
to  employ  the  troops  of  the  South  Division  only,  those  on  the  Atlantic  may  be  concen- 
trated at  Amelia  Island  in  fifteen  or  twenty  days,  completely  equipt  for  the  field. 
Those  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans  or  Mobile,  may  effect  a  junction  in  about  three 
weeks,  either  at  Mobile,  or  at  some  point  within  the  Territory  of  Florida,  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Pensacola.  Should  the  force  of  the  South  Division  be  considered  insufficient  for 
the  objects  contemplated,  the  light  artillery  at  Boston  might  be  transported  to  Amelia 
Island  in  twenty  days,  and  to  Pensacola  in  a  month  ;  and  the  Second  Regiment  at 
Sackett's  Harbor  might  be  removed,  by  the  way  of  the  city  of  New  York,  to  Amelia 
in  five  weeks,  and  to  Pensacola  in  forty- six  days.  If  the  movement  of  those  troops  be 
determined  on,  a  convoy  will  be  necessary  in  order  to  protect  them  from  capture. 

The  Spaniards  have  probably  fifteen  hundred  men  divided  between  Pensacola, 
Saint  Marks,  and  Saint  Augustine,  and  they  may  be  reinforced  by  an  equal,  if  not  a 
greater  number,  from  Cuba  ;  for  if  our  operations  be  confined  to  Florida,  every  soldier 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  53 

may  be  drawn  from  Cuba  for  its  defense.  And  the  disposable  force  of  Cuba,  united 
with  the  Seminole  Indians,  may  be  thrown  upon  any  point  of  our  line  of  operations 
which  Spain  may  select. 

A  reinforcement  from  Cuba  may  be  prevented  by  a  naval  force  arriving  in  the  (lulf 
of  Mexico. 

Accompanying  this  is  a  statement  in  relation  to  the  movement  of  the  light  artillery 
and  the  2d  Regiment. 

(Signed)  Th.  S.  Jesup, 

Quartermaster  General. 

The  Hon.  John  C.  Calhoun, 

Secretary  of  War. 

On  March  2,  1821,  an  act  of  Congress  was  approved  reducing  the  army 
and  fixing  the  military  peace  establishment.  Under  this  act  the  army  was 
to  be  composed  of  four  regiments  of  artillery  and  seven  of  infantry,  with 
certain  officers  of  engineers,  ordnance,  and  the  stafT. 

Section  7  of  this  act  provided  for  one  Quartermaster  General  (who  under 
the  act  of  March  28,  18 12,  received  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  brigadier 
general),  two  quartermasters  with  rank,  pay,  etc.,  of  majors  of  cavalry,  and 
ten  assistant  quartermasters,  to  be  taken  from  the  line  and  to  receive  addi- 
tional compensation,  varying  from  $10  to  $20  per  month,  as  the  Secretary 
of  War  might  decide. 

Section  8  provided  that  assistant  quartermasters  and  assistant  commis- 
saries shall  be  subject  to  duties  in  both  departments  under  the  order  of  the 
Secretary  of  War. 

Section  9,  of  this  act,  provided  for  two  military  storekeepers,  to  be  at- 
tached to  the  purchasing  department. 

No  further  legislation  of  Congress  affecting  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment is  found  until  the  act  of  May  18,  1826. 

Section  i  of  this  act  made  it  the  additional  duty  of  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  to  receive  from  the  purchasing  department  and  distribute  to  the 
army  of  the  United  States  all  clothing,  camp  and  garrison  equipage  required 
for  the  use  of  the  troops,  and  required  the  Quartermaster  General,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  prescribe  and  enforce  a  system  of  ac- 
countability for  all  clothing  and  equipage  issued  to  the  army. 

Section  2  made  it  the  duty  of  every  company  commander,  or  other  offi- 
cer who  should  receive  clothing  and  equipage  for  the  use  of  his  command, 
or  for  issue  to  the  troops,  to  render  to  the  Quartermaster  General  quarterly 
returns  of  such  supplies,  with  vouchers  according  to  the  prescribed  forms, 
such  returns  and  vouchers,  after  due  examination  by  the  Quartermaster 
General,  to  be  transmitted  for  settlement  to  the  proper  officer  of  the  Treas- 
ury Department. 

Section  3  provided  for  the  proper  care  and  preservation  of  clothing  and 
equipage  by  the  officers  having  it  m  charge. 

Sections  4  and  5,  in  order  to  enable  the  Quartermaster's  Department  to 
carry  out  the  provisions  of  this  act,  provided  for  the  appointment  of  two 
additional  quartermasters  and  10  assistant  quartermasters,  to  be  taken  from 
the  line  of  the  army,  to  have  the  same  rank  and  pay  as  authorized  for  like 
grades  in  the  act  of  March  2,  1821. 

The  so-called  Black  Hawk  war  and  the  campaigns  in  Florida  had  been 


54  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

successfully  met  without  any  great  increase  of  the  standing  army,  forces  of 
militia  being  called  out  by  several  of  the  States  from  time  to  time,  to  resist 
Indian  encroachments  and  depredations. 

On  May  19,  1836,  by  direction  of  the  President,  General  Jesup  was 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  troops  of  the  United  States  and  of  the 
militia  which  was  called  into  service  from  Georgia  and  Alabam.a  for  the 
suppression  of  Indian  hostilities  in  the  Creek  country. 

By  act  of  July  4,  1836,  the  President  was  empowered,  during  the  absence 
of  the  Quartermaster  General,  to  assign  some  other  officer  of  the  depart- 
ment or  corps  to  perform  the  duties  of  the  Quartermaster  General. 

On  January  14,  1837,  Major  T.  Cross,  acting  Quartermaster  General,  also 
strongly  urged,  in  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  which  was  transmitted 
to  the  Senate,  an  improved  and  increased  organization  for  the  Quartermas- 
ter's Department.  At  this  time  the  organization  of  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  consisted  of  one  Quartermaster  General,  four  quartermasters 
(majors),  and  twenty  assistant  quartermasters  (taken  from  the  line). 

Serious  questions  having  again  arisen  with  England,  leading  to  compli- 
cations on  the  northeastern  frontier,  Congress  passed  the  act  of  July  5,  1838, 
increasing  the  military  establishment.  This  act,  besides  providing  a  large 
military  force,  caused  many  changes  in  the  various  departments  of  the 
army. 

It  authorized  the  addition  of  two  Assistant  Quartermasters  General, 
colonels ;  two  Deputy  Quartermasters  General,  lieut.-colonels ;  and  eight 
assistant  quartermasters  with  the  rank  of  captain.  Provision  was  made  that 
the  pay  and  emoluments  of  all  officers  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department 
should  be  the  same  as  allowed  similar  rank  in  the  dragoons  ;  that  all  ap- 
pointments shall  be  made  from  the  army ;  that  promotion  in  said  depart- 
ment shall  take  place  as  in  regiments  and  corps,  and  that  line  officers  taken 
for  such  appointments  shall  relinquish  their  rank  therein. 

By  a  supplementary  act  of  July  7,  1838,  so  much  of  Section  9  of  the 
above  act  as  required  assistant  quartermasters  to  be  separated  from  the  line 
was  repealed. 

General  Jesup  resumed  his  duties  as  Quartermaster  General  August  5, 
1839. 

The  threatened  conflict  with  England  having  been  avoided,  no  further 
increase  of  the  military  force  or  change  in  the  organization  and  duties  of 
the  Quartermaster's  Department  appear  to  have  been  made  until  the  act  of 
August  23,  1842,  when  the  office  of  Commissary  General  of  Purchases, 
which  had  been  vacant  since  the  death  of  Callender  Irvine,  on  the  9th  of 
October,  i84i,was  abolished,  and  the  duties  transferred  to  the  Quartermas- 
ter's Department. 

MEXICAN    WAR. — MAY,    1846,   TO   JULY   4,    1848. 

In  May,  1846,  war  with  Mexico  was  declared,  and  on  the  13th  of  the 
same  month  an  act  was  approved  providing  for  a  volunteer  force  of  50,000 
men,  and  on  the  i8th  of  June  following  an  act  was  approved  making  cer- 
tain changes  in  the  military  establishment  in  view  of  the  above  action. 

Provision  was  made  for  such  additional  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's 


THE  QUAR  TERM  A  S  TER'S  DEPA  R  TMEN  T.  5  5 

Department  as  the  service  might  require,  not  exceeding  one  quartermaster 
to  each  brigade,  with  the  rank  of  major,  and  one  assistant  quartermaster, 
with  the  rank  of  captain,  for  each  regiment,  to  continue  in  service  only  so 
long  as  their  services  should  be  required  in  connection  with  the  militia  and 
volunteers. 

Section  7  provided  that  promotion  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department 
to  the  rank  of  major  should  thenceforward  be  made  from  the  captains  of 
the  army;  that  appointments  in  the  line  and  in  the  general  staff  which  con- 
ferred equal  rank  in  the  army  should  not  be  held  by  the  same  officer  at  the 
same  time,  and  that  when  any  officer  of  the  staff  who  might  have  been  taken 
from  the  line  had  obtained  or  been  entitled  to  promotion  to  a  grade  in  his 
regiment,  equal  to  the  commission  he  might  have  held  in  the  staff,  the  said 
officer  should  vacate  such  staff  commission,  or  he  might  at  his  option  vacate 
his  commission  in  the  line. 

On  February  11,  1847,  an  act  was  approved,  increasing  the  force  already 
authorized,  by  10  regiments,  each  regiment  being  entitled  to  a  regimental 
quartermaster,  who  should  be  allowed  $10  per  month  additional  pay,  and 
forage  for  two  horses  for  such  duty. 

Sections  5  and  10  authorized  the  President  to  appoint  four  quartermas- 
ters, with  the  rank  of  major,  and  10  assistant  quartermasters,  with  the  rank 
of  captain,  to  be  discharged  from  the  service  at  the  close  of  the  war.  This 
latter  clause  was  repealed  by  the  act  of  July  19,  1848,  which  provided,  how- 
ever, that  no  vacancy  which  might  occur  should  be  filled  until  authorized 
by  subsequent  legislation. 

On  July  4,  1848.  the  President  issued  his  proclamation  promulgating  the 
treaty  of  peace  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico. 

One  of  the  results  of  the  Mexican  War  was  the  vast  accumulation  of 
money  and  property  accounts  of  the  disbursing  officers  who  had  been  en- 
gaged in  its  campaigns.  This  led  to  the  passage  of  the  act  of  March  3.  1857, 
under  which  all  the  accounts  and  vouchers  of  the  disbursing  officers  of  the 
Quartermaster's  Department  were  to  be  audited  and  settled  by  the  third 
auditor  of  the  Treasury.  The  same  act  (Section  2)  provided  for  adding  to 
the  Quartermaster's  Department  five  military  storekeepers,  who  were  re- 
quired to  file  the  usual  bonds,  and  who,  with  those  previously  authorized, 
were  to  be  allowed  in  kind,  and  in  kind  only,  the  fuel  and  quarters  of  a  first 
lieutenant  of  the  army. 

June  10,  i860.  General  Jesup  died,  after  a  continuous  service  of  forty- 
two  years  as  chief  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  on  the  28th  of 
the  same  month  Lieutenant  Colonel  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  ist  United  States 
cavalry,  was  appointed  by  President  Buchanan,  as  Quartermaster  General, 
with  the  rank  of  brigadier  general. 

WAR   OF    THE   REBELLION.— FROM  APRIL    I  5,   1861,  TO  AUGUST    2C,   1 866. 

The  organization  of  the  United  States  Army  on  January  i,  1861,  just 
previous  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  provided  for  13,024  officers  and 
enlisted  men.  After  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War  and  the  disbandment  of 
the  volunteer  forces  called  out  by  that  war,  the  regular  troops  had  been 
gradually  decreasing  in  numbers,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion  in 


56  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

1861,  were  scattered  by  companies  and  detachments  throughout  the 
country. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  Rebellion  the  organization  of  the  Quarter- 
master's Department  was  as  follows  : 

One  Quartermaster  General — brigadier  general.  Two  assistant  Quarter- 
masters General — colonels.  Two  Deputy  Quartermasters  General — lieu- 
tenant colonels.  Four  quartermasters — majors.  Twenty-eight  assistant 
quartermasters — captains,  and  seven  military  storekeepers.     Total  44. 

On  the  15th  April,  1861,  President  Lincoln  issued  his  proclamation 
calling  for  75,000  men  to  serve  three  months. 

On  the  22d  April,  1861,  General  Johnston  resigned  his  charge  of  the 
Quartermaster's  Department,  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the  Confederate 
service,  and  on  the  15th  May  following,  Colonel  M.  C.  Meigs,  of  the  nth 
United  States  Infantry,  formerly  captain  of  engineers,  United  States  Army, 
was  appointed  by  President  Lincoln,  Quartermaster  General  in  his  stead. 
General  Meigs  assumed  charge  of  the  department  on  the  13th  June,  1861. 

On  the  3d  May,  1861,  President  Lincoln  issued  his  second  proclamation, 
calling  into  service  42,034  volunteers  to  serve  three  years,  if  required,  and 
increasing  the  regular  corps  by  the  addition  of  22,714  officers  and  enlisted 
men. 

The  acts  of  July  22  and  25,  1861,  following  soon  after,  authorized  the 
increase  of  the  volunteers  to  500,000  men  during  the  war;  each  regiment 
raised  to  have  a  quartermaster  (a  lieutenant)  and  a  quartermaster  sergeant,  the 
latter  to  have  the  pay  and  allowances  of  a  sergeant  of  cavalry  ;  each  brigade 
was  also  allowed  one  assistant  quartermaster ;  the  officers  and  men  thus 
authorized  to  be  placed  on  the  footing  as  to  pay  and  emoluments  of  similar 
corps  of  the  regular  army. 

On  the  29th  July  following,  an  act  was  approved,  adding  to  the  regular 
army  11  regiments  for  service  during  the  Rebellion  ;  authority  being  given 
to  reduce  the  military  establishment  to  25,000  men  within  one  year  after  the 
organized  resistance  to  the  authority  of  the  Government  ceased,  unless 
otherwise  ordered  by  Congress.  This  law  also  provided  for  regimental  and 
battalion  quartermasters  and  quartermaster  sergeants  for  the  new  organi- 
zations. 

On  the  3d  August,  1861,  an  act  was  passed,  "  providing  for  the  better 
organization  of  the  military  establishment."  Section  3  provided  for  adding 
to  the  Quartermaster's  Department  one  colonel,  two  lieutenant  colonels, 
four  majors,  and  twenty  captains,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  allowances  of  offi- 
cers of  cavalry  of  like  grades.  This  section  also  provided  that,  whenever 
any  captain  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  had  served  14  years  contin- 
uously, he  should  be  promoted  to  be  a  quartermaster  with  rank  of  major. 

By  section  8,  of  the  act  of  5th  July,  1S62,  the  President  was  authorized 
to  increase  the  number  of  military  storekeepers  of  the  Quartermaster's  De- 
partment to  12,  if  the  exigencies  of  the  service  rendered  it  necessary.  At 
this  time  there  were  only  7  military  storekeepers  provided  for. 

On  the  17th  July,  1862,  Congress  authorized  the  acceptance  of  the  ser- 
vices of  100,000  additional  volunteers  for  nine  months.  Section  10  of  this 
act   authorized  the  addition  to  the  staff  of  the  commander  of  each  army 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  57 

corps  of  one  chief  quartermaster  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel,  to  be 
assigned  by  the  President  from  the  army  or  volunteer  force.  Appoint- 
ments under  this  act  were  made  of  volunteer  and  regular  officers  of  the 
Quartermaster's  Department ;  the  rank  and  pay  which  they  thus  obtained 
being  temporary,  and  dependent  upon  the  existence  of  the  corps  organiza- 
tion to  which  they  were  assigned  as  chief  quartermasters. 

On  the  25th  June,  1864,  an  act  was  passed,  providing  for  the  examina- 
tion of  certain  staflf  of^cers,  including  quartermasters  and  assistant  quarter- 
masters. Boards  consisting  of  three  officers,  of  whom  two  at  least  must 
be  officers  of  volunteers,  were  provided  to  conduct  the  examinations.  Offi- 
cers not  appearing  for  examination  within  ninety  days  after  being  sum- 
moned were  to  be  dropped  from  the  rolls,  officers  not  found  to  possess 
necessary  qualifications  to  be  dismissed  with  one  month's  pay. 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  the  necessary  regula- 
tions were  prescribed  in  general  orders  from  the  War  Department,  and 
boards  were  located  at  different  places.  The  majority  of  the  officers  of 
the  regular  and  volunteer  corps  were  examined,  and  those  found  disqual- 
ified were  permitted  to  resign  or  were  dismissed;  or,  in  some  cases,  were 
simply  mustered  out  of  the  service,  in  view  of  their  having  served  during 
the  war  with  such  ability  as  they  possessed.  The  requirements  of  the 
law  that  two  of  the  officers  constituting  each  board  should  be  of  the 
volunteer  corps,  and  the  subsequent  rapid  muster-out  of  the  volunteer 
organization,  rendered  the  examination  of  all  the  officers  of  the  depart- 
ment impracticable,  and  in  accordance  with  the  instruction  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  War,  further  action  under  the  law  was  suspended. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1S64,  an  act  was  approved  providing  for  the  better 
organization  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department.  This  act  established  in 
the  office  of  the  Quartermaster  General,  nine  divisions,  to  exist  during  the 
Rebellion  and  one  year  thereafter  ;  each  division  to  be  placed  in  charge  of 
a  competent  officer  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  with  the  rank,  pay, 
and  emoluments  of  a  colonel,  under  assignment  by  the  Secretary  of  War, 
and  to  perform  the  duties  thus  assigned  them  under  such  rules  as  should 
be  prescribed  by  the  Quartermaster  General,  with  the  approval  of  the  War 
Department.  Section  7  of  this  act  specified  in  general  terms  the  busmess 
embraced  in  each  of  these  divisions,  and  the  special  duties  of  the  officers 
placed  in  charge,  under  the  direction  of  the  Quartermaster  General. 

Section  3  of  this  act  provides  that  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Quarter- 
master General  to  establish  depots  from  tmie  to  time,  at  places  convenient 
to  the  principal  armies  in  the  field,  for  receiving  and  distributing  the  sup- 
plies necessary  for  such  armies. 

On  the  28th  of  July,  1866,  an  act  was  passed  increasing  and  fixing  the 
peace  establishment  of  the  United  States,  and  authorizing  thereby  60  regi- 
ments,— 5  of  artillery,  10  of  cavalry,  and  45  of  infantry. 

Section  13  provided  that  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of  the  army 
thenceforward  consist  of  one  Quartermaster  General,  brigadier  general, 
six  assistant  Quartermasters  General,  colonels  ;  ten  deputy  Quartermasters 
General,  lieutenant-colonels;  fifteen  quartermasters,  majors,  and  forty-four 
assistant  quartermasters,  captains.     The  vacancies  thereby  created  in  the 


58  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

grade  of  assistant  quartermaster,  should  be  filled  by  selection  from  among 
the  persons  who  had  rendered  meritorious  services  as  assistant  quarter- 
masters of  volunteers  during  two  years  of  the  war ;  but  that  after  the  first 
appointments  made  under  the  provisions  of  this  section,  as  vacancies  might 
occur  in  the  grades  of  major  and  captains  in  that  department,  no  appoint- 
ments to  fill  the  same  should  be  made  until  the  number  of  majors  be  re- 
duced to  12,  and  the  number  of  captains  to  30,  and  thereafter  the  number 
of  officers  in  each  of  such  grades  to  conform  to  said  reduced  numbers. 

Section  14  provided  for  the  increase  of  the  number  of  military  store- 
keepers to  16,  if  such  increase  became  necessary,  and  allowed  to  them  the 
rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  captain  of  infantry. 

Section  15  enacted  that  the  act  of  July  4,  1864,  reorganizing  the  Quar- 
termaster's Department,  and  above  referred  to,  continue  in  force  until  Jan- 
uary I,  1867,  and  no  longer,  and  Section  23,  that  thereafter  the  Quarter- 
master General  shall  be  appointed  by  selection  from  the  corps  to  which  he 
belongs. 

Section  23  also  provided  that  no  person  be  appointed  to  any  vacancy 
created  by  the  act,  in  the  pay,  medical,  or  Quartermaster's  Department 
until  they  pass  the  examination  required  by  the  act  of  June  25,  1864. 

While  actual  hostilities  with  the  Confederate  forces  practically  ceased 
with  the  surrender  of  General  Lee,  April  9,  1865,  General  J.  E.  Johnston, 
April  26,  1865,  and  General  Kirby  Smith,  June  2,  1865,  it  was  not  until  Aug- 
ust 20,  1866,  that  President  Andrew  Johnson  issued  his  proclamation  de- 
claring peace  established  throughout  the  whole  United  States. 

The  Quartermaster  General  reports  as  follows  for  the  fiscal  years  from 
1 86 1  to  1866,  inclusive  : 

The  total  amount  to  be  accounted  for  during  the  fiscal 
year  ending  June  30,  1861,  was,  %  10,603,033.75 

The  total  amount  to  be  accounted  for  during  the  fiscal 
year  ending  June  30,  1862,  was,  $176,348,419-60 

The  total  amount  to  be  accounted  for  during  the  fiscal 
year  ending  June  30,  1863,  was,  8375.096,282.27 

The  total  amount  to  be  accounted  for  during  the  fiscal 
year  ending  June  30,  1964,  was,  $581,778,567.08 

The  total  amount  to  be  accounted  for  during  the  fiscal 
year  ending  June  30,  1865,  was,  $732,29S.924.68 

The  total  amount  to  be  accounted  for  during  the  fiscal 
year  ending  June  30,  1866,  was,  $571,764,197.87 

FROM  AUGUST  20,  1866,  TO  JANUARY  I,   1894. 

By  Section  7  of  the  act  of  March  2,  1867,  the  rank,  pay,  and  allowances  of 
military  storekeepers  were  made  equal  to  those  of  captains  of  cavalry. 

On  the  I  St  of  January,  1867,  the  various  divisions  of  the  Quartermaster- 
General's  office  were  abolished,  and  the  officers  of  the  department  then 
assigned  to  duty  in  various  capacities,  with  the  temporary  rank  of  colonel 
and  major,  lost  such  rank  and  resumed  that  held  by  them  previous  to  such 
assignment. 

Section  6  of  the  act  of  Congress  approved  March  3, 1869,  provides,  "That 


THE  quartermaster: S  DEPARTMENT.  50 

until  otherwise  directed  by  law  there  thall  be  no  new  appointments  in  the 
*     *     *     Quartermaster's  Department.     *     *     *  •• 

On  October  II,  1S70,  the  Quartermaster  General  recommended  to  the 
Secretary  of  War  the  removal  of  the  restrictions  upon  appointments  to  the 
Quartermaster's  Department. 

By  act  approved  June  3,  1872,  it  is  provided  : 

"  That  the  President  be,  and  hereby  is,  authorized  to  nominate  and,  by  and  with 
the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  to  appoint  certain  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  to  the  grade  they  would  have  held  in  said  department,  respectively,  had 
the  vacancies  created  therein  by  the  act  of  July  twenty-eighth,  eighteen  hundred  and 
sixty-six,  from  the  rank  of  major  to  the  rank  of  colonel,  both  inclusive,  been  filled  by 
promotion  by  seniority  :  Provided,  that  no  officer  shall  be  deprived  of  his  relative 
rank  or  reduced  from  his  present  grade  by  this  act,  and  that  the  officers  whose  appoint- 
ments are  herein  authorized  shall  take  rank  and  receive  pay  only  from  the  date  of  their 
confirmation." 

By  act  approved  June  20,  1874,  it  was  provided  : 

"  That  the  President  be,  and  he  is  hereby,  authorized  to  nominate  and  promote 
William  Myers  to  be  Major  and  Quartermaster,  to  date  from  the  eighteenth  day  of 
January,  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-seven,  to  take  place  on  the  Army  Register  next 
below  Major  J.  G.  Chandler  :  Provided,  that  no  officer  in  said  department  shall  by 
this  act  be  reduced  from  his  present  rank,  nor  shall  any  additional  pay  or  allowance  be 
made  to  any  officers  by  virtue  of  this  act." 

By  act  approved  March  3,  1875,  it  was  provided  : 

•'  That  the  Quartermasters  Department  of  the  army  shall  hereafter  consist  of  the 
Quartermaster  General,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier  general  ; 
four  Assistant  Quartermasters  General,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  col- 
onels of  cavalry  ;  eight  Deputy  Quartermasters  General,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and 
emoluments  of  lieutenant  colonels  of  cavalry  ;  fourteen  quartermasters,  with  the 
rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  majors  of  cavalry,  and  thirty  assistant  quartermasters 
with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  captains  of  cavalry. 

Sec  2.  That  no  more  appointments  shall  be  made  in  the  grade  of  military  store- 
keepers in  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  this  grade  shall  cease  to  exist  as  soon 
as  the  same  becomes  vacant  by  death,  resignation,  or  otherwise  of  the  present  incum- 
bents. 

Sec.  3.  That  no  officer  now  in  service  shall  be  reduced  in  rank  or  deprived  of  his 
commission  by  reason  of  any  provision  of  this  act. 

Sec  4.  That  no  officer  shall  be  promoted  or  appointed  in  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  in  excess  of  the  organization  prescribed  by  this  act,  and  that  so  much  of 
Section  6  of  the  act  approved  March  three,  eighteen  hundred  and  si.\ty-nine,  entitled, 
"An  act  making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the  army  for  the  year  ending  June 
thirtieth,  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy,  and  for  other  purposes,"  as  applies  to  the 
Quartermaster's  Department  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  repealed." 

General  Meigs  was  retired  from  active  service  on  account  of  age  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1882.  On  February  13,  1882,  Colonel  Daniel  H.  Rucker,  Assistant 
Quartermaster  General,  was  appointed  by  President  Arthur  as  Quartermas- 
ter General.  General  Rucker  assumed  the  duties  of  his  new  office  on  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1882,  and  on  the  23d  of  the  same  month  was  himself  retired  from 
active  service,  having  reached  the  limit  of  age,  64  years. 


6o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

President  Arthur  then  appointed  Col.  Rufus  Ingalls,  Assistant  Quarter- 
master General,  as  Quartermaster  General,  to  date  from  February  23,  1882. 
General  Ingalls  assumed  the  duties  of  his  new  office  March  16,  1882. 

By  act  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  1883,  paragraph  4,  it  is  provided 
that,  "  hereafter  vacancies  occurring  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department 
*     *     *     may  in  the  discretion  of  the  President  be  filled  from  civil  life." 

On  July  I,  1883,  General  Ingalls  was  retired  from  active  service  on 
account  of  age,  and  on  the  same  day  President  Arthur  appointed  Colonel 
S.  B.  Holabird,  Assistant  Quartermaster  General,  as  Quartermaster  General. 

Under  the  act  of  Congress  approved  July  5,  1884,  it  was  provided  : 

"  That  the  Secretary  of  War  is  authorized  to  appoint,  on  the  recommendation  of 
the  Quartermaster  General,  as  many  post  quartermaster  sergeants,  not  to  exceed 
eighty,  as  he  may  deem  necessary  for  the  interests  of  the  service,  said  sergeants  to  be 
selected  by  examination  from  the  most  competent  enlisted  men  of  the  army,  who  have 
served  at  least  four  years,  and  whose  character  and  education  shall  fit  them  to  take 
charge  of  public  property,  and  to  act  as  clerks  and  assistants  to  post  and  other 
quartermasters.  Said  post  quartermaster  sergeants  shall,  so  far  as  practicable,  per- 
form the  duties  of  storekeepers  and  clerks,  in  lieu  of  citizen  employes.  The  post 
quartermaster  sergeants  shall  be  subject  to  the  rules  and  articles  of  war,  and  shal 
receive  for  their  services  the  same  pay  and  allowances  as  ordnance  sergeants." 

Under  the  provisions  of  this  act  eighty  post  quartermaster  sergeants  have 
been  appointed  and  assigned  to  duty  at  the  several  military  posts  and 
stations,  to  assist  post  quartermasters  in  the  performance  of  their  duties  in 
lieu  of  civilian  clerks. 

General  Holabird,  after  serving  nearly  seven  years  as  Quartermaster 
General,  and  having  reached  the  age  limit,  on  June  16,  1890,  was  retired 
from  active  service. 

By  the  act  approved  February  12,  1887,  which  amends  section  1661,  R.S., 
and  makes  appropriation  for  arms  and  equipments  for  the  militia,  it  is 
further  provided  that  "  the  purchase  and  manufacture  of  *  '  *  quarter- 
master's stores  and  camp  equipage  for  the  militia,  shall  be  made  the  same 
as  provided  for  the  regular  army." 

Congress,  by  act  approved  June  20,  1890,  provided  :  "  That  the  enlisted 
men  known  as  the  artillery  detachment  at  West  Point,  should  be  mustered 
out  of  the  service  as  artillery-men,  and  immediately  reenlisted  as  army 
service  men  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  continuing  to  perform  the 
same  duties,  and  to  have  the  same  pay,  allowances,  rights  and  privileges, 
and  subject  to  the  rules,  regulations  and  laws  in  the  same  manner  as  if  their 
service  had  been  continuous  in  the  artillery,  and  their  said  service  shall  be 
considered  and  declared  to  be  continuous  in  the  army." 

This  detachment  is  composed  of  117  men,  viz.:  i  first  sergeant,  6  ser- 
geants, 8  corporals,  and  102  privates,  and  consists  of  clerks,  mechanics, 
laborers,  teamsters  and  overseers,  whose  duties  are  mainly  taking  care  of  the 
buildings  and  grounds  at  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  New  York. 

On  June  26,  1890,  President  Harrison  appointed  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Richard  N.  Batchelder  Deputy  Quartermaster  General,  as  Quartermaster 
General.  General  Batchelder  assumed  duty  July  10,  1890,  and  is  the  present 
occupant  of  the  office. 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT. 


r.i 


DUTIES. 

The  Ouartermaster's  Department  provides  the  means  of  transportation 
by  land  and  water  for  troops  and  materials  of  war  for  the  army.  It  also 
provides  the  means  of  transportation  for  ordnance  and  ordnance  stores 
issued  by  the  United  States  to  the  several  states  and  territories,  and  is 
charged  with  the  duty  of  purchasing  and  transporting  the  quartermaster's 
stores  and  equipage  for  the  militia.  Upon  proper  requisition  it  also  trans- 
ports the  property  of  other  executive  departments.  It  provides  wagons, 
ambulances,  carts,  saddles  and  horse  equipments  (except  for  the  cavalry), 
and  harness  (except  for  the  artillery). 

It  also  provides  vessels  for  water  transportation,  builds  wharves,  con- 
structs and  repairs  roads  for  military  purposes  and  builds  bridges.  Pro- 
vides and  distributes  clothing,  tents  and  equipage,  and  band  instruments 
to  the  army,  and  clothing  and  equipage  to  the  militia.  Supplies  table- 
ware and  mess  furniture,  fuel,  forage,  stationery,  blank  books,  lumber, 
straw  for  bedding  for  men  and  animals,  and  all  materials  for  camps  and 
for  shelter  of  troops  and  stores,  furniture  for  barracks,  such  as  bunks, 
chairs,  tables  and  lockers,  heating  and  cooking  stoves,  heating  and  cooking 
apparatus  for  use  in  public  barracks  and  quarters,  equipments  of  bake 
houses  for  post  bakeries,  tools  for  mechanics  and  laborers  in  the  Quarter- 
master's Department,  lights,  water  supply  and  sewer  systems  for  all  military 
posts  and  buildings.  It  hires,  purchases  and  builds  barracks,  quarters, 
storehouses  and  hospitals,  provides  by  hire  or  purchase  grounds  for  mil- 
itary encampments  and  buildings,  supplies  periodicals  and  newspapers  to 
post  libraries.  Contracts  for  horses  for  cavalry  and  artillery,  cares  for  and 
maintains  the  national  cemeteries,  and  prepares  and  settles  accounts  for 
telegraphing  on  army  business. 

The  work  in  the  Quartermaster  General's  office,  under  its  present  organ- 
ization, is  distributed  among  the  different  branches  as  follows  : 

A.  Finance.— Thxs  branch  has  charge  of  matters  relating  to  the  procurement  and 
distribution  of  funds,  the  compilation  and  preparation  for  Congress  of  the  annual  es- 
timates of  funds  for  the  service  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  for  funds 
required  for  the  Quartermaster  General's  office  ;  the  examination  of  estimates  of 
funds  received  from  disbursing  officers,  and  the  issue  of  requisitions  in  favor  of  such 
disbursing  ofikers  ;  the  action  upon  settlements  made  at  the  Treasury  of  claims  and  ac- 
counts pertaining  to  the  Quartermaster's  Department ;  the  abstracting  of  weekly  and 
monthly  statements  of  funds  for  comparison  with  the  Treasury  records,  and  the  con- 
ducting of  the  necessary  correspondence,  and  the  keeping  of  the  prescribed  records 
and  necessary  memorandum  books  connected  with  the  foregoing. 

B.  Money  and  Property. — The  duties  of  this  branch  are  the  administrative  exam- 
ination of  the  money  accounts  and  returns  of  quartermaster's  stores  rendered  by  officers 
serving  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  before  their  transmission  to  the  account- 
ing officers  for  final  action. 

It  also  takes  action  on  certificates  of  deposit  of  funds  pertaining  to  the  appropria- 
tions for  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  received  from  sales  to  officers  and  soldiers, 
sales  at  auction  and  other  sources,  and  upon  boards  of  survey  and  inventory  and  in- 
spection reports  of  quartermaster's  stores  no  longer  fit  for  issue  or  use. 

C.  Clothing  and  Equipage.— In  this  branch  returns  of  clothing  and  equipage  are 
received,    registered,    and    examined.      After    examination    and    the   correction  of 


62  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

errors    they  are    forwarded    to  the  Second  Auditor  of  the  Treasury  for  final  settle- 
ment. 

D.  Transportation. — Through  this  branch  the  Quartermaster  General  exercises 
supervision  over  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  transportation  of  troops,  and  supplies 
for  the  army,  and  for  the  militia,  and  settles  all  accounts  therefor  which,  for  any  rea- 
sons, legal  or  technical,  cannot  be  paid  by  the  disbursing  quartermasters  stationed 
throughout  the  country,  including  the  accounts  of  bond  aided  Pacific  roads,  esti- 
mates for  transportation  funds,  and  reports  of  their  expenditure,  and  replies  to  all  in- 
quiries of  Congress,  the  Court  of  Claims,  and  the  accounting  officers  of  the  Treasury 
relative  to  transportation  are  prepared  in  this  branch.  All  matters  pertaining  to 
Southern  railroads  indebted  to  the  United  States  for  railway  material  purchased  by 
them  at  the  close  of  the  war,  are  adjusted  through  this  branch.  Telegraphing  on 
military  business  and  accounts  growing  out  of  such  service  are  supervised  through  the 
transportation  branch.  Transportation  for  the  other  executive  departments  is  also 
provided  upon  requests  of  their  authorized  officers  and  agents. 

E.  Regular  Supplies. — This  branch  has  charge  of  all  matters  relating  to  the  pro- 
curement and  distribution  of  supplies,  including  means  of  transportation,  stoves,  and 
heating  apparatus,  and  repair  and  maintenance  of  same,  for  heating  barracks  and 
quarters  ;  of  ranges,  stoves,  and  apparatus  for  cooking ;  of  fuel  and  lights  for  enlisted 
men,  guards,  hospitals,  storehouses,  and  offices,  and  for  sales  to  officers  ;  of  cavalry 
and  artillery  horses  ;  of  equipment  of  bake  houses,  to  carry  on  post  bakeries  ;  of  the 
necessary  furniture,  textbooks,  paper,  and  equipment  for  the  post  schools  ;  for  the 
tableware  and  mess  furniture  for  kitchens  and  mess  halls  for  enlisted  men  ;  of  forage 
and  bedding  for  the  public  animals  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  for  the 
authorized  number  of  officers'  horses  ;  of  straw  for  soldiers'  bedding  ;  of  stationery 
and  blank  books  for  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  certificates  for  discharged  sol- 
diers, blank  forms  for  the  Paymaster's  and  Quartermaster's  Departments,  and  of  the 
necessary  correspondence  connected  with  the  work  of  this  branch. 

This  branch  has  also  charge  of  matters  relating  to  all  contracts  to  which  the  Quar- 
termaster's Department  is  a  party. 

F.  Clothing  Supplies. — This  branch  of  the  offi.ce  takes  action  upon  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  purchase  and  manufacture  of  clothing  and  equipage,  and  of  the  is- 
sues of  same  to  the  army,  and  to  the  militia  of  the  states  and  territories  in  conformity 
with  laws  and  regulations  governing  the  same. 

G.  Barracks  and  Quarters. — The  work  of  this  branch  pertains  to  providing  by 
hire,  purchase,  or  construction,  of  barracks,  quarters,  hospitals,  store-houses,  stables, 
roads,  sidewalks,  wharves  and  bridges,  shooting  galleries  and  target  ranges,  and  gen- 
erally to  all  structures  furnished  by  the  Quartermaster's  Department  for  the  use  of  the 
army,  including  the  repairs  thereof,  and  matters  relating  to  post  cemeteries,  except 
interments  therein,  and  other  miscellaneous  duties,  among  which  are  the  preparation 
of  drawings,  specifications,  estimates,  and  studies  of  various  works  under  the  heads 
enumerated  above,  and  of  conducting  the  necessary  correspondence,  and  keeping 
the  requisite  books  and  records  of  the  transactions  pertaining  to  the  work  of  the 
branch. 

H.  Inspection. — In  this  branch  cognizance  is  taken  of  such  matters  as  relate  to 
the  personnel  of  the  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  their  assignment  to 
stations,  furnishing  official  bonds,  etc.,  and  to  matters  which  pertain  individually  to 
clerks  and  employes  in  the  office  of  the  Quartermaster  General  and  of  the  Quartermas- 
ter's Department  at  large.  All  reports,  such  as  the  biennial  and  annual  returns  of 
officers  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  monthly  and  semi-monthly  pay-rolls 
of  clerks  and  employes  in  this  office,  are  prepared  therein,  and  action  is  taken  on  all 


THE  QUARTERMASTERS  DEPARTMENT.  ^,3 

matters  pertaining  to  the  post  quartermaster  sergeants  and  the  detachment  of  army 
service  men,  Quartermaster's  Department,  at  West  Point. 

The  distribution  of  books,  orders,  circulars,  and  other  printed  matter  intended 
for  the  use  of  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  is  made  from  this  branch. 

I.  Recerds  and  Files  and  ]\Iisc£llaneotis  Claims. — This  branch  has  the  custody  of 
the  records  and  files  of  the  office,  from  the  date  of  its  organization,  June  15,  iSiS,  and 
investigates  and  takes  action  upon  miscellaneous  claims  for  payment  for  services  ren- 
dered as  mechanics,  teamsters,  and  laborers  ;  for  extra-duty  pay  to  enlisted  men  em- 
ployed in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  ;  for  reimbursement  to  ofilicers,  soldiers, 
and  civilian  employes  for  expenses  incurred  while  travelling  on  duty  or  under  orders  ; 
for  the  expenses  of  burial  of  officers  and  soldiers  ;  for  awards  for  pursuing,  appre- 
hending, and  delivering  deserters  ;  for  recovery  of  lost  and  stolen  public  animals,  and 
such  other  claims  and  accounts  as  do  not  specifically  pertain  to  other  branches  of  the 
office. 

The  branch  also  has  charge  of  the  supply  of  newspapers  and  periodicals  to  military 
post  libraries  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  enlisted  men  of  the  army,  and  of  the  print- 
ing and  binding  for  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  also  all  matters  relating  to 
claims  filed  arising  under  the  act  of  July  4,  1864. 

K.  Reservation. — This  branch  has  charge  of  title  papers  to  all  lands  in  custody 
of  the  War  Department  for  military  uses,  except  such  as  are  designed  for  permanent 
fortifications,  or  for  armories,  arsenals,  and  ordnance  depots  ;  and  of  collecting  and 
compiling  information  in  regard  to  each  reservation.  It  also  has  charge  of  all  matters 
relating  to  water  works  and  water  supply,  sewerage,  plumbing,  structural  heating, 
lighting,  fire  protection,  etc.,  and  of  conducting  correspondence  in  connection  there- 
with. 

jVational  Cemeteries. — This  branch  has  charge  of  matters  pertaining  to  national 
cemeteries  and  the  approaches  thereto,  and  the  superintendents  of  same.  It  exercises 
a  general  supervision  over  the  proper  disbursement  of  the  funds  provided  by  Congress 
for  the  care  and  maintenance  of  these  cemeteries. 

Mail  and  Record:. — This  branch  has  charge  of  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  keep- 
ing of  the  records,  and  briefing,  entering,  and  indexing  of  communications  received  in 
the  office  of  the  Quartermaster  General,  as  well  as  the  typewriting  and  mailing  of  let- 
ters and  endorsement. 

GENERAL   DEPOTS. 

General  depots  have  been  established  at  New  York  City ;  Philadelphia 
and  Schuylkill  Arsenal,  Pennsylvania;  Washington,  D.  C;  Jeffersonville, 
Indiana  ;  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  and  Saint  Louis,  Mo. 

These  general  depots  of  the  Quartermasters'  Department  are  estab- 
lished in  different  sections  of  the  country  for  the  collection,  manufacture 
and  preservation  of  quartermasters'  supplies,  until  they  are  required  for 
distribution  to  the  army.  They  are  under  the  immediate  control  of  the 
Quartermaster  General,  and  the  officers  in  charge  act  under  his  sole 
direction. 

At  the  depots  at  Philadelphia,  JefTersonville,  Ind.,  and  San  Francisco, 
all  the  clothing  for  the  army  is  manufactured. 

MILITARY    PRISON. 

By  act  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  1873,  there  was  established  at 
Rock  Island,  III,  a  prison  for  the  confinement  of  offenders  against  the  rules, 
regulations  and  laws  for  the  government  of  the  army  of  the  United  States, 


64  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

and  subsequently  by  act  approved  May  21,  1874,  the  military  prison  was 
transferred  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 

This  prison  is  governed  by  a  board  of  five  commissioners,  consisting  of 
three  army  officers,  and  two  civilians.  The  commandant  of  the  prison  is 
an  officer  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department. 

In  1876,  the  manufacture  of  boots,  shoes,  etc.,  for  the  army  by  the  con- 
victs of  this  prison  was  first  commenced  and  has  continued  to  the  present 
time. 

Congress,  under  existing  law  of  February  27,  1893,  limits  the  amount  of 
the  annual  appropriation  for  clothing  for  the  army,  that  can  be  expended 
at  the  military  prison,  to  $125,000. 

Another  duty  attached  to  the  Quartermaster's  Department  which  re- 
sulted from  the  war,  is  that  relating  to  burial  places  for  the  Union  dead. 

The  act  of  Congress  approved  July  17,  1862,  provided  that  the  President 
of  the  United  States  shall  have  power,  whenever  in  his  opinion  it  shall  be 
expedient,  to  purchase  cemetery  grounds,  and  cause  them  to  be  enclosed, 
to  be  used  as  a  national  cemetery,  for  the  soldiers  who  shall  die  in  the  serv- 
ice of  the  country.  During  the  progress  of  the  war,  the  sites  selected  for 
the  interment  of  the  Union  dead,  who  were  killed  in  battle  or  died  in  hos- 
pital, were  usually  those  the  most  conveniently  located  for  the  purpose. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Congress  by  act  approved  February  22,  1867, 
provided  for  the  purchase  by  the  United  States  of  sites  for  national  ceme- 
teries. The  work  of  selecting  more  suitable  sites,  securing  fee  simple  titles 
and  collecting  and  transferring  thereto  the  Union  dead,  scattered  over  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  was  assigned  to  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment, and  was  a  labor  of  great  magnitude.  This  work  has  been  continued 
under  the  direction  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  until  the  present 
time,  when  there  are  82  national  cemeteries  located  either  on  military  re- 
servations, or  on  land  purchased  for  this  purpose  and  owned  by  the  United 
States,  and  which  contain  331,755  interments.  The  national  cemeteries  are 
entirely  distinct  and  disconnected  from  the  local  cemeteries. 

Congress  appropriates  annually  about  $161,880  for  the  care  and  main- 
tenance of  these  cemeteries,  including  the  pay  of  the  72  superintendents. 

Under  the  fostering  care  of  the  Government,  the  national  cemeteries 
have  been  made  attractive,  the  graves  of  the  Union  dead  provided  with 
marble  headstones,  the  grounds  ornamented  and  beautified,  thus  creating  a 
most  fitting  national  monument  to  the  memory  of  those  who  gave  up  their 
lives  that  the  Union  might  be  preserved. 

AMOUNT    DISBUBSED. 

The  regular  appropriation  for  the  service  of  the  Quartermaster's  De- 
partment for  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1894,  is  as  follows: 

Regular  Supplies $2,525,000 

Incidental  Expenses 650,000 

Horses  for  Cavalry  and  Artillery 130,000 

Barracks  and  Quarters. 700,000 

Transportation  of  the  Army  and  its  Supplies 2,600,000 

Clothing  and  Camp  and  Garrison  Equipage   1,200,000 


THE  QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT.  ^^5 

Construction  and  Repair  of  Hospitals S  50,000 

Shooting  Galleries  and   Ranges 8,000 

Quarters  for  Hospital  Stewards 7,000 

National  Cemeteries 100,000 

Pay  of  Superintendents  of  National  Cemeteries 61,880 

Total $8,031,880 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  ARMY  JANUARY  I,  1 894. 

The  United  States,  under  existing  orders,  is  divided  into  eight  military 
departments,  viz. : 

Department  of  the  East, 
Department  of  the  Missouri, 
Department  of  the  Platte, 
Department  of  Dakota, 
Department  of  Texas, 
Department  of  California, 
Department  of  the  Colorado, 
Department  of  the  Columbia. 
The  enlisted  strength  of  the  army  as  authorized  by  existing  laws  is  lim- 
ited to  25,000  men.     There  are,  besides  the  stafT  departments  provided  by 
law  : 

10  regiments  of  cavalry, 
5  regiments  of  artillery, 
25  regiments  of  infantry. 
The  organization  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  as  provided  for 
under  existing  laws,  is  as  follows  : 

I  Quartermaster  General,  brigadier  general. 
4  Assistant  Quartermasters  General,  colonels. 
8  Deputy  Quartermasters  General,  lieutenant  colonels.' 
14  quartermasters,  majors. 
30  assistant  quartermasters,  captains. 
I  military  storekeeper,  captain. 

(The  last  retirement  in  this  grade  will  occur   May    15.    1905, 
when  by  operation  of  the  law,  the  grade  will  cease  to  exist. — 
Act  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  1875.) 
80  post  quartermaster  sergeants. 
117   army  service  men,   Quartermaster's   Department,  are  on  duty   at 
West  Point,  New  York, 

In  addition  to  the  above  there  is  also  an  average  of  135  officers  of  the 
line  of  the  army,  who  are  detailed  for  duty  as  acting  assistant  quarter- 
masters in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  at  the  94  posts  and  recruiting 
depots. 

ADMINISTRATION    I30ARD 

was  organized  in  1883.  Its  object  is  to  examine  into  the  organization  of 
the  clerical  force  of  the  ofTice,  with  a  view  to  increase  its  efficiency  ;  to  re- 
commend changes,  promotions  and  transfers  ;  and  to  prepare  and  present  a 


66  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

schedule  of  pay  for  the  office  force.  The  officers  on  duty  in  the  Quarter- 
master General's  office  compose  the  Administration  Board. 

EQUIPMENT     BOARD 

was  organized  in  1S83.  The  object  of  this  board  of  officers  is  to  enable  the 
Quartermaster  General  to  get  an  authoritative  expression  of  opinion  upon 
current  inventions,  suggestions,  results  of  improvements,  etc.,  suitable  or 
fit  to  be  introduced  into  the  military  service  through  the  Quartermaster's 
Department,  for  the  quartering,  moving,  equipment,  supply  and  outfit  of  all 
troops  in  the  United  States  military  service.  A  record  of  all  proceedings 
is  kept,  and  reports  made  to  the  Quartermaster  General.  The  officers  on 
duty  in  the  Quartermaster  General's  office,  and  the  depot  quartermaster- 
Washington,  D.  C,  compose  the  Equipment  Board. 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT. 

By  BVT.  brig. -GEN.  JOHN  W.  BARRIGER, 

Assistant  Commissary  General  U.  S.  Army. 

THE  first  legislation  relative  to  subsistence  of  the  Army  is  found  in 
the  resolution  of  the  Continental  Congress  passed  June  i6,  1775, 
creating  general  and   general-stafT  officers  for  the  Army  of  the 
United  Colonies,  which  provided  that  there  should  be,  among  the 
latter  class  of  officers,  "  one  commissary-general  of  stores  and  provisions." 

On  the  17th  of  July,  1775,  Congress  passed  a  resolution,  upon  the  recom- 
mendation of  Maj.-Gen.  Philip  Schuyler,  commanding  the  New  York  De- 
partment, authorizing  a  deputy  commissary-general  of  stores  and  provisions 
for  that  department,  and  immediately  thereafter  elected  Walter  Livingston 
to  fill  the  office. 

On  the  19th  of  July,  1775,  a  dispatch  from  Gen.  Washington,  dated 
Cambridge,  July  10,  1775,  reporting  his  assumption  of  command  of  the 
Army,  and  recommending,  among  other  things,  that  Joseph  Trumbull,  of 
Connecticut,  be  appointed  commissary-general  of  stores  and  provisions,  was 
laid  before  Congress.  After  the  same  had  been  read  and  considered,  the 
following  resolution  was  passed  : 

"Resolved,  That  Joseph  Trumbull  be  commissary-general  of  stores  and 
provisions  for  the  Army  ot  the  United  Colonies." 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1776,  Congress,  having  had  under  consideration 
the  report  of  the  committee  on  supplying  the  troops  in  Canada,  passed  a 
resolution  authorizing  the  appointment  of  a  deputy  commissary-general  of 
stores  and  provisions  for  the  Army  of  the  United  Colonies  in  Canada,  and 
then  elected  Mr.  J.  Price  to  fill  the  office. 

In  1777,  so  much  dissatisfaction  prevailed  with  respect  to  the  administra- 
tion of  the  officers  of  the  "  Commissary's  Department,"  that  the  matter  was 
made  the  subject  of  an  investigation  by  Congress,  resulting  in  the  passage 
of  a  resolution  on  the  loth  of  June,  1777,  instituting  a  new  system,  upon  a 
dilTerent  principle,  under  an  elaborate  code  of  regulations.  The  following 
extracts  from  the  code,  which  constituted  the  resolution,  show  the  principal 
features  of  the  new  system  : 

"Resolved — 

"  I.  That  for  supplying  the  army  of  the  United  States  with  provisions, 
one  commissary-general  and  four  deputy  commissaries-general  of  purchases, 
and  one  commissary-general  and  three  deputy  commissaries-general  of 
issues,  be  appointed  by  Congress. 

*  *  * 

"III.  That  the  deputy  commissaries-general  have  authority  to  appoint 
as  many  assistant  commissaries  to  act  under  them  as  may  from  time  to 
time  be  necessary,  and  the  same  to  displace  at  pleasure,  making  returns 

67 


68 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


thereof  to  the  commissaries-general  respectively,  who  shall  have  full  power 
to  limit  their  numbers,  to  displace  such  as  they  shall  think  disqualified  for 
their  trust,  and  direct  their  respective  deputy  commissaries-general  to  ap- 
point others  in  their  stead  ;  that  special  care  be  taken  by  the  officers  em- 
powered as  aforesaid,  to  appoint  none  but  persons  of  probity,  capacity, 
vigilance,  and  attachment  to  the  United  States,  and  the  cause  they  are  en- 
gaged in  ;  and  to  make  returns  to  the  board  of  war,  the  commander-in-chief, 
and  the  commanders  of  the  respective  departments,  of  the  assistant  com^ 
missaries  by  them  respectively  appointed,  their  several  places  of  abode,  the 
time  of  their  appointment  and  dismission,  and  the  post,  place,  magazine,  or 
district  to  which  they  are  severally  assigned  ;  and  that  the  deputy  commis- 
saries-general of  purchases,  and  issues,  in  the  same  district  make  similar 
returns  to  each  other. 

"  IV.  That  the  commissary-general  of  purchases  shall  superintend  the 
deputy  commissaries-general  of  purchases,  and  assign  to  each  a  separate 
district,  who  shall  constantly  reside  therein,  and  not  make  any  purchases 
beyond  the  limits  thereof;  and  every  purchaser  employed  therein  shall  also 
have  a  certain  district  assigned  him  by  the  respective  deputy  commissary- 
general,  in  which  he  shall  reside,  and  beyond  the  limits  of  which  he  shall 
not  be  permitted  to  make  any  purchases,  unless  by  special  order  of  his 
superior,  directing  the  quantity  and  quality  of  provisions  so  to  be  purchased 
beyond  his  limits,  and  informing  such  purchaser  of  the  prices  given  by  the 
stationed  purchaser  in  the  district  to  which  he  may  be  sent. 

*  *  .  * 

"  VII.  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  commissary-general  of  purchases, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  deputy  commissaries-general,  and  assistant  com- 
missaries of  purchases,  to  purchase  all  provisions  and  other  necessaries 
allowed,  or  which  may  be  hereafter  allowed  by  Congress  to  the  troops 
of  the  United  States,  and  deliver  the  same  to  the  commissary-general 
of  issues,  or  his  deputies,  or  assistants,  in  such  quantities,  and  at  such 
places  or  magazines,  as  the  commander-in-chief,  or  the  commander  of  the 
respective  departments,  shall  direct. 

*  *  *  , 

"  XX.  That  the  commissary-general  of  issue  shall  superintend  the 
respective  deputy  commissaries-general  of  issues,  and  assign  to  each  a  sepa- 
rate district ;  and  have  full  power  to  suspend  them  and  appoint  others  for  a 
time,  as  already  appointed   for  the  commissary-general  of  purchases." 

*  *  * 

By  a  resolution  passed  on  the  nth  of  June,  1777,  the  next  day  after  the 
adoption  of  the  new  commissariat  system.  Congress  directed  that  the  com- 
missary-general of  purchases  should  "  keep  his  office  in  the  place  where 
Congress  shall  sit,  and  that  he  or  his  clerk  constantly  attend  therein." 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  1777,  Congress  proceeded  to  the  election  of  officers 
for  the  new  Commissary's  Department,  and  the  ballots  having  been  taken 
and  examined,  the  following  persons  were  declared  elected,  viz.,  Joseph 
Trumbull,  commissary-general  of  purchases,  William  Aylett,  William 
Buchanan,  Jacob  Cuyler  and  Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  deputy  commissaries- 
general  of  purchases;  Charles  Stewart,  commissary-general  of  issues,  and 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT.  69 

William  Green  Mumford,  Matthew  Irwin  and  Elisha  Avery,  deputy  commis- 
saries-general of  issues. 

An  additional  deputy  commissary-general  of  purchases  and  one  ad- 
ditional deputy  commissary-general  of  issues,  for  supplying  the  troops  in 
the  State  of  Georgia,  were  authorized  by  a  resolution  of  Congress  passed 
August  I,  1777.  On  the  6th  of  the  same  month,  James  Roe  and  John 
Bohun  Garardeau,  were  elected  to  fill  the  offices,  respectively. 

The  resignation  of  Joseph^ Trumbull,  commissary-general  of  purchases, 
was  received  by  Congress  on  the  2d  of  August,  1777,  and  on  the  5th  William 
Buchanan,  a  deputy  commissary-general  of  purchases,  was  elected  to  fill 
the  vacancy. 

On  the  6th  of  August,  Congress  proceeded  to  the  election  of  ofTicers  to 
fill  vacancies  in  the  Commissary's  Department.  Ephraim  Blaine  was  elected 
a  deputy  commissary-general  of  purchases,  vice  Buchanan,  promoted; 
Archibald  Stewart,  a  deputy  commissary-general  of  issues,  wV^  Hoops, 
resigned  ;  and  James  Blicker,  a  deputy  commissary-general  of  issues,  vice 
Avery,  resigned.  An  additional  deputy  commissary-general  of  purchases 
was,  on  the  same  day,  authorized  for  the  Eastern  Department,  and  Samuel 
Gray  elected  to  fill  the  office. 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1777,  Peter  Colt  was  elected  a  deputy  commis- 
sary-general of  purchases,  vice  Wadsworth,  resigned. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1778,  Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  who  had  recently  re- 
signed as  a  deputy  commissary-general  of  purchases,  was  elected  commis- 
sary-general of  purchases,  vice  Buchanan,  and  administered  the  office  until 
January  i,  1780,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  Ephraim  Blaine, 
then  a  deputy  commissary-general  of  purchases. 

The  laws  relating  to  the  purchasing  branch  of  the  Commissary's  Depart- 
ment were  further  perfected  by  the  following  resolution  of  Congress,  passed 
November  30,  1780: 

"Resolved,  That  there  be  a  commissary-general  of  purchases,  whose  duty 
shall  be  to  purchase  provisions  under  the  direction  of  Congress,  the  com- 
mander-in-chief, or  board  of  war;  to  call  upon  the  principal  State  agents  or 
commissioners  for  such  supplies  as  their  respective  legislatures  shall  make 
provision  for,  keep  up  a  regular  correspondence  with  them,  to  the  end  that 
their  prospects  of  furnishing  such  supplies  may  be  fully  known  ;  of  which 
correspondence  he  shall  keep  a  fair  and  correct  register,  as  well  as  every 
other  official  transaction ;  to  direct  the  quantities  and  species  of  provisions 
to  be  stored  in  the  magazines  of  the  several  States,  under  the  orders  of  the 
commander-in-chief,  and  cause  the  same  to  be  furnished  to  the  army,  as 
occasion  may  require;  for  which  purpose  he  is  empowered  to  call  on  the 
quartermaster-general  and  the  deputy  quartermasters  for  the  means  of 
transportation;  to  make  monthly  returns  to  the  commander-in-chief  and 
the  board  of  war  of  all  persons  employed  by  him,  specifying  for  what  time 
and  on  what  terms  ;  and  of  all  provisions  received  in  each  month,  from 
whom,  from  what  State,  and  the  quantities  delivered  to  the  issuing  commis- 
saries, their  names,  and  at  what  posts  ;  also  of  all  provisions  remaining  on 
hand,  at  what  magazines,  and  in  whose  care ;  the  returns  to  be  made  up  to 
the  last  day  of  each  month,  and  forwarded  as  soon' as  may  be;   to  cause  all 


70  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

of  his  accounts  with  the  United  States  to  be  closed  annually,  on  the  ist  of 
January,  and  laid  before  the  board  of  treasury  for  settlement  by  the  ist  day 
of  March  ensuing." 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1781,  Congress  passed  the  following  order  : 

"  Ordered,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  devise  the  mode 
of  transferring  to  the  superintendent  of  finance  the  business  of  the  several 
boards  and  departments  to  which  the  institution  of  his  office  extends,  in  or- 
der that  the  said  boards  and  departments  may  be  discontinued  as  soon  as 
the  situation  of  affairs  will  admit." 

On  the  loth  of  July  Congress,  in  pursuance  of  the  object  contemplated 
by  the  foregoing  order,  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Board  of  War, 
passed  the  following  resolution,  transferring  the  duty  of  procuring  all  sup- 
plies for  the  Army  to  the  superintendent  of  finance,  then  the  head  of  the 
Treasury  Department : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  superintendent  of  finance  be,  and  he  is  hereby  au- 
thorized, either  by  himself  or  such  other  person  or  persons  as  he  shall,  from 
time  to  time,  appoint  for  that  purpose,  to  procure,  on  contract,  all  necessary 
supplies  for  the  army  or  armies  of  the  United  States,  and  also  for  the  navy 
artificers,  or  prisoners  of  war,  and  also  the  transportation  thereof;  and  all 
contracts  or  agreements  heretofore  made,  or  which  shall  be  hereafter  made, 
by  him,  or  persons  under  his  authority,  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  are  hereby 
declared  to  be  binding  on  the  United  States." 

Under  this  resolution  the  commissariat  system  of  subsisting  the  army 
was  discontinued  and  the  method  of  contracts  for  rations  adopted  in  itsstead. 

The  office  of  superintendent  of  finance  was  abolished  by  an  ordinance 
of  Congress  passed  May  28,  1784.  This  ordinance  created  a  board  of 
three  commissioners,  styled  the  "  Board  of  Treasury,"  to  be  appointed  by 
Congress,  to  superintend  the  Treasury  and  manage  the  finances  of  the 
United  States.  All  the  duties  of  the  superintendent  of  finance  were  trans- 
ferred to  this  board,  including,  of  course,  the  furnishing  of  subsistence,  and 
all  other  classes  of  army  supplies,  and  providing  transportation  for  the 
same.  This  duty  was,  however,  rendered  almost  nominal  by  the  legislation 
of  June  2  and  3,  which  fixed  the  strength  of  the  forces  to  be  maintained  in 
the  service  of  the  United  States  at  about  800  men,  700  of  whom  were 
militia  called  into  service  for  twelve  months,  "  for  the  protection  of  the 
northwestern  frontiers,  and  for  guarding  the  public  stores." 

There  was  no  further  legislation  touching  subsistence  of  the  army  until 
after  the  reorganization  of  the  Government  under  the  Constitution. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  first  section  of  the  act  of  the  ist  Congress, 
entitled  "  An  Act  to  establish  an  Executive  Department,  to  be  denominated 
the  Department  of  War,"  approved  August  7,  1789,  the  duty  of  procuring 
"  warlike  stores  "  was  entrusted  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  but  by  Section  5 
of  the  act  of  May  8,  1792,  making  alterations  in  the  Treasury  and  War 
Departments,  the  duty  of  making  "all  purchases  and  contracts  for  supply- 
ing the  army  with  provisions,  clothing,  supplies  in  the  quartermaster's 
department,  military  stores,  Indian  goods,  and  all  other  supplies  or  articles 
for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  War,"  was  again  devolved  upon  the 
Treasury  Department. 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT. 


7  I 


An  act  was  passed  on  the  23d  of  February,  1795,  creatinj;  "  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Treasury  an  officer  to  be  denominated  '  purveyor  of  pubUc  sup- 
plies,'"  whose  duties  were  "under  the  direction  and  supervision  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  to  conduct  the  procuring  and  providing  of  all 
arms,  military  and  naval  stores,  provisions,  Indian  goods,  and  generally,  ail 
articles  of  supply  requisite  for  the  service  of  the  United  States." 

In  1798,  there  were  serious  apprehensions  of  a  war  with  France,  and 
Congress,  apparently  conscious  of  the  inherent  weakness  of  a  military  sys- 
tem so  organized  that  the  War  Department  did  not  have  control  of  the  pro- 
curement of  its  own  supplies,  restored  to  it  that  very  essential  function,  by 
making  the  purveyor  of  public  supplies,  although  an  officer  of  the  Treas- 
ury Department,  subject  to  the  orders  of  the  Secretary  of  War  in  all  matters 
relating  to  army  supplies,  except  the  auditing  and  settlement  of  accounts 
therefor,  which  were  rendered  to  the  Treasury  Department,  This  restora- 
tion was  effected  by  Sections  3,  4  and  5  of  the  act  approved  July  16,  1798, 
entitled  "  An  Act  to  alter  and  amend  the  several  acts  for  the  establishment 
and  regulation  of  the  Treasury,  War  and  Navy  Departments." 

By  Section  3  of  the  act  approved  March  16,  1802,  entitled  "An  Act  fix- 
ing the  Military  Peace  Establishment  of  the  United  States,"  it  was  provided 
that  there  should  be  "  three  military  agents  and  such  number  of  assistant 
military  agents  as  the  President  of  the  United  States  shall  deem  expedient, 
not  exceeding  one  to  each  military  post ;  which  assistants  shall  be  taken 
from  the  line."  It  was  made  the  duty  of  the  military  agents  "  to  purchase, 
receive,  and  forward  to  their  proper  destination,  all  military  stores  and 
other  articles  for  the  troops  in  their  respective  departments,  and  all  goods 
and  annuities  for  the  Indians,  which  they  may  be  directed  to  purchase,  or 
which  shall  be  ordered  into  their  care  by  the  Department  of  War." 

The  military  agency  system  proved  to  be  unsatisfactory,  but  no  action 
was  taken  by  Congress  towards  its  abolishment  until  181 2.  Our  relations 
with  Great  Britain  had  then  become  so  much  strained  that  Congress  deemed 
it  prudent  to  commence  making  preparations  for  war.  An  act  was  passed 
on  the  2d  of  January  of  that  year  authorizing  the  President  to  raise  a  force 
of  Rangers  for  the  protection  of  the  frontiers  from  invasion  by  the  Indians; 
on  the  nth  of  the  same  month,  an  act  was  passed  authorizing  an  increase 
in  the  army  of  ten  regiments  of  infantry,  two  regiments  of  artillery,  and 
one  regiment  of  light  dragoons  and  on  the  6th  of  February  another  act  was 
passed  authorizing  the  President  to  accept  the  services  of  organized  com- 
panies of  volunteers,  either  of  artillery,  cavalry,  or  infantry,  not  exceeding, 
in  the  aggregate,  30,000  men.  On  the  28th  of  March,  an  act  was  passed 
abolishing  the  military  agency  system  of  supplying  the  Army,  and  substi- 
tuting therefor  a  Purchasing  Department  and  a  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment. 

The  strained  relations  with  Great  Britain,  heretofore  alluded  to,  culmi- 
nated in  a  formal  declaration  of  war  by  an  act  of  Congress  passed  June  18, 
1812. 

The  new  staff  system  did  not,  however,  bring  with  it  any  change  in  the 
mode  of  subsisting  the  Army,  which  was  by  contracts  for  rations  delivered 
at  the  places  of  issue.     This  mode  of  subsisting  the  Army,  although  it  had 


72  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

been  in  operation  since  1781,  was  now,  for  the  first  time,  to  be  subjected  to 
the  test  of  war.  It  soon  proved  to  be  a  great  failure,  as  official  reports  from 
Gen.  Dearborn  and  other  commanders  of  troops  on  the  Canadian  frontier, 
show  that  as  early  as  November  and  December,  181 2,  they  were  in  dire  ex- 
tremities on  account  of  deficiency  of  rations,  arising  from  failure  of  con- 
tractors to  make  deliveries  according  to  their  contracts. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  181 3,  an  act  was  passed  with  the  significant  title  of 
"  An  Act  better  to  provide  for  the  supplies  of  the  Army  of  the  United 
States,  and  for  the  accountability  of  persons  intrusted  with  the  same."  The 
second  section  of  this  act  provided  that  there  should  be  a  "  superintendent- 
general  of  military  supplies,"  whose  functions  were  to  keep  proper  accounts 
of  all  the  military  stores  and  supplies  purchased  for,  and  distributed  to,  the 
Army  of  the  United  States ;  to  prescribe  the  forms  of  all  returns  and  ac- 
counts of  such  stores  and  supplies,  and  to  credit  and  settle  the  accounts  of 
disbursing  officers ;  also,  to  transmit  all  such  orders,  and,  generally,  to  per- 
form all  such  other  duties  respecting  the  general  superintendence,  purchase, 
transportation,  and  safe-keeping  of  military  stores  and  supplies,  and  the 
accountability  therefor  as  might  be  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Section  8  of  this  act  empowered  the  President  to  appoint  one  or  more 
special  commissaries  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  by  purchase  or  contract, 
and  of  issuing,  or  to  authorize  any  officer  or  officers  of  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  to  supply  and  issue  the  whole  or  any  part  of  the  subsistence  of 
the  Army,  in  all  cases  when,  from  want  of  contractors,  or  from  any  default 
on  their  part,  or  from  any  other  contingency,  such  measure  might  be  proper 
and  necessary  in  order  to  insure  the  subsistence  of  the  Army. 

Notwithstanding  this  remedial  legislation,  the  trouble  about  purchasing 
rations  for  the  troops  from  the  contractors  continued.  On  the  12th  of  No- 
vember, 1814,  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives took  up  the  matter,  and,  after  having  had  the  same  under  consider- 
ation, instructed  its  chairman  to  address  a  communication  to  the  Secretary 
of  War,  requesting  information  on  the  following  points,  viz. : 

"  I.  What  is  the  present  mode  of  subsisting  the  Army  .> 

"  2.  If  by  contracts,  what  are  the  defects,  if  any,  and  the  remedy  ? 

"  3.  Whether  any  other  mode  can  be  adopted,  combining,  in  a  greater 
degree,  certainty  and  promptitude  with  economy  and  responsibility.? 

"  4.  Whether  the  alternative  afforded  by  law  of  substituting  commissaries 
for  contractors  has  been  adopted ;  and,  if  yes,  what  has  been  the  general 
result }  " 

Under  date  of  December  23,  1814,  the  Acting  Secretary  of  War,  Hon. 
James  Monroe,  replied,  in  substance,  that,  not  wishing  to  rely  altogether  on 
his  own  judgment  in  answering  the  inquiries  of  the  committee  as  to  the 
best  mode  of  subsisting  the  Army,  he  had  consulted  the  officers  of  the 
greatest  experience  who  were  within  his  reach,  on  the  presumption  that  he 
should  best  promote  the  views  of  the  committee  by  collecting  all  the  infor- 
mation he  could  on  the  subject.  He  submitted,  as  inclosures  to  his  reply, 
letters  from  Gen.  Scott,  Gen.  Gaines  and  Col.  Fenwick,  all  of  whom  ex- 
pressed a  decided  preference  for  the  system  of  supply  by  commissaries  to 
that  by  contractors.     He  also  stated  that  he  believed  that  officers  generally 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT.  y^, 

concurred  with  them  in  that  preference,  and  that  the  proposition  to  estab- 
lish the  commissariat  system  of  subsisting  the  Army  had  his  unqualified 
approval. 

On  the  next  day,  January  24,  1814,  after  the  Committee  on  Military 
Affairs  had  presented  the  report  of  the  Acting  Secretary  of  War  to  the 
House  of  Representatives,  Hon.  George  M.  Troup,  of  Georgia,  the  chairman 
of  the  committee,  introduced  a  bill  entitled  "  A  Bill  making  provision  for 
subsisting  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  by  authorizing  the  appointment 
of  Commissaries  of  Subsistence,"  which  was  read  the  first  and  the  second 
time,  and  referred  to  the  Committee  of  the  Whole.  On  the  7th  of  February 
the  bill,  after  having  been  amended  in  some  respects,  was  passed  and  sent 
to  the  Senate. 

The  bill  was  taken  up  in  the  Senate  on  the  loth  of  February,  read  the 
first  and  the  second  time,  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs. 
On  the  nth  of  February  it  was  reported  back  to  the  Senate,  with  some  pro- 
posed amendments.  On  the  13th  of  February  the  Senate,  sitting  as  in 
committee  of  the  whole,  agreed  to  the  proposed  amendments,  when  the 
committee  rose,  and  the  bill,  as  amended,  was  reported  back  to  the  Senate 
and  ordered  to  be  engrossed  and  read  the  third  time,  as  amended.  On  the 
14th  of  February  the  bill  was  reported  as  correctly  engrossed.  On  the  15th 
of  February,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Tait,  of  Georgia,  the  further  consideration  of 
the  bill  was  postponed  until  the  following  Monday.  This  postponement 
was,  presumably,  due  to  the  fact  that  on  that  day  President  Madison  sent  a 
message  to  the  Senate  transmitting  a  copy  of  the  treaty  of  peace  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  which  had  been  signed  at  Ghent  on 
the  24th  of  December  previous. 

On  the  2 1st  of  February,  the  further  consideration  of  the  bill  was  again 
postponed  until  the  following  Monday. 

The  return  of  peace  had  materially  changed  the  aspect  of  our  military 
affairs.  The  pressure  of  the  necessity  for  immediate  legislation  changing 
the  mode  of  subsisting  the  Army  had  been  relaxed,  and  this,  with  the  prox- 
imity of  the  end  of  the  session  of  Congress,  seems  to  have  prevented  the 
bill,  although  in  such  an  advanced  stage  towards  becoming  a  law,  from  being 
taken  up  according  to  postponement,  or  again  before  the  final  adjournment 
on  the  4th  of  March,  with  which  the  Congress  expired,  and  with  it,  of 
course,  this,  and  all  other  pending  bills. 

The  subject  was  not  again  taken  up  by  Con.oress  until  a  repetition  of  our 
former  adverse  experiences  with  the  contract  mode  of  subsisting  the  Army 
brought  it  into  conspicuous  prominence. 

In  1817,  the  Seminole  Indians,  of  Florida,  then  a  province  of  Spain,  be- 
gan to  make  hostile  demonstrations  on  the  southern  frontier  of  Georgia, 
then  embraced  within  the  limits  of  the  Division  of  the  South,  commanded 
by  Maj.-Gen.  Andrew  Jackson.  The  available  regular  troops  were  ordered 
into  the  field,  and,  in  addition,  a  brigade  of  Georgia  militia,  commanded  by 
Brig.-Gen.  Glasscock,  was  called  into  the  service  of  the  United  States. 

The  contractor  for  furnishing  rations  in  the  district  covering  the  theatre 
of  military  operations,  was  duly  notified  to  make  deposits  of  provisions  at 
the  places  where  they  would  be  needed  in  order  to  carry  out  the  plan  of 


74 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


campaign,  but  he  failed  to  do  so  with  punctuality,  and,  in  consequence, 
military  movements  were  delayed,  and,  in  December,  1817,  and  January, 
1818,  the  situation  had  become  well-nigh  desperate. 

On  the  2ist  of  January,  1818,  the  matter  was  brought  to  the  attention  of 
the  Senate  by  Mr.  Williams,  of  Tennessee,  of  the  Committee  on  Military 
Affairs,  who  introduced  a  resolution,  which  was  adopted,  requesting  the 
President  of  the  United  States  "  to  inform  the  Senate  in  what  manner  the 
troops  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  now  operating  against  the  Semi- 
nole tribe  of  Indians,  have  been  subsisted,  whether  by  contract  or  otherwise, 
and  whether  they  have  been  furnished  regularly  with  rations." 

On  the  30th  of  January,  the  President,  Hon.  James  Monroe,  replied  by 
message,  inclosing  a  report  on  the  subject  of  the  inquiry,  from  the  Secretary 
of  War,  Hon.  John  C.  Calhoun,  stating  that  the  method  of  subsistmg  the 
troops  was  by  contract ;  that  the  Department  of  War,  anticipating  an  in- 
creased demand  for  rations  in  that  quarter,  had  made  early  and  liberal 
advances  of  money  to  the  contractor  to  enable  him  to  give  prompt  obedi- 
ence to  the  requisitions  of  the  commanding  general ;  that  requisitions  for 
deposits,  in  advance,  under  the  terms  of  the  contract,  at  the  several  posts 
on  the  frontier  of  Georgia  and  in  the  adjacent  territory,  had  been  made ; 
that,  according  to  the  last  official  reports,  these  requisitions  had  not  been 
complied  with,  and  that  the  commandant  had  detailed  officers  of  the  Army 
to  supply  the  deficiency  by  purchase.  He  called  attention  to  inclosed 
reports  from  Gen.  Gaines,  Gen.  Glasscock,  Col.  Brearly,  and  Lieut.-Col. 
Arbuckle,  showing  the  extent  of  the  actual  failure  and  the  evils  appre- 
hended from  an  anticipated  one. 

On  the  i8th  of  February,  Hon.  James  Barbour,  of  Virginia,  introduced 
the  following  resolution  in  the  Senate  : 

''Resolved,   That  the  Committee  on  Military  AfTairs  be  instructed  to  in- 
quire into  the  expediency  of  changing  the  mode  of  supplying  the  troops  of  ■ 
the  United  States  by  contract,  and  substituting  one  cheaper  and  more  effi- 
cient, by  subjecting  the  parties  who  undertake  that  duty,  to  military  law, 
in  case  of  delinquency." 

On  the  2oth  of  February,  the  Senate  resumed  consideration  of  this  reso- 
lution, and  adopted  it. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  the  Senate  passed  a  resolution  requesting  the 
President  of  the  United  States  to  furnish  the  Senate  with  a  copy  of  the 
contract  under  which  rations  were  to  be  furnished  at  the  several  posts  on 
the  frontier  of  Georgia  and  in  the  adjoining  territory  ;  a  statement  of  the 
amounts  and  dates  of  requisitions  and  by  whom  made  ;  the  particular  in- 
stances in  which  the  contractor  had  failed  to  furnish  rations  agreeably  to 
his  contract ;  the  amount  of  money  advanced  by  the  Government  for  sup- 
plies, in  consequence  of  such  failures  ;  and  the  amount  of  money  advanced 
by  the  Government  to  the  contractor,  at  or  before  the  time  of  said  failures. 

On  the  nth  of  March  the  President  replied  to  the  resolution,  by  mes- 
sage, transmitting  a  report  from  the  Secretary  of  War  containing  the  infor- 
mation called  for. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  Mr.  Williams,  of  Tennessee,  from  the  Com- 
mittee on  Military  Affairs,  to  whom  a  bill  entitled  "  A   Bill  to  reduce  the 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT.  75 

Staff  of  the  Army,"  had  previously  been  referred,  reported  the  same  back  to 
the  Senate,  with  an  amendment,  which  was  read  and,  on  the  25th  of  March, 
adopted.  After  further  amendments  of  the  amendment,  in  both  the  Sen- 
ate and  House  of  Representatives,  the  bill  finally  became  a  law  on  the 
14th  of  April,  under  the  amended  title  of  "  An  Act  regulating  the  StatT  of 
the  Army." 

The  amendments  above  referred  to,  constituted  Sections  6,  7,  8,  9  and 
10,  of  the  act  as  passed,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  present  Subsistence 
Department.     These  sections  were  as  follows  : 

"  Section  6.  That  as  soon  as  the  state  of  existing  contracts  for  the 
subsistence  of  the  army  shall,  in  the  opinion  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  permit  it,  there  shall  be  appointed  by  the  President,  by  and  with  the 
advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  one  commissary-general,  with  the  rank, 
pay,  and  emoluments  of  colonel  of  ordnance,  who  shall,  before  entering  on 
the  duties  of  his  office,  give  bond  and  security,  in  such  sum  as  the  Presi- 
dent may  direct;  and  as  many  assistants,  to  be  taken  from  the  subalterns 
of  the  line,  as  the  service  may  require,  who  shall  receive  $20  per  month  in 
addition  to  their  pay  in  the  line,  and  who  shall,  before  entering  on  the 
duties  of  their  office,  give  bond  and  security,  in  such  sums  as  the  President 
may  direct. 

"  Section  7.  That  supplies  for  the  army,  unless,  in  particular  and  ur- 
gent cases,  the  secretary  of  war  should  otherwise  direct,  shall  be  purchased 
by  contract,  to  be  made  by  the  commissary-general  on  public  notice,  to  be 
delivered,  on  inspection,  in  the  bulk,  and  at  such  places  as  shall  be  stipu- 
lated ;  which  contract  shall  be  made  under  such  regulations  as  the  secretary 
of  war  may  direct. 

"  Section  8.  That  the  President  may  make  such  alterations  in  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  ration  as  a  due  regard  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the 
army  and  economy  may  require. 

"  Section  9.  That  the  commissary-general  and  his  assistants  shall  not 
be  concerned,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  the  purchase  or  sale,  in  trade  or 
commerce,  of  any  article  entering  into  the  composition  of  the  ration  allowed 
to  the  troops  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  except  on  account  of  the 
United  States,  nor  shall  such  officer  take  and  apply  to  his  own  use  any  gain 
or  emolument  for  negotiating  or  transactmg  any  business  connected  with 
the  duties  of  his  office,  other  than  what  is  or  may  be  allowed  by  law  ;  and 
the  commissary-general  and  his  assistants  shall  be  subject  to  martial  law. 

"  Section  10.  That  all  letters  to  and  from  the  commissary-general, 
which  may  relate  to  his  office  duties,  shall  be  free  from  postage  :  Proz'ided, 
That  the  sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth  sections  of  this  act  shall 
continue  and  be  in  force  for  the  term  of  five  years  from  the  passing  of  the 
same,  and  thence  until  the  end  of  the  next  session  of  Congress,  and  no 
longer." 

Col.  George  Gibson,  of  Pennsylvania,  then  a  quartermaster-general  of 
division,  which  grade  was  abolished  by  Section  3  of  the  above-mentioned 
act,  was  appointed  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  on  the  i8th  of  April, 
iSiS,  and  his  appointment  was  announced  to  the  Army  in  a  general  order 


76  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

issued  on  the  30th  of  April,  1818.  The  new  system  of  subsisting  the  Army- 
did  not,  however,  go  into  operation  until  the  ist  of  June,  1819. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1820,  pursuant  to  a  resolution  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  adopted  on  the  20th  of  November  previous,  Mr.  Smyth, 
of  Virginia,  from  the  Committee  on  Military  Afifairs,  reported  an  elaborate 
bill  to  reduce  the  Army  to  six  thousand  men.  This  bill,  after  having  been 
debated  in  both  branches  of  Congress,  and  sundry  amendments  made 
thereto,  finally  became  a  law  on  the  2d  of  March,  1821,  under  the  title  of 
'  An  Act  to  reduce  and  fix  the  Military  Peace  Establishment  of  the  United, 
States."  By  the  following  section  of  this  act,  the  organization  of  the  Sub- 
sistence Department  provided  for  by  the  act  of  April  14,  1818,  was  retained 
with  only  slight  modifications  : 

"  Section  8.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  there  shall  be  one  commis- 
sary-general of  subsistence  ;  and  there  shall  be  as  many  assistant  commis- 
saries as  the  service  may  require,  not  exceeding  fifty,  who  shall  be  taken 
from  the  subalterns  of  the  line,  and  shall,  in  addition  to  their  pay  in  the 
line,  receive  a  sum  not  less  than  $10,  nor  more  than  $20,  per  month;  and 
that  assistant  quartermasters  and  assistant  commissaries  of  subsistence, 
shall  be  subject  to  duties  in  both  departments,  under  the  orders  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  War." 

The  foregoing  resolution  superseded  so  much  of  Section  6  of  the  Act  of 
April  14,  1818,  as  related  to  the  number  and  grades  of  officers  in  the  Sub- 
sistence Department,  and  was  a  permanent  enactment.  The  other  pro- 
visions of  Section  6,  and  Sections  7,  8,  9,  and  10,  of  the  Act  of  April  14, 
1 8 18,  which  were  untouched  by  this  legislation,  retained  their  temporary 
character. 

President  Monroe,  in  his  annual  message  to  Congress,  dated  December 
3,  1822,  in  referring  to  the  new  system  of  subsisting  the  Army,  made  the 
following  suggestion  : 

"  It  appearing  that  so  much  of  the  act  entitled  '  An  Act  regulating  the 
Staff  of  the  Army,'  which  passed  on  the  14th  of  April,  1818,  as  relates  to  the 
commissariat,  will  expire  in  April  next,  and  the  practical  operation  of  that 
department  having  evinced  its  great  utility,  the  propriety  of  its  renewal  is 
submitted  for  your  consideration." 

On  the  17th  of  December,  1822,  Mr.  Eustis,  of  Massachusetts,  chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  introduced  a  bill  in  the  House  of 
Representatives,  to  carry  into  effect  the  foregoing  suggestion,  which  bill 
became  a  law  on  the  23d  of  January,  1823,  in  the  following  form  : 

"  An  Act  to  continue  the  present  mode  of  supplying  the  Army  of  the 
United  States. 

"  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  America  ifi  Congress  assembled,  That  the  seventh,  eighth,  ninth 
and  tenth  sections  of  the  act  entitled,  '  An  Act  regulating  the  Staff  of  the 
Army,'  passed  April  fourteenth,  eighteen  hundred  and  eighteen,  be,  and  the 
same  are  hereby,  continued  in  force  for  the  term  of  five  years,  and  until  the 
end  of  the  next  session  of  Congress  thereafter." 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1826,  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  by  brevet,  was 
conferred  on  Colonel  Gibson,  the  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  under 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT.  77 

the  provisions  of  Section  4  of  the  Act  of  July  6,  1812,  "  for  ten  years'  faith- 
ful service  in  one  grade." 

On  the  9th  of  November,  1827,  General  Gibson  addressed  a  letter  to  the 
Secretary  of  War,  Hon.  James  Barbour,  making  the  following  recommend- 
ations: "  Presuming  that  the  utility  of  the  present  mode  of  subsisting  the 
army  to  be  sufficiently  tested  by  eight  years  of  successful  experiment,  I  beg 
leave  to  suggest  the  expediency  of  asking  Congress  to  make  the  depart- 
ment permanent. 

"  I  am  also  mduced  to  request  your  recommendation  for  a  law  authoriz- 
ing the  appointment  of  two  majors  to  Commissariat  Department,  whose 
services  are  required  to  enable  me  more  efficiently  to  conduct  its  operations." 

Secretary  Barbour  made  this  letter  an  enclosure  to  his  annual  report  for 
that  year,  with  the  following  commendatory  reference  :  "  I  beg  leave,  also, 
to  recommend  to  the  favorable  consideration  of  Congress  the  alterations 
proposed  by  the  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  in  the  organization  of 
the  Subsistence  Department,  presuming  that  the  mode  of  supplying  the 
army  by  commissariat,  whose  advantages  have  been  so  satisfactorily  mani- 
fested, will  be  continued  by  a  new  act  of  legislation,  the  former  act  being 
about  to  expire." 

A  bill  in  conformity  with  the  foregoing  recommendations  was  intro- 
duced in  the  House  of  Representatives,  on  the  2d  of  January,  1828,  by  Mr. 
Hamilton,  of  South  Carolina,  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Military 
Affairs.  No  further  action,  however,  was  taken  on  the  bill  until  the  next 
session  of  Congress,  when  it  was  taken  up,  and,  after  having  been  materially 
amended,  was  passed  on  the  2d  of  March,  1829,  under  the  title  of  '•  An 
Act  to  continue  the  present  mode  of  supplying  the  Army  of  the  United 
States." 

This  act  extended  for  an  additional  term  of  five  years,  and  until  the 
end  of  the  next  session  of  Congress  thereafter,  the  provisions  of  the  sixth 
seventh,  eighth,  ninth  and  tenth  sections  of  the  Act  of  April  14,  1818,  tempo- 
rarily establishing  the  commissariat  system  of  subsisting  the  army,  which 
had  been  similarly  extended  twice  previously,  and  authorized  the  appoint- 
ment of  two  commissaries  of  subsistence,  to  be  taken  from  the  line  of  the 
army,  one  with  the  same  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  as  a  quartermaster, 
and  the  other  with  the  same  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  as  an  assistant- 
quartermaster. 

The  next  legislation  affecting  the  Subsistence  Department  was  sug- 
gested by  Hon,  Lewis  Cass,  Secretary  of  War.  In  his  annual  report  for 
1833,  he  said  : 

"  The  act  organizing  the  Subsistence  Department  expires  by  its  own 
limitation  on  the  2d  of  March  next.  It  was  originally  passed  in  1818,  and 
has  been  continued  by  successive  temporary  acts  till  the  present  time. 
The  reason  of  this  course  of  legislation  is  undoubtedly  to  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  the  introduction  of  this  system  was  an  experiment,  and  it  was 
deemed  prudent  to  test  its  operation  before  a  permanent  character  was 
given  to  it.  This  has  been  fully  done,  and  the  result  is,  in  every  point  of 
view,  satisfactory.     *     *     * 

"  I  consider  that   the  time  has  arrived   when  the   present  arrangement 


78  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

should  be  rendered  permanent,  and  I  therefore  present  the  subject  with 
that  view  to  your  notice."     *     *     * 

On  the  19th  of  December,  1833,  Hon.  Richard  M.  Johnson,  of  Kentucky, 
from  the  Committee  on  Military  AfTairs  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
introduced  a  bill  "to  render  permanent  the  present  mode  of  supplying  the 
Army  of  the  United  States,"  which,  after  some  preliminary  action  thereon, 
went  over  to  the  next  session  of  Congress,  when  it  was  taken  up  and 
passed — becoming  a  law  on  the  3d  of  March,  1835. 

A  defect  in  the  organization  of  the  staff  departments  was  brought  to  the 
attention  of  Congress  by  Hon.  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  of  New  York,  Acting 
Secretary  of  War,  in  his  annual  report,  dated  December  3,  1836,  which  he 
described  and  commented  upon  as  follows  : 

"  The  present  system  seems  to  have  been  formed  upon  the  principle  of 
concentrating  the  business  of  these  departments  at  the  seat  of  Government, 
and  of  employing  therein  a  very  small  number  of  officers  commissioned  in 
the  staff  ;  the  deficiencies  being  supplied  by  selections  from  the  line.  This 
arrangement  is  very  well  adapted  to  a  time  of  profound  peace,  when  officers 
can  be  spared  from  the  line  without  injury  to  the  service  :  when  the  posi- 
tions of  the  troops  are  chieffy  permanent ;  and  when  the  changes  which 
occur  are  made  with  so  much  deliberation  as  to  afford  ample  time  for  pre- 
paring adequate  means  for  transportation  and  supply  ;  but  when  large 
bodies  of  troops  whose  numbers  and  movements  may  be  varied  by  unfore- 
seen contingencies,  are  to  be  supplied  in  the  field,  and  at  a  great  distance 
from  the  seat  of  Government,  the  system  is  worse  than  insufficient ;  it  is  the 
parent  of  confusion  and  delay.  *  *  *  To  prevent  inconveniences  of  this 
sort,  it  is  evident  that  staff  officers  of  experience  and  rank  must  be  associ- 
ated with  the  commander;  and  to  supply  such  associates,  the  staff  depart- 
ments must  be  enlarged." 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1836,  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Benton,  of  Missouri, 
chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  introduced  a  bill  in  the 
Senate  "  to  increase  the  present  Military  Establishment  of  the  United  States, 
and  for  other  purposes,"  which  contained  provisions  based  on  the  foregoing 
recommendation. 

The  bill  was  passed  by  the  Senate  on  the  i6th  of  February,  1837.  It  was 
taken  up  in  the  House  of  Representatives  on  the  3d  of  March,  but  on  ac- 
count of  the  proximity  of  the  end  of  the  session,  was  laid  over,  and  not 
taken  up  again  until  the  next  session  of  Congress,  when  it  was  passed,  and 
became  a  law  on  the  5th  of  July,  1838. 

By  Section  1 1  of  this  act,  it  was  provided  : 

"  That  there  be  added  to  the  commissariat  of  subsistence  one  assistant 
commissary-general  of  subsistence,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of 
a  lieutenant-colonel  of  cavalry  ;  one  commissary  of  subsistence,  with  the 
rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  quartermaster  of  the  army  ;  and  three  com- 
missaries of  subsistence,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  assistant 
quartermasters." 

The  expansion  of  the  Subsistence  Department  to  the  extent  necessary  to 
enable  it  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  service  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  in 
1846,  was  provided  for  by  Section  5  of  an  act  entitled  "  An  Act  supplemen- 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT.  7<j 

tal  to  an  act  entitled  '  An  Act  providing  for  the  prosecution  of  the  existing 
war  between  the  United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Mexico,"  and  for  other 
purposes,"  approved  June  i8,  1846,  which  authorized  the  President,  with  the 
advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  to  appoint  as  many  additional  officers  as 
the  service  might  require,  not  exceeding  one  commissary  of  subsistence  with 
the  rank  of  major  for  each  brigade,  and  one  assistant  commissary  of  sub- 
sistence with  the  rank  of  captain  for  each  regiment— the  said  additional  of- 
ficers to  "  continue  in  service  only  so  long  as  their  services  shall  be  required 
in  connection  with  the  militia  and  volunteers." 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1848,  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  Gibson,  commissary-general 
of  subsistence,  was  appointed  a  major-general,  by  brevet,  "  for  meritorious 
conduct,  particularly  in  performing  his  duties  in  prosecuting  the  war  with 
Mexico." 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1850,  Gen.  Gibson  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  Hon.  G.  VV.  Crawford,  requesting  "  that  there  be  added  to  the 
Subsistence  Department  four  commissaries  of  subsistence  with  the  rank  of 
captain,  to  be  taken  from  the  line  of  the  Army." 

In  explanation  of  the  necessity  for  this  increase,  Gen.  Gibson  said  : 
"  The  addition  of  Oregon,  California,  New  Mexico  and  Texas  to  our  ter- 
ritory compels  me  to  ask  for  an  increase  in  the  number  of  officers  in  the 
Subsistence  Department.  Each  of  these  commands  requires  the  presence 
of  an  officer  of  the  Commissariat,  and  from  no  point  occupied  by  my  offi- 
cers can  one  be  spared  for  these  duties." 

Gen.  Gibson  further  explained  that  the  necessity  for  the  additional  num- 
ber of  officers  asked  for  was  of  a  permanent  character. 

On  the  30th  of  January,  the  Secretary  of  War  transmitted  copies  of  this 
letter  to  both  branches  of  Congress,  and  recommended  it  to  their  favorable 
consideration.  On  the  26th  of  September,  an  act  was  passed,  entitled  "An 
Act  to  increase  the  commissariat  of  the  United  States  Army,"  authorizing 
"  That  there  be  added  to  the  subsistence  department  four  commissaries  of 
subsistence,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  to  be  taken  from  the  line  of  the  army." 
The  next  legislation  affecting  the  Subsistence  Department  was  to  facili- 
tate its  expansion  to  the  extent  necessary  to  meet  the  requirements  for  an 
increase  in  the  Army  of  500,000  men,  provided  for  by  the  act  entitled  "  An 
Act  to  authorize  the  employment  of  Volunteers  to  aid  in  enforcing  the  Laws 
and  protecting  Public  Property,"  approved  July  22,  1861. 

This  act  provided  that  the  forces  to  be  raised  thereunder  should  be 
organized  into  divisions  and  brigades;  each  division  to  consist  of  three  or 
more  brigades  ;  each  brigade  of  four  or  more  regiments ;  and  that  each 
brigade,  among  other  general-staff  officers,  should  have  "one  commissary 
of  subsistence." 

By  Section  2  of  an  act  entitled  "  An  Act  for  the  better  organization  of 
the  Military  Establishment,"  approved  August  3,  1861,  the  Subsistence  De- 
partment was  increased  by  the  addition  thereto  of  "four  commissaries  of 
subsistence,  each  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  major  of  cavalry  ; 
eight  commissaries  of  subsistence,  each  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments 
of  a  captain  of  cavalry,  and  to  be  taken  from  the  line  of  the  army,  either  the 
volunteers  or  the  regular  army." 


8o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Gen.  Gibson  died  on  the  29th  of  September,  1861,  after  having  served  as 
commissary-general  of  subsistence  forty-three  years  and  five  months. 

Lieut.-Col.  Joseph  P.  Taylor,  assistant  commissary-general  of  subsist- 
ence, was  promoted  commissary-general  of  subsistence  with  the  rank  of 
colonel,  vice  Gibson,  deceased. 

The  loth  section  of  the  act  of  July  17,  1862,  entitled  "  An  Act  to  amend 
the  Act  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute  the  laws  of  the  Union,  suppress 
msurrection,  and  repel  invasion,  approved  February  28,  1796,  and  the  Act 
amendatory  thereof,  and  for  other  purposes,"  authorized  the  President  "  to 
establish  and  organize  army  corps,  according  to  his  discretion."  The  loth 
section  of  the  same  act  prescribed  the  staff  of  the  commander  of  an  army 
corps,  and  allowed  to  him,  among  other  general  staf?  officers,  one  commis- 
sary of  subsistence  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  to  be  assigned  by 
the  President  from  the  regular  army  or  the  volunteers. 

By  the  following  act,  approved  February  9,  1863,  the  Subsistence  De- 
partment was  given  a  stronger  and  more  symmetrical  organization,  better 
adapted  to  the  exigencies  of  war  : 

"  An  act  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  the  Commissary  Department. 

"  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  aftd  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  Ainerica  i7i  Congress  assembled.  That  there  be  added  to  the  sub- 
sistence department  of  the  army  one  brigadier-general,  to  be  selected  from 
the  subsistence  department,  who  shall  be  commissary-general  of  subsistence, 
and,  by  regular  promotion,  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  and  two 
majors;  the  colonels  and  lieutenant-colonels  to  be  assistant  commissaries- 
general  of  subsistence,  and  that  vacancies  in  the  above-mentioned  grades 
shall  be  filled  by  regular  promotions  in  said  department ;  and  the  vacancies 
created  by  promotions  herein  authorized  may  be  filled  by  selections  from 
the  officers  of  the  regular  or  volunteer  force." 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  foregoing  act,  Col.  Joseph  P.  Taylor,  com- 
missary-general of  subsistence,  was  appointed  commissary- general  of  sub- 
sistence, with  the  rank  of  brigadier-general. 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1864,  Gen.  Taylor  died,  after  having  served  as  an 
officer  of  the  Subsistence  Department  thirty-five  years,  and  as  its  chief  nearly 
three  years  in  the  most  eventful  period  of  its  existence. 

Col,  Amos  B.  Eaton,  the  senior  assistant  commissary-general  of  subsist- 
ence, was  appointed  the  successor  of  Gen.  Taylor. 

The  War  of  the  Rebellion  closed  in  1865.  The  magnitude  of  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Subsistence  Department  during  the  four  years  of  that  war,  is 
indicated  by  the  following  table,  showing  the  amount  of  its  disbursements 
for  each  year,  and  the  total  amount  thereof  : 

From  July  i,  1861,  to  June  30,  1862 $48,799,521.14 

From  July  i,  1862,  to  June  30,  1863 69,537,582.78 

From  July  i,  1863,  to  June  30,  1864 98,666,918.50 

From  July  I,  1864,  to  June  30,  1865 144,782,969.41 

Total $361,786,991.83 

When  the  war  closed  there  were  in  service  of  the  Subsistence  Depart- 


THE  SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT.  8i 

ment  the  29  officers  constituting  the  permanqnt  establishment,  and  535  com- 
missaries of  volunteers,  making  a  total  of  564  officers. 

In  referring  to  the  operations  of  the  Subsistence  Department,  in  his  an- 
nual report  for  1865,  Hon.  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War,  said  : 

"  During  the  war  this  branch  of  the  service  never  failed.  It  answers  to 
the  demand,  and  is  ever  ready  to  meet  the  national  call." 

The  act  of  July  28,  1866,  entitled  "  An  Act  to  increase  and  fix  the  Mili- 
tary Peace  Establishment  of  the  United  States,"  contained  the  following 
provisions  fixing  the  organization  of  the  Subsistence  Department,  and  en- 
larging its  province. 

"Section  16.  Afid  be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  subsistence  depart- 
ment of  the  army  shall  hereafter  consist  of  the  number  of  officers  now  au- 
thorized by  law,  viz.  :  one  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  with  the  rank, 
pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier-general ;  two  assistant  commissaries- 
general  of  subsistence,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  colonels  of 
cavalry;  two  assistant  commissaries-general  of  subsistence,  with  the  rank, 
pay,  and  emoluments  of  lieutenant-colonels  of  cavalry  ;  eight  commissa- 
ries of  subsistence,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  majors  of  cav- 
alry ;  and  sixteen  commissaries  of  subsistence,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emol- 
uments of  captains  of  cavalry." 

"  Section  23.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  adjutant-general,  quar- 
termaster-general, commissary-general  of  subsistence,  surgeon-general,  pay- 
master-general, chief  of  engineers,  and  chief  of  ordnance  shall  hereafter  be 
appointed  by  selection  from  the  corps  to  which  they  belong." 

"  Section  25.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  the  office  of  sutler  in  the 
army  and  at  military  posts  is  hereby  abolished,  and  the  subsistence  depart- 
ment is  hereby  authorized  and  required  to  furnish  such  articles  as  may  from 
time  to  time  be  designated  by  the  inspector-general  of  the  army,  the  same 
to  be  sold  to  officers  and  enlisted  men  at  cost  prices,  and  if  not  paid  for 
when  purchased  a  true  account  thereof  shall  be  kept  and  the  amount  due 
the  government  shall  be  deducted  by  the  paymaster  at  the  payment  next 
following  such  purchase  :  Provided,  That  this  section  shall  not  go  into  ef- 
fect until  the  first  day  of  July,  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-seven." 

Section  16,  above  quoted,  was  a  codification  of  all  existing  laws  relating 
to  the  personnel  of  the  Subsistence  Department,  except  the  provision  of 
Section  8  of  the  act  of  March  2,  1821,  authorizing  not  exceeding  fifty  assist- 
ant commissaries  of  subsistence,  to  be  taken  from  the  subalterns  of  the 
line,  which,  therefore,  fell  under  the  operation  of  the  repealing  clause. 

By  Section  24  of  the  Army-appropriation  act,  approved  July  15,  1870,  it 
was  provided  that  the  pay  of  an  acting  assistant  commissary  of  subsistence 
should  be  one  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  in  addition  to  the  pay  of  his  rank. 

The  office  of  acting  assistant  commissary  of  subsistence  was  not  au- 
thorized by  a  general  law,  but  was  maintained  under  a  provision  annually 
re-enacted  in  the  army-appropriation  acts. 

General  Eaton,  "  having  served  faithfully  more  than  forty-five  years." 
was  retired  from  active  service,  under  the  provisions  of  Section  12  of  the  act 
of  July  17,  1862,  by  a  general  order  issued  on  the  i6th  of  February,  1S74,  to 
take  effect  on  the  ist  of  May  following. 


82  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

General  Eaton  was  granted  a  leave  of  absence  from  the  date  of  the 
above-mentioned  order  until  the  date  of  his  retirement,  and  Col.  Alex- 
ander E.  Shiras,  the  senior  assistant  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  was 
designated  to  perform  the  duties  of  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  and 
ordered  to  relieve  General  Eaton.  Colonel  Shiras  performed  the  duties  of 
commissary-general  of  subsistence  until  the  date  of  General  Eaton's  retire- 
ment, and,  thereafter,  until  the  removal  of  the  bar  to  promotions  and 
appointments  in  the  Subsistence  Department  and  other  staff  corps  and 
departments  imposed  by  Section  6  of  the  Army-appropriation  act  of  March 
3,  1869. 

By  Section  3  of  the  Act  of  June  23,  1874,  entitled  "  An  Act  to  reorganize 
the  several  Staff  Corps  of  the  Army,"  the  number  of  assistant  commissaries 
general  of  subsistence  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  was  increased 
from  two  to  three,  and  the  number  of  commissaries  of  subsistence  with  the 
rank  of  captain,  was  reduced  from  sixteen  to  twelve. 

Section  8  of  the  above-mentioned  act  repealed  so  much  of  Section  6  of 
the  Army-appropriation  act  of  March  3,  1869,  as  prohibited  promotions  and 
appointments  in  the  Ordnance,  Subsistence  and  Medical  Departments,  and 
Col.  Shiras  was  then  appointed  commissary-general  of  subsistence,  vice 
Eaton,  retired. 

Gen.  Shiras  died  on  the  14th  of  April,  1875,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Maj.  Robert  Macfeely,  commissary  of  subsistence. 

The  office  of  "  acting  assistant  commissary  of  subsistence  "  expired  with 
the  Army-appropriation  act  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1882,  and 
was  superseded  by  the  office  of  "  acting  commissary  of  subsistence,"  which 
was  provided  for  by  the  Army-appropriation  act  approved  July  5,  18S2,  and 
has  since  been  continued  by  annual  reenactments. 

Gen.  Macfeely  served  as  commissary-general  of  subsistence  until  July  i, 
1890,  when,  having  reached  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  he  was  retired  from 
active  service  under  the  operation  of  the  first  section  ot  the  Act  of  June  30, 
1882. 

Col.  Beekman  Du  Barry,  the  senior  assistant  commissary-general  of 
subsistence,  succeeded  Gen.  Macfeely,  and  upon  his  retirement  from  active 
service  in  December,  1892,  was  succeeded  by  Col.  John  P.  Hawkins,  the 
present  commissary-general  of  subsistencCo 


Major-General 

ANTHONY     WAYNE 

Commanding  the  Army,  i  792-1 796. 


84  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

and  these  in  their  turn  selected  their  mates.  Shortly  after  his  appoint- 
ment, the  first  director-general,  Dr.  Benjamin  Church,  was  accused  of  trea- 
sonable practices.  A  letter  in  cipher,  giving  full  information  concerning 
the  strength  and  position  of  the  Continental  troops,  was  attributed  to  him. 
The  doctor  acknowledged  its  authorship,  but  claimed  that  his  intention  was 
to  impress  the  enemy  with  such  an  idea  of  our  superiority  as  to  prevent  an 
attack  at  a  time  when  we  were  out  of  ammunition.  The  court  found  him 
guilty  and  referred  the  case  to  Congress  for  punishment.  After  a  confine- 
ment of  some  months  his  health  failed  and  he  was  set  at  liberty  under 
bonds  to  appear  for  trial  when  called.  He  sailed  shortly  afterwards  for  the 
West  Indies,  and  the  vessel  is  supposed  to  have  foundered  at  sea,  for  she 
was  never  heard  of  again. 

Church's  successor,  Dr.  John  Morgan,  labored  earnestly  to  keep  the 
army  supplied  with  stores  for  its  sick  ;  but  the  difficulty  of  his  task  may  be 
appreciated  when  it  is  observed  that  he  had  to  make  an  appeal  to  the 
"  Publick."  In  September,  1775,  a  congressional  committee  was  appointed 
"  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  supplying  the  army  with  medicines  "  ;  but  it 
did  little  to  overcome  the  difficulty.  Ultimately  it  was  realized  that  a 
director-general  with  the  army  could  not  satisfactorily  perform  the  duties 
of  a  purveyor  in  the  larger  cities,  and  it  was  decided  to  appoint  a  druggist 
in  Philadelphia  "  whose  business  it  shall  be  to  receive  and  deliver  all  medi- 
cines, etc.";  but  the  director-general  was  not  thereby  relieved  of  the  duty  of 
seeing  that  this  work  was  satisfactorily  performed. 

Besides  the  hospital  at  Cambridge,  one  was  established  at  Ticonderoga 
for  General  Schuyler's  command,  and,  in  1776,  a  third  at  Williamsburg,  Va. 
The  position  of  surgeon  at  this  time  was  no  sinecure,  for  small-pox,  typhus 
and  typhoid  fevers,  diarrhoea  and  dysentery,  were  rife  in  the  Continental 
armies.  The  army  at  Cambridge  in  September,  1775,  consisted  of  19,365 
men,  of  whom  2817,  or  14.5  percent.,  were  sick,  present  or  absent;  and  in 
December  the  number  taken  sick  weekly  was  from  675  to  1500,  one-third  of 
whom  had  to  be  sent  to  the  small-pox  hospitals. 

The  general  hospital  system  having  been  extended  beyond  the  one  hos- 
pital originally  established  at  Cambridge,  an  act  was  passed  allowing  one 
surgeon  and  five  mates  to  every  5000  men,  with  such  other  assistance  as 
might  be  necessary.  Certain  of  the  provisions  of  this  bill  aroused  a  strong 
feeling  on  the  part  of  the  regimental  surgeons  against  the  hospital  surgeons. 
It  provided  that  the  former  should  carry  only  medicines  and  instruments, 
and  that  when  a  man  became  so  sick  as  to  require  medical  stores  he  should 
be  sent  to  hospital  for  treatment.  The  regimental  surgeons  claimed  that 
they  were  thus  subordinated  too  much  to  their  comrades  of  the  hospital. 
They  had  less  rank  and  less  pay  than  these,  and  now  their  stores  and  their 
sick  were  taken  away,  leaving  them  only  the  trifling  ailments  of  camp  to  at- 
tend to.  They  claimed  the  right  to  take  care  of  their  own  sick,  and  they 
were  supported  in  this  by  a  majority  of  the  regimental  and  company  officers; 
moreover,  the  hospitals  were  not  prepared  to  take  charge  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  cases  that  would  have  been  turned  over  to  them  at  this  time,  and  it 
was  feared  that  an  outbreak  of  typhus  would  be  the  result  of  attempting  to 
overcrowd.     A  compromise  was  therefore  effected  by  introducing  the  sys- 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  85 

tem  of  hospital  fund  which  exists  in  our  army  to  the  present  time.  The 
rations  of  the  sick  were  to  be  commuted  by  the  commissary  of  subsistence, 
and  needful  articles  purchased  with  the  money.  In  this  way  certain  of  the 
sick  could  be  provided  with  hospital  stores  and  treated  in  camp,  the  hospi- 
tals be  relieved  and  the  regimental  surgeons  in  some  measure  satisfied. 

At  this  time  the  suffering  for  want  of  medical  supplies  in  the  northern 
army  was  attracting  general  attention.  Letters  from  the  troops  were  filled 
with  complaints.  There  was  not  in  the  army  enough  of  lint  to  dress  the 
wounds  of  fifty  men,  not  a  dose  of  cinchona  although  malarial  fevers  were 
of  frequent  occurrence,  nor  any  bedding,  not  even  straw  for  the  sick,  who 
lay  on  the  bare  boards  of  the  hospital  floor.  The  country  expected  some- 
thing to  be  done  to  remedy  this  deplorable  state  of  affairs.  Director- 
General  Morgan  had  done  all  in  his  power  apparently  to  relieve  the  necessi- 
ties of  this  army.  All  his  surplus  stores  had  been  sent  to  it,  but  there  was 
delay  in  their  arrival,  in  fact  for  some  time  during  their  transportation 
they  were  to  all  intents  and  purposes  lost, — neither  those  who  sent  them 
nor  those  who  wanted  them  being  able  to  hear  anything  of  their  where- 
abouts. Regimental  surgeons  held  the  hospital  surgeons  responsible  for 
this  destitution,  claiming  that  everything  was  kept  in  hospital  for  an  emer- 
gency that  might  not  occur,  while  men  were  dying  by  the  hundred  with 
their  regiments.  At  this  time  also  it  unfortunately  happened  that  a  dis- 
pute arose  as  to  rank  between  the  director  of  this  army.  Dr.  Stringer,  and 
the  director-general.  The  latter  in  sending  supplies  at  Stringer's  request  had 
also  sent  some  surgeons,  and  the  appointment  of  these  had  been  regarded 
by  the  director  as  an  infringement  of  his  rights.  Accordingly,  when  Stringer 
was  sent  by  his  commanding  general  to  New  York  to  hurry  up  supplies,  he 
took  the  opportunity  of  going  to  Philadelphia  to  represent  his  grievances  to 
Congress.  He  contended  that  he  was  not  subordinate  in  his  directorship, 
while  Morgan,  on  whom  this  contention  seems  to  have  been  forced,  held 
that  there  was  but  one  General  Hospital,  though  consisting  of  several  divi- 
sions each  under  a  separate  director,  and  but  one  head,  the  director-general. 
Stringer  was  supported  in  his  attack  on  Morgan  by  the  influence  of  the 
regimental  surgeons,  who  bore  the  latter  a  grudge  for  building  up  the  gen- 
eral hospital  system  at  their  expense.  Meanwhile  a  congressional  committee 
which  had  been  investigating  the  condition  of  the  northern  army,  made  its 
report,  and  a  resolution  was  adopted  that  "  Dr.  John  Morgan,  director-gen- 
eral, and  Dr.  Samuel  Stringer,  director  of  the  hospital  in  the  northern  army 
of  the  United  States  be,  and  they  are  hereby,  dismissed  from  any  further  ser- 
vice in  said  offices."  Congress  appeared  to  consider  the  contention  as  to 
rank,  as  the  root  of  all  the  troubles,  whereas  it  really  lay  deeper  and  was 
wholly  independent  of  this ;  and  in  summarily  disposing  of  the  case  in  this 
manner  it  did  an  injustice  to  the  director-general  which  was  in  part  atoned 
for  later.  About  a  year  after  his  dismissal  he  succeeded  in  having  a  con- 
gressional inquiry  into  his  conduct  of  affairs  which  approved  him  as  able 
and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  and  a  resolution  was  passed  to 
that  effect;  but  he  was  not  reinstated.  He  retired  to  private  life,  disappoin- 
ted, and  died  not  long  after. 

In  1777,  after  Morgan's  dismissal,  the  Army  Medical  Committee  of  Con- 


86  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

gress  reported  a  bill  for  the  establishment  of  a  Medical  Department,  which 
had  been  drawn  up  by  Dr.  Wm.  Shippen  and  Dr.  Jno.  Cochran.  This  was 
an  elaborate  affair,  based  on  the  organization  of  the  British  service  and 
accepted  because  it  was  so,  for,  as  Washington  said  :  "  The  number  of  offi- 
ders  mentioned  in  the  enclosed  plan,  I  presume,  are  necessary  for  us,  be- 
cause they  are  found  so  in  the  British  hospitals."  Shippen  was  appointed 
director-general.  The  bill  provided  also  for  a  deputy  director-general,  a 
physician-general,  a  surgeon-general,  and  an  apothecary-general  for  each  of 
the  departments ;  an  assistant  deputy  director  and  a  commissary  for  each 
of  the  hospitals ;  senior  physicians  and  surgeons,  second  surgeons,  mates, 
stewards,  matrons  and  nurses  ;  also  for  a  physician  and  surgeon-general  for 
each  army,  to  have  control  over  the  regimental  surgeons  and  their  mates. 
This  unwieldly  establishment,  which  had  been  built  up  gradually  through  a 
long  series  of  years  in  a  country  where  rank  and  class  distinctions  had  a 
prominence  that  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  colonies,  was  accepted  as  the 
only  solution  of  a  problem  which  had  been  proved  to  be  one  of  infinite  dif- 
ficulty. Experience  during  the  remaining  years  of  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion simplified  the  organization  by  removing  its  functionaries  with  the  high 
sounding  titles ;  and  there  seems  no  reason  to  doubt  that  had  a  little  longer 
time  been  given,  the  establishment  would  have  been  resolved  into  a  corps 
of  surgeons  and  assistants  taking  rank  in  their  grade  by  seniority  and 
assigned  to  duty  in  accordance  with  their  rank. 

In  1777  most  of  the  hospitals  were  not  only  deficient  in  supplies  but 
crowded  with  men  who  were  prevented  from  going  to  the  front  merely  be- 
cause they  were  unprovided  with  shoes,  clothing  and  blankets.  A  general 
complaint  was  raised,  and  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  physician-general  of  the  hos- 
pital of  the  Middle  Department,  did  not  hesitate  to  attribute  the  destitution 
of  the  hospitals  to  the  mismanagement  of  the  director-general.  As  a  par- 
tial remedy  for  this  state  of  afiairs  the  deputy  director-general  of  each 
department  was  relieved  from  all  other  duties  except  that  of  purveying ; 
and  as  the  influence  of  British  institutions  was  still  at  work  in  the  elabora- 
tion of  the  organization,  each  of  these  was  provided  with  a  deputy  to  aid 
him  in  his  work.  The  deposed  director-general,  Morgan,  joined  forces  with 
Rush  in  endeavoring  to  throw  discredit  on  Shippen's  work,  with  the  result 
of  bringing  him  to  trial ;  but  the  court  exonerated  him  and  Congress  ap- 
proved its  findings,  and  in  1780,  when  the  Medical  Committee  reported 
a  bill  to  simplify  the  cumbersome  organization,  Shippen  retained  the 
director-generalship;  but  he  resigned  soon  after  and  was  succeeded  by 
Cochran.  The  bill  provided  for  the  director-general,  a  chief  physician  for 
the  hospitals  of  each  department,  and  one  for  each  separate  army,  and  a 
purveyor  for  the  whole.  Promotion  by  seniority  was  authorized  next 
year, — and  the  Medical  Department  was  getting  into  excellent  working  con- 
dition when  prospects  of  peace  put  an  end  to  further  progress.  Officers 
were  mustered  out  and  furloughed,  so  that  in  1784  the  army  of  the  United 
States  consisted  merely  of  some  detachments  of  artillerymen  who  guarded 
stores  at  Fort  Pitt  and  West  Point. 

For  some  years  subsequent  to  the  close  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution 
the  army  of  the  United  States  consisted  of  troops  enlisted  for  short  periods 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  87 

of  service,  with  no  provision  for  medical  service  other  than  that  afforded  by 
regimental  medical  officers. 

In  1798  quite  a  formidable  force  was  raised  in  anticipation  of  trouble 
with  France,  and  on  the  recommendation  of  Secretary  McHenry,  who  had 
been  a  surgeon  during  the  Revolution,  a  hospital  establishment  based  on 
the  later  experiences  of  the  war,  was  authorized  ;  but  the  war  clouds  became 
dissipated  and  this  measure  never  went  into  practice. 

In  1802  a  new  departure  was  taken  in  appointing  army  medical  officers. 
The  army  at  that  time  was  so  small  that  the  few  surgeons  and  mates  pro- 
vided on  a  regimental  basis  were  wholly  incapable  of  attending  to  the  sick, 
scattered  as  they  were  at  various  posts  along  the  frontier  ;  medical  officers 
were  therefore  appointed  to  garrisons  and  posts  and  not  to  corps,  as  here- 
tofore. The  act  of  March  i6th  allowed  two  surgeons  and  twenty-five  mates 
as  the  peace  or  permanent  garrison  establishment.  Additional  troops  levied 
in  an  emergency  brought  with  them  their  regimental  surgeons,  and,  if  the 
needs  of  the  service  required  the  establishment  of  general  hospitals,  hos- 
pital surgeons  of  higher  grade  and  rates  of  pay  than  the  regular  garrison 
surgeons  were  appointed  temporarilJ^  In  this  manner  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment was  enlarged  to  meet  the  necessities  of  the  army  in  181 2. 

There  was,  however,  no  provision  made  for  a  chief  of  the  department 
until  March,  1813,  when  Dr.  James  Tilton,  who  had  been  a  hospital  surgeon 
during  the  Revolution,  was  appointed  physician  and  surgeon-general.  His 
management  of  affairs  during  the  war  appears  to  have  given  universal  sat- 
isfaction. Many  hospitals  were  established  and  broken  up  in  the  progress 
of  events,  but  all  were  well  kept,  fully  provided  with  necessaries  and  com- 
petent for  all  the  work  thrown  upon  them.  Some,  indeed,  as  that  at  Bur- 
lington, Vermont,  under  the  superintendence  of  Surgeon  Lovell,  of  the  9th 
Infantry,  appear  from  the  reports  to  have  been  model  establishments.  The 
regulations  of  these  are  extant  and  it  is  readily  seen  that  their  high  charac- 
ter was  due  to  efficient  administration,  discipline  and  cleanliness.  During 
the  Revolution  Congress  kept  a  special  committee  in  constant  session  on 
the  organization  and  needs  of  the  Medical  Department.  During  the  War 
of  1 81 2  the  only  legislation  materially  affecting  the  department  was  a  much 
needed  increase  of  pay  for  the  regimental  medical  officers.  These  two  facts 
alone  suffice  to  indicate  the  excellence  of  Dr.  Tilton's  administration.  He 
returned  to  private  life  in  181 5,  when  Congress  fixed  the  peace  establish- 
ment of  the  army  at  10,000  men  with  a  proportionally  reduced  staff  of 
medical  officers. 

In  1818  a  bill  which  organized  the  general  staff  gave  to  the  Medical  De- 
partment for  the  first  time  in  its  history  a  permanent  chief  under  the  title 
of  "Surgeon -General."  The  "  Director- General  "  of  the  Revolutionary 
period  and  the  "  Physician  and  Surgeon-General  "  of  1813  were  temporary 
appointments  to  meet  the  emergencies  of  the  times,  but  the  surgeon-gen- 
eralcy  now  authorized,  and  to  which  Surgeon  Joseph  Lovell  was  promoted 
on  account  of  his  excellent  record,  was  a  permanent  position  on  the  military 
staff  of  the  country.  The  same  bill  provided  two  assistant  surgeons-gen- 
eral, one  for  each  of  the  divisions,  but  these,  from  the  duties  prescribed  for 
them,  should  rather  have  been  called   medical   inspectors.     Hospital  and 


88  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

garrison  surgeons  became  consolidated  under  the  title  of  post  surgeons,  and 
as  these  took  rank  after  the  surgeons  of  regiments,  certain  of  the  hospital 
surgeons  who  had  served  in  high  positions  on  important  occasions  had 
reason  to  be  dissatisfied  with  the  inferior  status  to  which  they  were  con- 
signed by  this  arrangement. 

The  Medical  Department  was  fortunate  in  having  so  able  a  man  as  Dr, 
Lovell  appointed  as  its  chief.  He  defined  the  duties  of  his  subordinates, 
established  an  excellent  system  of  accountability  for  property,  revised  and 
improved  the  character  of  the  medical  reports  rendered,  mspired  his  officers 
with  the  idea  that  as  sanitary  officers  they  had  greater  responsibilities  than 
mere  practicing  physicians  and  surgeons,  and  labored  earnestly  to  have 
their  pay  increased  and  their  official  status  raised  in  proportion  to  his  views 
of  the  importance  of  their  duties.  He  also  established  an  equitable  system 
of  exchange  of  posts  or  stations,  so  that  one  officer  might  not  be  retained 
unduly  at  an  undesirable  station. 

In  1821  the  finishing  touches  were  given  to  the  organization  of  the 
department  by  doing  away  with  the  unnecessary  positions  of  assistant  sur- 
geons-general and  apothecary-general,  and  consolidating  the  regimental 
surgeons  with  the  general  staflf,  so  that  the  corps  consisted  simply  of  one 
surgeon-general,  eight  surgeons  with  the  compensation  of  regimental  sur- 
geons, and  forty-five  assistant  surgeons  with  the  compensation  of  post  sur- 
geons;  but  as  this  number  was  insufficient  to  provide  one  medical  officer 
to  each  of  the  military  posts,  the  system  of  employing  civil  physicians  on 
contract  was  instituted. 

No  great  event  occurred  during  the  administration  of  Surgeon-General 
Lovell;  but  he  kept  the  department  in  a  high  state  of  efficiency,  so  that 
when  cholera  appeared  among  the  troops  during  the  Black  Hawk  campaign 
of  1832,  and  when  the  Seminole  outbreak  took  place  toward  the  close  of 
1835,  nothing  was  lacking  for  the  care,  comfort  and  professional  treatment 
of  the  sick  and  wounded.  He  died  in  1836,  and  a  memorial  in  the  Con- 
gressional Cemetery  at  Washington,  erected  by  the  medical  officers  of  the 
army,  expresses  their  appreciation  of  his  high  qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 
The  senior  surgeon,  Thomas  Lawson,  then  serving  with  the  troops  in 
Florida,  succeeded  to  the  surgeon-generalcy. 

Little  of  general  interest  occurred  during  the  next  ten  years.  The  most 
important  papers  filed  during  this  period  were  arguments,  opinions  and 
decisions  on  points  connected  with  uniforms,  rank  and  precedence  of  medi- 
cal officers  and  their  right  to  enter  into  private  practice  in  the  vicinity  of 
their  stations.  At  last  the  concentration  of  troops  on  the  Rio  Grande  and 
the  probability  of  war  with  Mexico  led  to  radical  change  in  the  character 
of  the  reports  and  papers  received  at  the  surgeon-general's  office.  The 
needs  of  the  time  occasioned  an  addition  of  two  surgeons  and  twelve  assist- 
ant surgeons  to  the  medical  stafT,  and  ten  new  regiments  were  enlisted, 
each  provided  with  a  surgeon  and  two  assistants.  These  were  intended  to 
be  merely  provisional  appointments  to  be  vacated  by  the  incumbents  when 
their  services  were  no  longer  required  at  the  close  of  the  war.  Ultimately, 
however,  not  only  were  the  stafT  appointments  made  permanent,  but 
ten  additional  assistants  were   authorized    on    account   of   the    increasing 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  89 

needs  of    the   department   after  the   acquisition   of    California   and   New 
Mexico. 

During  the  Mexican  War  the  senior  surgeons  were  assigned  as  medical 
directors  and  in  charge  of  general  hospitals ;  certain  of  the  juniors  were  on 
duty  at  the  hospitals  and  purveying  depots  and  the  others  in  the  field  as 
regimental  officers  with  the  regular  troops ;  volunteer  surgeons  were  on 
duty  with  their  regiments  with  occasional  details  for  duty  in  the  hospitals. 
The  surgeon-general  left  his  office  and  took  the  field  with  General  Scott 
that  he  might  better  superintend  the  operations  of  his  department.  General 
hospitals  were  established  at  New  Orleans  and  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  at  Point 
Isabel,  Matamoras,  Camargo  and  Monterey,  at  Vera  Cruz,  Plan  del  Rio, 
Jalapa  and  other  points  eri  route  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  lastly,  in  that 
city  itself.  There  was  much  sickness  during  the  invasion.  Diarrhoea, 
dysentery  and  remittent  fevers  were  the  prominent  diseases.  These  were 
attributed  to  exposures  on  the  piateaus  immediately  after  the  march  across 
the  iierra  calien/e,  where,  on  account  of  the  heat,  the  troops,  many  of  them 
raw,  had  thrown  away  their  overcoats  and  blankets,  and  had  not  been  able 
to  replace  them.  Moreover,  many  of  the  commands  had  become  infected 
with  yellow  fever  while  at  Vera  Cruz.  Nevertheless  the  hospital  service 
was  competent  to  the  care  of  all  cases,  and  every  official  report  that  was 
rendered  commented  on  the  excellent  management  of  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment. "  The  Medical  Staff,"  said  General  Taylor  after  the  battle  of  Buena 
Vista,  "under  the  able  direction  of  Assistant  Surgeon  Hitchcock,  were 
assiduous  in  their  attentions  to  the  wounded  upon  the  field  and  in  their 
careful  removal  to  the  rear.  Both  in  these  respects,  and  in  the  subsequent 
organization  and  service  of  the  hospitals,  the  administration  of  this  depart- 
ment was  everything  that  could  be  wished."  The  surgeon-general  gained 
the  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet  and  other  medical  officers  seem  to 
have  earned  brevets  although  they  did  not  receive  them.  Every  subordinate 
commander  had  something  to  say  in  his  reports  of  the  ability,  energy  and 
courage  of  the  members  of  the  medical  staff  on  duty  with  his  command. 
The  intrepidity  with  which  they  exposed  themselves  on  the  field  gained 
them  special  mention  after  every  battle.  Some  of  them,  indeed,  were  over 
gallant,  and  exposed  themselves  outside  of  the  line  of  their  duty.  Thus, 
General  Wool  noted  the  gallantry  of  Assistant  Surgeon  Prevost,  whom  he 
took  for  a  newly  arrived  staff  officer  and  addressed  as  captain,  making  use 
of  him  in  rallying  the  flying  troops  and  in  bringing  up  the  Mississippi  and 
Tennessee  regiments  to  charge  the  enemy  under  most  trying  circumstances. 
This  was  commendable  service  on  the  part  of  this  young  officer,  as  the  con- 
ditions were  special  and  urgent  and  affected  the  well-being  of  the  whole 
army;  but  the  same  cannot  be  said  of  the  action  of  Assistant  Surgeon 
Roberts,  who  left  his  wounded  to  the  care  of  the  steward  and  nurses  to 
take  the  place  of  a  disabled  company  officer  in  the  attack  on  Molino  del 
Rey,  and  was  mortally  wounded  while  leading  the  company.  In  encoun- 
ters with  Indians  in  earlier  and  later  times  medical  officers  have  been  fre- 
quently called  upon  to  engage  as  combatants  until  the  time  of  general  dan- 
.  ger  was  over,  because  the  loss  of  the  field  in  such  a  case  meant  the  slaughter 
of  every  wounded  man  ;  but  the  sacrifice  of  his  life  by  Dr.  Roberts  seems 


90  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

to  have  been  wholly  uncalled  for  by  the  conditions  of  the  moment.  Lastly, 
at  Puebla,  when  800  of  our  troops  with  1500  sick  in  the  hospitals  were  be- 
sieged for  thirty  days  by  Santa  Anna,  those  of  the  invalids  who  were  able 
to  bear  arms  were  organized  by  Surgeon  Madison  Mills  and  contributed 
materially  to  the  defense.  The  war  with  Mexico  was  as  brilliant  a  series  of 
victories  for  the  medical  staff  in  overcoming  the  difficulties  of  the  environ- 
ment and  caring  tenderly  for  their  sick  and  wounded  as  it  was  for  the  in- 
vading columns  of  our  small  army. 

The  additions  to  the  numerical  force  of  the  Medical  Department  during 
and  after  the  Mexican  War  proved  insufficient  for  the  needs  of  our  scattered 
army;  but  although  the  surgeon-general  repeatedly  called  attention  to  his 
necessities,  it  was  not  until  1856  that  an  increase  of  four  surgeons  and  eight 
assistants  was  authorized.  The  same  bill  provided  for  the  enlistment  of 
hospital  stewards  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  sergeants  of  ord- 
nance, and  gave  extra  duty  pay  to  the  men  detailed  as  cooks  and  nurses  in 
the  post  hospitals.  Up  to  this  time  the  steward  had  been  merely  a  detailed 
man,  and  it  not  unfrequently  happened  that  after  a  medical  officer  had 
spent  much  time  and  labor  in  educating  one  and  instructing  him  in  his 
special  duties,  his  work  would  be  lost  by  the  return  of  the  man  to  his  com- 
pany. Extra  duty  pay  had  been  allowed  to  hospital  attendants  from  1819, 
but  a  ruling  of  the  Treasury  Department  had  deprived  them  of  it  and  ren- 
dered necessary  the  clause  relating  to  it  in  this  bill. 

The  Utah  expedition  of  1857  found  the  Medical  Department  fully  pre- 
pared for  any  emergency,  but  no  general  hospital  was  established,  as  the 
regimental  hospitals  sufficed  for  the  care  of  the  sick. 

Surgeon-General  Lawson  died  of  apoplexy  in  1861,  after  a  service  of 
forty  years,  during  thirty-four  of  which  he  had  been  chief  of  the  depart- 
ment. To  his  earnestness  of  purpose  and  untiring  energy  the  medical  offi- 
cers of  the  army  owed  much  of  the  recognition  which  they  had  obtained 
from  Congress.  He  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Clement  A.  Finley,  then  the 
senior  surgeon  on  the  army  list. 

Just  before  the  death  of  Surgeon-General  Lawson  the  Civil  War  had 
been  opened  by  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter ;  and  from  the  calls  for  large 
bodies  of  troops  issued  by  the  President,  and  the  feeling  north  and  south 
that  a  desperate  struggle  was  before  the  country,  it  was  evident  that  with- 
out large  reinforcements  the  Medical  Department  would  be  incapable  of 
carrying  on  successfully  its  share  of  the  work.  At  this  time  it  consisted  of 
one  surgeon-general  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  thirty  surgeons  with  the  rank 
of  major,  and  eighty-three  assistants  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  for  the  first 
five  years  of  their  service  and  that  of  captain  until  subsequent  promotion. 
Three  of  these  surgeons  and  twenty-one  assistants  resigned  "  to  go  South," 
and  three  assistants  were  dismissed  for  disloyalty.  In  August,  1861,  ten 
additional  surgeons  and  twenty  assistants  were  authorized,  and  a  corps  of 
medical  cadets  was  formed,  not  to  exceed  fifty  in  number,  to  be  employed 
under  the  direction  of  medical  officers  as  dressers  in  hospital.  Some  of  the 
members  of  this  corps  did  excellent  service,  but  as  a  whole  it  was  numer- 
ically too  small  to  make  itself  felt  as  a  power  for  good. 

The  medical  staff  of  the  regular  establishment  was  speedily  assigned  to 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  91 

duty  in  connection  with  the  preparations  for  the  coming  struggle.  Some 
took  charge  as  medical  directors  of  the  corps  and  armies  that  were  formed, 
instructing  the  volunteer  officers  in  the  duties  of  camp,  and  organizing 
them  by  brigades  for  hospital  and  battle-field  service  ;  others  acted  as  medi- 
cal inspectors,  aiding  the  directors  in  their  work  of  supervision  and  educa- 
tion ;  some  organized  general  hospitals  for  the  sick  that  had  to  be  provided 
for  on  every  move  of  the  army,  while  others  kept  these  hospitals  and  the 
armies  in  the  field  supplied  with  medicines,  hospital  stores,  furniture,  bed- 
ding, and  surgical  supplies  ;  the  remainder  were  assigned  to  field  service 
with  the  regular  regiments  and  batteries. 

Each  volunteer  regiment  brought  with  it  a  surgeon  and  an  assistant 
(afterwards  two  assistants)  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  the  State  after  ex- 
amination by  a  State  medical  board.  The  efficiency  of  this  service  was 
further  guarded  by  a  central  board  for  the  reexamination  of  any  regimental 
medical  officer  whose  professional  competency  had  been  called  in  question. 
The  senior  surgeon  of  each  brigade  became  invested  with  authority  as  on 
the  stafT  of  the  brigade  commander  ;  but  as  seniority  was  determined  by  a 
few  days  or  weeks  at  furthest,  it  often  happened  that  the  best  man  for  the 
position  was  not  rendered  available  by  this  method.  Congress  therefore 
authorized  a  corps  of  brigade  surgeons  who  were  examined  for  position  by 
the  board  then  in  session  for  officers  of  the  regular  corps.  One  hundred 
and  ten  of  these  brigade  surgeons  were  commissioned. 

In  April,  1862,  a  bill  was  passed  by  Congress  to  meet  the  pressing  needs 
of  the  Medical  Department.  This  gave  the  regular  army  an  addition  of  ten 
surgeons,  ten  assistants,  twenty  medical  cadets  and  as  many  hospital  stew- 
ards as  the  surgeon-general  might  deem  necessary  ;  and  it  provided  for  a 
temporary  increase  in  the  rank  of  those  officers  who  were  holding  positions 
of  great  responsibility.  It  gave  the  surgeon-general  the  rank,  pay  and 
emoluments  of  a  brigadier-general  ;  it  provided  for  an  assistant  surgeon- 
general  and  a  medical  inspector-general  of  hospitals,  each  with  the  rank, 
etc.,  of  a  colonel  of  cavalry,  and  for  eight  medical  inspectors  with  the  rank 
of  lieutenant-colonel.  These  original  vacancies  were  filled  by  the  President 
by  selection  from  the  army  medical  officers  and  the  brigade  surgeons  of  the 
volunteer  forces,  having  regard  to  qualifications  only  instead  of  to  seniority 
or  previous  rank.  At  the  termination  of  their  service  in  these  positions 
medical  officers  of  the  regular  force  were  to  revert  to  their  former  status  in 
their  own  corps  with  such  promotion  as  they  were  properly  entitled  to. 
About  the  time  of  this  enactment  Surgeon-General  Finley  was  retired  at  his 
own  request  after  forty  years  service  and  Assistant  Surgeon  Wm.  A.  Ham- 
mond was  appointed  the  first  surgeon-general  with  the  rank  of  brigadier- 
general.  In  December  following  eight  more  inspectors  were  added.  Theii 
duties  were  to  supervise  all  that  related  to  the  sanitary  condition  of  the 
army,  whether  in  transports,  quarters  or  camps,  as  well  as  the  hygiene, 
police,  discipline  and  efficiency  of  field  and  general  hospitals;  to  see  that  all 
regulations  for  protecting  the  health  of  the  troops,  and  for  the  careful  treat- 
ment of  the  sick  and  wounded,  were  duly  observed  ;  to  examine  into  the 
condition  of  supplies,  and  the  accuracy  of  medical,  sanitary,  statistical,  mili- 
tary and  property  records  and  accounts  of  the  Medical  Department  ;  to  in- 


92  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

vestigate  the  causes  of  disease  and  the  methods  of  prevention  ;  they  were 
required  also  to  be  familiar  with  the  regulations  of  the  Subsistence  Depart- 
ment in  all  that  related  to  the  hospitals,  and  to  see  that  the  hospital  fund 
was  judiciously  applied  ;  finally,  they  reported  on  the  efficiency  of  medical 
officers,  and  were  authorized  to  discharge  men  from  service  on  account  of 
disability. 

Shortly  after  this  the  corps  of  brigade  surgeons  was  reorganized  to  give 
them  a  position  on  the  general  stafif  similar  to  that  of  the  army  medical 
officer,  and  render  their  services  available  to  the  surgeon-general  at  any 
point  where  they  might  be  most  needed  irrespective  of  regimental  or  brigade 
organizations.  They  henceforth  became  known  as  the  "  Corps  of  Surgeons 
and  Assistant  Surgeons  of  Volunteers  "  ;  and  the  appointment  of  forty 
surgeons  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  assistants  was  authorized. 

Promotion  or  increased  rank  is  the  reward  in  the  military  service  for 
duty  well  performed;  but  little  incentive  of  this  kind  was  offered  to  medical 
officers  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Many  who  entered  as  surgeons 
had  no  promotion  to  look  forward  to ;  and  they  saw  their  comrades  of  the 
line,  formerly  their  equals  or  inferiors  in  rank,  mount  upwards  step  by  step 
while  there  remained  to  them  nothing  but  the  reward  of  a  good  conscience. 
The  sixteen  lieutenant-colonelcies  held  by  the  medical  inspectors  offered  no 
chance  of  promotion  to  the  vast  number  of  those  who  looked  up  to  them. 
Surgeon-General  Hammond  made  several  efforts  to  obtain  increased  rank 
for  the  medical  directors  of  armies.  That  a  medical  officer  on  duty  as 
medical  director  held  only  the  rank  of  major,  although  responsible  for  the 
work  of  five  or  six  hundred  officers,  one-third  of  whom  had  a  rank  equal  to 
his  own,  seemed  an  oversight  that  required  only  to  be  pointed  out  to  be  im- 
mediately remedied, — the  more  so  that  the  corresponding  officers  of  the 
Adjutant  General's,  the  Quartermaster's  and  Subsistence  Departments,  were 
assigned  to  their  duties  as  colonels ;  yet  the  efforts  of  the  surgeon-general 
were  met  by  a  curt  refusal  on  the  ground  that  the  skill  and  efficiency  of 
surgeons  were  not  dependent  upon  rank  and  pay.  The  reply  was  to  the 
effect  that  surgical  ability  was  not  in  question ;  that  the  duties  of  a  medical 
director  were  purely  administrative,  and  that  for  the  proper  performance  of 
such  duties  rank  was  essential ;  but  no  action  was  taken  upon  this  subject 
until  towards  the  close  of  the  war,  when  Congress  recognized  the  responsi- 
bilities of  these  officers  by  giving  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  to  the 
director  of  a  corps  and  of  colonel  to  that  of  an  army. 

It  is  seen,  therefore,  that  during  this  great  war  the  work  of  the  Medical 
Department  was  performed  by  the  regular  medical  officers  and  the  corps  of 
volunteer  surgeons  and  assistant  surgeons,  both  commissioned  by  the 
President,  and  by  the  large  body  of  regimental  medical  officers  commis- 
sioned by  the  Governors  of  States.  In  addition  to  these,  civil  physicians, 
known  as  acting  assistant  surgeons,  were  employed  under  contract,  mostly 
in  the  wards  of  the  general  hospitals  established  in  the  vicinity  of  the  na- 
tional capitol  and  many  of  the  large  cities.  Just  before  the  close  of  the  war 
another  class  of  medical  officers  was  authorized.  Regimental  surgeons 
whose  regiments  had  been  mustered  out  on  account  of  the  expiration  of 
their  terms  of  service  were  offered  the  position  of  acting  staff  surgeons  as 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  93 

an  inducement  for  them  to  continue  in  service  ;  and  a  few  were  thus  led  to 
return,  for  assignment  in  the  field  or  base  hospitals.  The  ambulance  corps 
must  also  be  mentioned  as  a  part  of  the  machinery  of  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment. An  ambulance  service  consisting  of  men  specially  enlisted  and  under 
the  command  of  medical  officers  was  urged  by  General  Hammond,  but  no 
action  was  taken  at  the  time  on  his  suggestion.  Somewhat  later,  however, 
a  corps  was  organized  from  detailed  men,  with  lieutenants  as  brigade  and 
division  officers,  and  a  captain  on  the  staff  of  the  commanding  general  as 
chief  of  ambulances  of  the  army  corps.  These  officers  were  practically 
acting  quartermasters  for  the  Medical  Department  so  far  as  related  to  the 
transportation  of  the  sick  and  wounded. 

In  1S64  Surgeon-General  Hammond  was  tried  by  court-martial  and  dis- 
missed from  the  service  on  account  of  disorders  and  neglects  in  relation  to 
the  purchase  of  blankets,  medicines  and  medical  stores  of  inferior  quality. 
General  Hammond  contended  that  the  law  authorized  him  not  only  to  in- 
dicate to  medical  purveyors  what  and  where  they  should  purchase,  but  even 
to  send  the  order  himself,  particularly  under  the  emergency  calls  of  a  great 
war,  and  that  in  none  of  the  specified  instances  had  he  been  actuated  by 
any  motive  other  than  that  of  performing  the  important  duties  of  his  office 
with  credit  to  himself  and  benefit  to  the  invalids  who  depended  on  his 
department  for  their  care  and  comfort.  Nevertheless,  the  proceedings  were 
approved  August  18,  1864,  and  Medical  Inspector-General  J.  K.  Barnes, 
who  had  been  acting  surgeon-general  pending  the  trial,  was  appointed  to 
the  vacancy.  It  is  scarcely  needful,  so  far  as  General  Hammond  is  con- 
cerned, to  say  that  this  sentence  has  been  annulled  and  set  aside.  Fourteen 
years  after  it  was  promulgated  he  came  before  Congress  for  relief.  The 
Senate  Military  Committee  in  its  report  reviewed  the  case  and  the  history 
of  the  times,  showing  how  there  came  to  be  a  want  of  cordiality  between 
the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  surgeon-general,  and  that,  in  consequence, 
the  weaker  went  to  the  wall.  The  bill  which  replaced  his  name  on  the 
Army  Register  was  approved  March  18,  1878. 

In  the  early  period  of  the  war  the  unit  of  organization  for  field  work 
was  the  regimental  hospital,  but  the  advantages  of  consolidation  became 
speedily  manifest.  When  the  sick  exceeded  the  capacity  of  the  regimental 
accommodation,  brigade  hospitals  were  established  to  receive  the  overflow 
and  obviate  the  necessity  for  sending  temporarily  disabled  soldiers  to  dis- 
tant general  hospitals.  After  a  battle  the  cooperative  work  of  the  surgeons 
of  a  brigade  was  found  to  give  infinitely  better  results  than  could  be 
obtained  by  preserving  the  individuality  of  the  regimental  hospitals.  A 
larger  experience  of  these  advantages  led  to  the  consolidation  of  the  brig- 
ade hospitals  of  a  division  for  administrative  purposes  into  a  field  hospital 
for  the  division.  These  worked  so  well  in  the  Western  Army,  and  in  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  during  the  battle  of  Antietam,  that  thereafter  orders 
were  published  calling  for  their  establishment  as  soon  as  an  engagement 
was  imminent.  A  medical  ofiicer  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the 
division  hospitals;  assistants  were  detailed  to  provide  food  and  shelter  and 
keep  the  records,  and  the  best  surgeons  of  each  brigade  were  assigned  to 
duty  at  the  operating  tables.     Those  officers  who  were  not  required  for 


94  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

special  service  in  the  hospital  accompanied  their  commands  into  action  and 
established  dressing  stations  at  convenient  points  in  rear  of  the  line  of  bat- 
tle where  the  wounded  were  prepared  for  transportation  by  the  ambulances 
of  the  hospital.  At  the  beginning  of  a  campaign  a  standing  order  was  pro- 
mulgated by  the  medical  director  detailing  his  medical  officers  to  their 
various  duties  in  case  of  an  engagement.  The  chief  of  the  hospital  and  his 
assistants  were  permanent  details,  sometimes  stafT  instead  of  regimental 
surgeons.  They  remained  at  all  times  with  the  ambulances  on  the  march 
and  in  camp.  When  a  line  of  battle  was  formed,  a  suitable  site  was  selected 
to  which  the  ambulance  train  brought  up  the  tents  and  supplies  for  the 
establishment  of  the  hospital,  and  the  ambulance  officers  proceeded  to  the 
dressing  stations  to  bring  in  the  wounded.  The  success  of  this  field  hos- 
pital system  was  such  that  in  many  commands  its  existence  was  continued 
during  the  period  of  inactivity  in  winter  quarters,  only  trivial  ailments  being 
treated  in  camp  by  the  regimental  medical  officers,  whose  medical  knap- 
sacks were  replenished  from  time  to  time  from  the  supplies  of  the  hospital. 
When  established  on  the  battle-field  the  objects  of  the  division  hospital 
were  to  give  shelter  and  surgical  care,  with  time  and  facilities  for  the  per- 
formance of  all  needful  primary  operations.  As  soon  as  this  work  was 
accomplished  the  wounded  were  sent  to  the  base  of  supplies  in  ambulance 
or  other  available  wagons  of  the  Quartermaster,  Subsistence  or  Ordnance 
Department,  and  from  this  they  were  shipped  by  rail  or  steamboat  to  north- 
ern cities  where  ample  accommodation  and  comforts  were  provided  in  the 
magnificent  system  of  general  hospitals  which  had  been  established. 

At  first  the  Medical  Department  labored  under  considerable  disadvan- 
tage on  account  of  its  dependence  on  the  Quartermaster  Department  for  its 
transportation  in  the  field,  and  by  sea  and  rail,  as  well  as  for  its  hospital 
buildings  ;  but  in  progress  of  time  these  difficulties  became  smoothed  over 
by  the  organization  of  the  ambulance  corps  for  the  field  transportation  of 
the  wounded,  and  the  building  of  special  hospitals  and  hospital  steamers 
which  were  placed  under  the  orders  of  the  Medical  Department.  The  ex- 
tent of  the  provision  for  the  care  and  treatment  of  the  sick  and  wounded 
may  be  appreciated  when  it  is  observed  that  in  December,  1864,  there  were 
in  the  general  hospital  of  the  North  118,057  beds,  34,648  of  which  were  un- 
occupied and  ready  for  the  accommodation  of  those  who  might  be  disabled 
at  any  time  in  the  progress  of  events  on  the  theatre  of  war.  During  the 
war  there  were  reported  on  the  monthly  reports  of  medical  officers  6,454,834 
cases  of  sickness  and  injury,  195,627  of  which  were  fatal.  Of  the  diseases, 
diarrhoea  and  dysentery,  fevers  of  a  typhoid  character  and  pneumonia  were 
the  most  prevalent  and  fatal. 

Medical  and  hospital  supplies  for  all  these  cases  were  provided  mainly 
from  the  purveying  depot  in  New  York  City  in  charge  of  Surgeon  R.  S. 
Satterlee,  whose  honorable  record  extended  from  the  Florida  and  Mexican 
wars  to  this  important  duty  during  the  Civil  War.  Supplies  were  also  pur- 
chased in  Philadelphia  and  to  some  extent  in  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Cincin- 
nati, etc.  The  expenditures  on  behalf  of  the  Medical  Department  in  ]86i- 
1866  amounted  to  48  million  dollars. 

The  museum  and  library  of  the  Surgeon-General's  Office,  both  of  which 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  95 

have  now  a  world-wide  reputation,  had  their  beginnings  during  the  war. 
Surgeon-General  Hammond,  in  a  circular  in  May,  1862,  announced  the  in- 
tention of  establishing  an  Army  Medical  Museum,  and  recjuested  medical 
officers  to  collect  specimens  of  morbid  anatomy,  medical  and  surgical, 
which  might  be  regarded  as  valuable,  together  with  projectiles  or  foreign 
bodies  removed,  and  such  other  matters  as  might  prove  of  interest  in  the 
study  of  military  medicine  and  surgery.  Later  circulars  gave  more  specific 
instructions  regarding  the  collections  to  be  made.  For  a  number  of  years 
the  museum  was  installed  in  the  old  theatre  building  in  which  President 
Lincoln  was  assassinated,  but  recently  a  handsome  and  commodious  build- 
ing has  been  erected  in  the  Smithsonian  grounds  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
where  are  now  aggregated  over  31,000  specimens,  two-thirds  of  which  are 
anatomical  and  pathological  and  the  remainder  microscopical,  with,  in  the 
library,  nearly  107,000  bound  volumes  and  166,000  unbound  theses  and 
pamphlets.  Congress  has  provided  for  the  publication  of  an  index  catalogue 
of  the  library,  thirteen  volumes  of  which  have  been  published,  bringing  the 
work  nearly  to  the  end  of  the  letter  S.  This  catalogue,  the  work  of  Major 
John  S.  Billings,  has  given  a  marvellous  impetus  to  medical  literature  and 
education  in  this  country,  as  it  places  the  valuable  stores  of  the  library 
within  easy  reach  of  those  who  are  qualified  to  make  use  of  them.  The 
original  intention  was  to  have  the  library  and  museum  connected  with  a 
hospital  and  medical  school  for  the  special  training  of  those  intended  for 
the  medical  service  of  the  army,  but  since  the  war  the  military  force  of  the 
country  has  been  too  small  to  warrant  the  support  of  an  institution  of  this 
kind.  The  library  and  museum  have,  however,  taken  a  higher  position  than 
that  originally  intended,  for  they  are  now  regarded  as  belonging  to  the 
medical  profession  of  the  country  and  not  to  any  special  school,  hospital  or 
section.  Another  of  the  notable  results  of  the  war  is  the  "  Medical  and 
Surgical  History  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion."  The  six  large  quarto  vol- 
umes of  this  work  were  published  at  various  times  from  1870  to  1888,  when 
the  last  was  issued.  These  volumes  show  that  while  the  work  of  the  Medi- 
cal Department,  in  field  and  hospital,  was  carefully  performed  as  regards 
the  individual  case,  the  necessary  reports  and  papers  were  fortunately  not 
forgotten.  Some  volunteer  surgeons  who  took  pride  in  considering  them- 
selves practical  men,  because  they  gave  but  little  care  to  what  they  were 
pleased  to  term  the  red-tapeism  of  the  department  in  calling  for  reports, 
have  since  then  learned  to  appreciate  the  importance  of  these  reports  in 
their  connection  with  the  immense  business  of  the  Bureau  of  Pensions. 

Secretary  Stanton  has  put  on  record  his  testimony  to  the  efficiency  of 
the  Medical  Department  during  the  war,  not  only  as  regards  the  care  and 
comfort  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  but  as  to  the  accomplishment  of  its  im- 
portant duties  without  in  any  instance  impedingor  delaying  the  movements 
of  the  army.  Its  casualty  list  affords  proof  of  the  courage  and  zeal  of  its 
members  and  of  their  devotion  to  duty,  for  32  were  killed  in  battle  or  by 
guerrillas,  and  83  were  wounded,  of  whom  10  died  in  consequence  ;  9  were 
killed  by  accident;  4  died  in  rebel  prisons,  7  of  yellow  fever,  and  271  of 
disease  incidental  to  camp  life  and  resulting  from  exposure. 

The  latter  part  of  the  year  1865  was  devoted  to  the  breaking  up  of  the 


96  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

depots  and  general  hospitals,  and  next  year  the  Medical  Department  was 
again  placed  on  a  peace  footing  with  a  personnel  consisting  of  a  surgeon- 
general  ;  an  assistant  surgeon-general  with  the  rank  of  colonel ;  a  chief 
medical  purveyor  and  four  assistants,  lieutenant-colonels ;  sixty  surgeon- 
majors,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  assistants,  captains  and  lieutenants.  In 
1872  provision  was  made  for  a  chief  medical  purveyor  with  the  rank  of 
colonel ;  but  in  the  meantime  all  promotions  and  appointments  had  been 
interdicted,  so  that  the  reports  of  the  surgeon-general  speak  in  urgent  terms 
of  the  crippled  condition  of  his  department.  In  1873  there  were  59  vacan- 
cies, and  in  the  following  year,  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  service,  no  less 
than  187  surgeons  had  to  be  employed  on  contract.  At  this  time  Congress 
authorized  the  appointment  of  assistants  surgeons,  but  cut  off  two  of  the 
assistant  medical  purveyorships  and  ten  of  the  sixty  surgeons,  prohibiting 
promotion  until  the  number  became  thus  reduced  ;  and  in  1876  the  number 
of  assistant  surgeons  was  cut  down  to  125. 

From  the  close  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  the  want  of  higher  rank  and 
corresponding  increase  of  pay  for  the  older  officers  of  the  corps  had  received 
a  good  deal  of  attention,  and  several  efforts  were  made  to  give  these  officers 
a  status  similar  to  that  provided  for  the  seniors  of  the  other  staff  corps. 
These  were  at  last  successful  in  1876,  when,  in  addition  to  the  existing 
grades  there  were  authorized  four  surgeons,  colonels,  and  eight  lieutenant- 
colonels,  giving  the  members  of  the  corps  their  present  rank,  viz.,  i  brigadier- 
general,  6  colonels,  10  lieutenant-colonels,  fifty  majors  and  125  captains  and 
lieutenants. 

For  some  time  after  this  the  department  was  crippled  by  the  retention 
on  the  active  list  of  members  who  were  wholly  incapacitated  by  reason  of 
advanced  age.  Officers  of  the  other  staff  corps  and  of  the  line  were  placed 
on  the  retired  list  and  their  places  taken  by  younger  men,  but  the  seniors 
of  the  Medical  Department  were  permitted  to  remain  on  nominal  active 
service  until  removed  by  death.  At  last  the  compulsory  retirement  law  of 
1882  gave  a  recognizable  and  gratifying  impetus  to  what  had  hitherto  been 
the  stagnation  of  promotion.  Among  the  first  removed  by  this  law  was 
Surgepn  Jno.  M.  Cuyler,  who  had  held  his  position  on  the  active  list  for 
forty-eight  years.  Surgeon-General  Joseph  K.  Barnes  was  also  removed ; 
he  did  not  long  survive  his  retirement,  nor  did  his  successor.  General 
Charles  H.  Crane,  continue  long  in  office  after  him.  Both  these  officers 
were  for  nearly  twenty  years  associated  in  the  management  of  the  depart- 
ment, and  their  deaths  occurred  within  a  few  months  of  each  other.  General 
Barnes  possessed  the  full  confidence  of  Secretary  Stanton  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  administration  of  the  department,  and  to  this  was  due  the 
independent  status  of  general  hospitals  in  time  of  war,  together  with  the  re- 
moval of  hospital  transportation,  both  by  sea  and  land,  from  any  interference 
by  other  than  medical  authority, — two  important  decisions  which  tended 
much  to  the  efficiency  of  the  medical  service  during  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion. 

General  Robert  Murray  succeeded  General  Crane,  and  after  a  few  years 
was  followed  by  General  John  Moore.  Dr.  J.  H.  Baxter,  who  had  served  as 
a  surgeon  of  volunteers  during  the  war,  and  had  entered  the  regular  service 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  97 

in  1867  as  a  lieutenant-colonel,  filling  an  original  vacancy  as  assistant  medi- 
cal purveyor,  received  the  appointment  on  the  retirement  of  General  Moore 
in  1890,  but  he  died  suddenly  a  few  weeks  after  his  promotion  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  incumbent,  General  Charles  Sutherland. 

Some  of  our  medical  officers  have  recently  raised  a  contention  for  the 
military  title.  They  may  possess  their  souls  in  peace.  Given  the  rank,  pay 
and  emoluments  and  the  titles  will  come  because  there  is  a  need  for  them. 
The  first  object  of  the  army  medical  officer  of  to-day  is  to  preserve  the 
health  of  his  command.  He  is  a  sanitary  officer  on  the  staff  of  his  com- 
mander, and  it  is  an  anomaly  to  give  the  same  title  to  the  young  officer  on 
the  stall  of  a  captain  in  command  of  a  one-company  post  and  to  the  veteran 
of  forty  years  experience  on  the  staff  of  the  division  commander.  Even  our 
older  medical  officers,  who  have  a  fondness  for  the  title  of  doctor  because 
they  have  borne  it  all  their  lives,  begin  to  recognize  that  they  are  colonels 
in  the  Medical  Department,  when  seated  at  their  desks  revolving  some 
knotty  point  of  policy  or  administration  that  has  just  been  respectfully  re- 
ferred for  their  consideration.  Congress  has  seen  the  necessity  for  giving 
these  officers  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  colonels,  etc.,  and  the  same 
necessity  brought  into  official  business  and  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  life 
will  bring  them  their  distinctive  titles.  Some  ultra  conservative  may  per- 
sist to  the  end  in  calling  the  medical  officer  "  doctor,"  but  the  ultra  conserva- 
tive will  die  and  the  chariot  of  progress  will  roll  over  his  bones  without  being 
in  the  least  impeded. 

During  the  past  few  years  one  of  the  greatest  advancements  and  improve- 
ments in  the  practical  working  of  the  Medical  Department  has  been  effected 
by  the  addition  of  the  Hospital  Corps  to  the  army.  Formerly  all  the  work 
of  the  department,  including  nursing  and  cooking  in  hospitals,  and  litter 
carrying  and  ambulance  work  in  the  field,  was  performed  by  men  detailed 
from  the  command  to  which  the  medical  officers  were  attached.  It  was 
difficult  to  obtain  good  men  for  these  important  duties,  for  company  com- 
manders oftentimes  objected  to  the  details  asked  for  by  the  surgeons,  and 
even  when  good  men  were  assigned  to  hospital  duty  the  frequent  changes 
taking  place  in  the  constitution  of  a  command  would  often  remove  them 
from  the  service  of  the  hospital  as  soon  as  they  had  attained  enough  of  ex- 
perience to  become  really  useful.  The  status  of  these  men  was  fully  recog- 
nized in  the  army;  they  received  extra  pay  for  their  services,  and  as 
long  ago  as  1828,  orders  were  issued  exempting  them  from  all  military  duties, 
except  attendance  on  weekly  inspections  and  regular  musters  for  pay.  The 
whole  system  was,  however,  so  objectionable  that  medical  officers  frequently 
urged  the  establishment  of  a  corps  of  men  for  special  service  in  the  hospital 
department.  In  his  annual  report  for  1862  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  the 
surgeon-general  suggested  the  establishment  of  such  a  corps.  Again  in  1885 
a  similar  recommendation  was  made,  and  this  time  with  effect,  for  a  bill,  ap- 
proved March  i,  1887,  provided  that  the  Hospital  Corps  of  the  United  States 
Army  should  consist  of  hospital  stewards,  acting  hospital  stewards  and  pri- 
vates, and  directed  that  all  necessary  hospital  services  in  garrisons,  campor 
field,  including  ambulance  service,  should  be  performed  by  its  members.  The 
regulations  prescribed  under  the  terms  of  the  law  provided  for  the  education 


98  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

of  four  men  from  each  company  in  litter  drill  and  first  aid  to  the  wounded. 
These  men,  called  company  bearers,  are  intended  to  act  in  emergencies  until 
relieved  by  the  regular  members  of  the  Hospital  Corps.  Provision  was  made 
for  the  enlistment  of  intelligent  men  from  civil  life  into  the  corps,  and  for  the 
organization  of  companies  of  instruction  in  which  the  training  of  the  men 
in  all  the  details  of  hospital  service  as  cooks,  nurses,  attendants,  litter- 
bearers,  etc.,  is  perfected  under  the  supervision  of  the  medical  officers. 
Certain  of  these  men  are  selected  for  assignment  as  acting  hospital  stewards 
after  an  examination  to  determine  their  proficiency  in  pharmacy,  materia 
medica  and  the  management  of  medical  and  surgical  emergencies  ;  and  after 
a  year,  at  least,  of  service  and  a  further  examination  on  these  subjects,  to- 
gether with  minor  surgery  and  the  elements  of  practical  sanitation,  they  are 
eligible  for  promotion  to  the  position  of  hospital  steward. 

The  advantage  of  this  organization  and  training  has  been  demonstrated 
on  several  occasions  during  the  past  few  years.  The  corps  consists  at  pres- 
ent of  130  hospital  stewards,  100  acting  hospital  stewards  and  600  privates. 
The  hospital  stewards  of  the  army  were  originally  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  hospital  stores,  furniture  and  supplies  for  the  sick,  and  to  receive  and 
distribute  rations  at  hospitals  ;  but  as  no  pharmacist  was  provided  for  hospi- 
tals, the  duty  of  making  up  prescriptions  and  having  general  charge  of  the 
sick  in  the  absence  of  the  medical  officers  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  hospital 
steward,  and  came  by  degrees  to  be  regarded  as  his  most  important  work. 
The  recent  law  gives  him  his  proper  status  and  a  corresponding  increase 
of  pay. 

The  perfection  of  the  corps  by  enlistment  of  the  best  material  would 
enable  the  Medical  Department  not  only  to  meet  all  the  requirements  of  its 
existing  service,  but  to  expand  with  the  requirements  of  an  emergency  to 
supply  the  needs  of  an  army  many  times  the  size  of  that  now  authorized.  If 
the  act  which  established  it  be  examined  it  will  be  found  that  the  corps  is 
intended  to  be  what  all  military  organizations  ought  to  be,  a  training  school 
for  war  service  ;  and  its  efficiency  as  such  depends,  of  course,  on  the  ability 
and  energy  of  the  officers  and  the  intelligence  and  interest  of  the  men.  In- 
telligence is  required  on  the  part  of  the  latter  not  only  to  understand  but  to 
teach  ;  for  the  system  adopted  involves  transmissions  of  knowledge  from 
those  who  have  been  advanced,  to  those  who  have  been  accepted  from 
the  ranks  to  fill  the  vacated  positions.  The  acquirement  of  information 
bearing  on  the  management  of  sick  and  wounded,  and  the  methods  of  turn- 
ing such  information  to  practical  account  when  called  for  by  the  require- 
ments of  the  occasion,  are  the  objectives  of  the  corps  ;  and  their  pursuit, 
as  may  be  readily  appreciated,  tends  as  well  to  prepare  the  hospital  establish- 
ment for  efficient  service  in  the  undesired  event  of  war  as  to  perfect  it  in  the 
discharge  of  its  current  work.  When  every  acting  hospital  steward  is 
qualified  to  undertake  the  duties  of  steward,  and  the  private  of  the  corps  in 
general  ready  to  step  into  a  higher  position,  the  expansion  of  the  corps  in  an 
emergency  can  be  effected  by  recruiting  merely  for  the  last  mentioned 
grade.  Only  in  the  event  of  a  great  war  calling  for  the  strength  of  the  States 
to  take  the  field  would  the  system  fail  for  want  of  men  qualified  for  the 
positions ;  but  this  will  ultimately  be  met,  no  doubt,  by  the  assimilation  of 


THE  MEDICAL  DEPARTMENT.  ()() 

the  Medical  Department  of  the  National  Guards  to  that  of  the  regular  forces, 
so  that  when  each  State  regiment  is  mustered  into  the  United  States  service 
it  will  bring  with  it  its  quota  to  the  Hospital  Corps. 

In  reviewing  the  history  of  the  Medical  Department,  it  seems  to  the  writer 
that  its  officers,  and  those  of  the  army  as  a  whole,  have  reason  to  feel 
gratified.  Having  had  its  beginningas  we  have  seen  in  the  patriotism  of  the 
individual  medical  man,  which  led  him  to  pack  his  saddle-bags  with  need- 
ful supplies  for  the  care  of  his  friends  and  neighbors  who  might  come  to 
grief  on  the  road  between  Boston  and  Concord,  it  has  evolved  through  the 
medium  of  experience  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  that  of  1812,  in  the 
Mexican  War,  in  campaigns  innumerable  against  hostile  Indians,  and  in  the 
terrible  trials  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  into  a  corps  of  officers  whose 
members  are  tied  down  to  no  specific  duties,  but  are  available  for  assign- 
ment in  an  emergency  to  the  duty  which  each  is  best  qualified  to  undertake, 
and  whose  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  increase  with  their  age  and  experi- 
ence. The  simplest  form  of  organization  has  been  shown  by  experience  to 
be  the  best,  and  this  that  we  now  possess  is  the  simplest  for  medico-military 
organization.  The  Hospital  Corps  is  constituted  on  similarly  simple  lines, 
so  that  there  is  needed  only  the  adoption  and  education  of  a  similar  corps 
by  the  State  forces  to  enable  the  country  to  meet  the  probable  emergencies 
of  the  future,  so  far  as  the  Medical  Department  of  the  Army  is  concerned. 


THE  PAY  DEPARTMENT. 

By   colonel   A.    B.   CAREY,    U.    S.    ARMY. 
Pay  Department. 

THE  earliest  legislation  creating  a  Pay  Department,  is  the  resolution 
of  the  Continental  Congress,  in  session  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  June 
i6,  1775,  as  follows  : 

Resolved,  "  That  there  be  one  Paymaster  General,  and  a  Deputy  under  him,  for 
the  Army,  in  a  separate  department  ;  that  the  pay  for  the  Paymaster  General  himself 
be  one  hundred  dollars  per  month,  and  for  the  Deputy  Paymaster  under  him,  fifty 
dollars  per  month." 

James  Warren,  of  Massachusetts,  was  elected  Paymaster-General,  by 
Congress,  on  July  27,  1775. 

By  resolution  of  January  9,  1776,  the  Deputy  Paymaster-General  was 
authorized  to  appoint  two  Assistant  Paymasters,  and  it  was  required  that 
all  the  troops  of  the  Northern  Department  be  paid  in  person  by  him  or  his 
assistants. 

Colonel  Warren's  resignation  was  accepted  by  Congress  on  the  19th  of 
April  1776,  and  on  the  27th  William  Palfrey,  of  Massachusetts,  then  aide- 
de-camp  to  General  Washington,  was  appointed  by  Congress  Paymaster- 
General  of  the  Army,  and  on  June  12,  Ebenezer  Hancock  was  appointed 
Deputy  Paymaster-General  for  the  Eastern  Department. 

Congress  on  the  9th  of  July,  1776,  resolved:  "That  Mr.  Palfrey,  late 
aide-de-camp  of  General  Washington,  have  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
intheContinental  Army,"  and  on  the  i6th  a  regimental  paymaster  for  each 
regiment  was  provided  at  a  salary  of  $26%  per  month,  and  by  resolution  of 
October  loth,  regimental  paymasters  were  to  have  "  the  rank  of  First  Lieut- 
enants and  rations  as  Captains." 

Deputy  Paymaster-Generals  were  appointed  by  Congress  for  Virginia 
and  Pennsylvania  on  July  11,  1777,  and  for  Georgiaon  August  6th.  On  the 
20th  the  pay  of  the  Paymaster-General  was  increased  to  $150,  and  that  of 
the  Deputy  under  him  to  $75  per  month.  By  the  resolution  of  August  28th, 
the  Deputy  Paymaster-Generals  of  the  Northern,  Eastern  and  Southern 
Departments  were  empowered  to  appoint  assistants  when  necessary.  On 
May  27,  1778,  Congress  resolved,  "That  the  paymaster  of  a  regiment  be 
chosen  by  the  officers  of  the  regiment  out  of  the  captains  or  subalterns,  and 
appointed  by  warrant  issued  by  the  Commander-in-chief,  or  the  com- 
mander in  a  separate  department."  They  were  required  to  take  charge  of 
the  clothing  for  the  troops,  and  to  distribute  the  same.  By  resolution  of 
January  21,  1779,  Congress  directed  that  the  Paymaster  or  Deputy  Pay- 
master-General should  provide  an  office  near  headquarters,  and  on  May  29th, 
the  Paymaster-General  was  required  to  keep  his  office  in  the  place  where 


THE  PA  V  DEPA  R  TMEN  T.  i  o  i 

Congress  should,  from  time  to  time,  hold  its  sessions.  Authority  was  given 
for  the  employment  of  clerks,  directions  for  keeping  regular  books  ;  and. 
in  general  terms,  the  duties  of  the  office  were  defined.  A  Deputy  Paymaster- 
General  was  authorized,  by  the  same  resolution,  for  the  army  under  the  im- 
mediate command  of  General  Washington.  On  November  12,  1779,  Con- 
gress granted  the  sum  of  $20,000  to  Paymaster-General  William  Palfrey,  as 
a  further  compensation  for  past  services,  and  allowed  the  Paymaster-Gen- 
eral salary  at  the  rate  of  $14,000  per  annum  until  further  order  of  Con- 
gress. Colonel  Palfrey  had  filled  the  office  of  Paymaster-General  since 
April,  1776.  "  During  this  period  he  had  exhibited  such  proofs  of  his  talents 
for  business,  fidelity  and  devotedness  to  the  cause  of  his  country,  that,  on 
the  4th  of  November,  1780.  he  was  elected  Consul  General  from  the  United 
States  to  France,  an  office  at  this  time  of  much  consideration,  as  it  involved 
the  duties  of  making  extensive  purchases  of  military  and  other  supplies  for 
the  country,  and  an  examination  and  settlement  of  all  the  accounts  in  which 
the  United  States  were  concerned  with  public  and  private  agents  in  Europe, 
and  which  had  been  multiplying  and  accumulating  since  the  commence- 
ment of  the  war. 

"  He  sailed  for  France,  but  the  vessel  in  which  he  took  passage  was  lost 
at  sea,  and  every  one  on  board  was  supposed  to  have  perished."* 

Colonel  Palfrey  was  succeeded  as  Paymaster-General  by  John  Pierce, 
of  Connecticut,  who  was  elected  to  the  office  by  Congress  on  January  17, 
1781. 

General  officers  had  been  empowered  by  Congress  to  draw  warrants  on 
the  Paymaster-General  for  payment  of  troops  under  their  command.  On 
a  report  from  the  Secretary  of  War.  to  whom  was  referred  a  plan  of  the 
Paymaster-General  for  the  better  regulation  of  the  pay  of  the  army,  Con- 
gress, on  April  8.  1782. 

Resolved,  ' '  That  as  all  returns  necessary  to  check  the  accounts  of  pay  and  rations, 
and  to  give  full  information  of  public  issues  of  clothing  and  stores,  are  lodged  at  the 
War  Ofifice,  the  Secretary  of  War  is  hereby  empowered  and  directed  to  issue  his  war- 
rants on  the  Paymaster-General,  in  favor  of  each  regimental  paymaster,  for  the  pay 
and  rations  which  shall  appear,  on  adjustment  of  their  accounts  to  be  due  to  the  regi- 
ments respectively,  and  to  the  head  of  each  department,  for  the  pay  and  rations  due 
to  such  department ;  that  the  accounts  for  the  pay  and  rations  of  each  regiment,  and  of 
each  department  in  the  army,  from  January  i,  17S2,  shall  be  made  out  at  the  end  of 
every  month,  and  be  transmitted  to  the  War  Office  for  examination  and  warrants  : 

"  That  the  manner  of  making  the  payments,  of  keeping  the  accounts,  and  the  re- 
turns of  the  regimental  paymasters  be  regulated  by  the  Secretary  of  War : 

"  That  the  Paymaster-General  shall  pay  on  the  warrants  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 
from  such  monies  as  shall  be  put  into  his  hands  for  the  pay  and  rations  of  the  troops, 
and  to  the  orders  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  or  officer  commanding  the  Southern 
army,  from  such  monies  as  shall  be  placed  in  his  disposal  for  contingencies. 

Resolved,  "  That  all  resolutions  heretofore  passed  empowering  general  officers  to 
draw  warrants  on  the  Paymaster-General,  except  that  empowering  the  officer  com- 
manding the  Southern  army,  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby  repealed." 


Spark's  Writings  of  Washington. 


I02  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Resolved,  "  That  there  be  one  Deputy-Paymaster  for  the  Southern  army  : 

"  That  there  shall  be  one  assistant  allowed  to  the  Paymaster-General,  who  shall  do 
the  duties  of  a  clerk  : 

"That  the  Paymaster-General  be,  and  he  is  hereby,  authorized  to  appoint  his 
deputy  and  his  assistant : 

' '  That  the  Paymaster-General  immediately  give  bonds  with  two  sureties,  to  the 
Superintendent  of  Finance,  in  the  sum  of  $15,000,  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his 
office." 

The  Paymaster-General  was  authorized,  on  May  i6th,  to  appoint  a 
Deputy-Paymaster  to  reside  with  the  main  army. 

The  Revolutionary  army  was  disbanded  on  the  3d  of  November,  1783,  in 
pursuance  of  a  proclamation  issued  by  Congress  on  the  i8th  of  October 
previous.  On  April  i,  1785,  Congress  resolved  that  700  troops  were  neces- 
sary for  the  protection  of  the  north-western  frontier,  and  on  April  12,  1785, 
specified  the  number  which  should  be  furnished  by  certain  States,  and  pro- 
vided that  a  lieutenant  should  act  as  Paymaster. 

The  resolve  of  Congress  of  the  20th  of  October,  1786,  increased  the 
number  to  2040  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates.  The  army  was 
fixed  by  the  resolve  of  October  3,  1787,  at 

I  regiment  of  Infantry,  8  companies. 

I  battalion  of  Artillery,  4  companies. 

Paymaster-General  John  Pierce  had  been  continued  in  service  settling 
his  accounts,  and  as  commissioner  for  settling  the  accounts  of  the  army. 
The  two  offices  were  united  by  resolution  of  Congress  of  March  23,  1787,  as 
follows : 

Resolved,  "  That  the  services  and  duties  of  Paymaster-General  be,  and 
hereby  are,  united  with  those  of  Commissioner  of  Army  Accounts."  John 
Pierce  died  in  August,  1788. 

The  first  session  of  the  first  Congress  of  the  United  States  was  held  on 
the  4th  of  March,  1789,  at  New  York. 

The  Act  of  September  29,  1789,  recognized  the  force  authorized  by  the 
resolve  of  October  3,  1787,  '-to  be  the  establishment  for  the  troops  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States."  The  pay  and  allowances  were  to  be  the 
same  as  had  been  established  by  the  resolution  of  April  12,  1785. 

The  Act  of  April  30,  1790,  directed  an  increase  of  the  force,  and  pro- 
vided a  paymaster  for  the  battalion  of  artillery. 

After  the  death  of  John  Pierce  in  1788,  the  duties  of  the  office  of  Pay- 
master-General were  administered  by  Joseph  Howell,  Jr.,  Commissioner  of 
Army  Accounts,  until  a  paymaster  for  the  Army  was  provided  by  the  Act 
of  May  8,  1792,  as  follows  : 

Section  3.  "  That  there  be  a  paymaster  to  reside  near  the  headquarters  of  the 
troops  of  the  United  States.  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  said  paymaster,  to  re- 
ceive from  the  treasurer,  all  the  monies  which  shall  be  intrusted  to  him  for  the  purpose 
of  paying  the  pay,  the  arrears  of  pay,  subsistence,  or  forage,  due  to  the  troops  of  the 
United  States.  That  he  shall  receive  the  pay  abstracts  of  the  paymasters  of  the  sev- 
eral regiments  or  corps,  and  compare  the  same  with  the  returns  or  muster  rolls  which 
shall  accompany  the  said  pay  abstracts.  That  he  shall  certify,  accurately,  to  the  com- 
manding officer,  the  sums  due  to  the  respective  corps,  which  shall  have  been  examined 


THE  PA  Y  DEPA  R  TMEN  T.  103 

as  aforesaid,  who  shall  thereon  issue  his  warrant  on  the  said  deputy  paymaster  for  the 
payment  accordingly.  That  copies  of  all  reports  to  the  commanding  officer,  and  the 
warrants  thereon,  shall  be  duly  transmitted  to  the  office  of  the  accountant  of  the  War 
Department,  in  order  to  be  there  examined,  and  finally  adjusted  at  the  Treasury, 
That  the  said  paymaster  shall  give  bond  in  the  sum  of  $20,000,  with  two  sufTicient 
sureties,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duty  ;  and  he  shall  take  an  oath  faithfully  to 
execute  the  duties  of  his  office.  That  the  compensation  to  the  said  paymaster  shall  be 
$60  monthly,  with  the  same  rations  and  forage  as  a  major." 

Caleb  Swan,  of  Massachusetts,  was  appointed  Paymaster  of  the  Army 
on  May  8,  1792,  and  continued  in  the  office  until  the  30th  of  June,  1808. 

Act  of  May  9,  1794,  directed  the  raising  of  764  enlisted  men,  to  be  incor- 
porated with  the  Corps  of  Artillery,  and  to  be  denominated  the  Corps  of 
Artillerist,  and  Engineers,  of  four  battalions,  with  an  adjutant  and  pay- 
master to  each  battalion, 

A  Paymaster-General  was  provided  by  the  act  approved  May  30,  1796, 
and  it  was  further  provided  that  paymasters  of  regiments  should  be  ap- 
pointed from  the  subalterns  of  their  respective  regiments.  The  general 
stafT  authorized  by  the  act  was  to  continue  in  service  until  the  4th  of  March 
following,  and  no  longer. 

Act  of  May  3,  1797,  to  amend  and  repeal  in  part  the  previous  act,  provi- 
ded for  a  Paymaster-General. 

A  regiment  of  Artillerists  and  Engineers  was  provided  by  the  act  of  April 
27,  1798,  with  an  Adjutant  and  Paymaster  to  each  battalion. 

The  act  of  May  28,  1798,  to  raise  a  provisional  army,  provided  for  the 
employment  of  a  Paymaster-General,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent 
of  the  Senate,  who  should  have  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel. 

The  act  of  July  16,  1798,  to  augment  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  pro- 
vided for  the  appointment  of  one  Paymaster  to  each  regiment. 

The  act  for  the  better  organizing  of  the  troops  of  the  United  States,  and 
for  other  purposes,  approved  March  3,  1799,  provided  for  one  Paymaster  to 
each  regiment  of  cavalry,  artillery  and  infantry.  The  same  act  provided  for 
the  appointment  of  Deputy  Paymasters,  and  prescribed  the  bond  to  be  given 
by  the  several  regimental  paymasters,  as  follows  : 

Section  15.  "That  the  Paymaster-General  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States, 
shall  always  quarter  at  or  near  the  headquarters  of  the  main  army,  or  at  such  place  as 
the  Commander-in-Chief  shall  deem  proper  ;  and  that,  to  the  army  on  the  western 
frontiers,  and  to  detachments  from  the  main  army,  intended  to  act  separately  for  a 
time,  he  shall  appoint  Deputy  Paymasters,  who  shall  account  to  him  for  the  money 
advanced  to  them,  and  shall  each  give  a  bond,  in  the  sum  of  $15,000,  with  sufficient 
sureties,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  duties  respectively,  and  take  an  oath  faith- 
fully to  execute  the  duties  of  their  offices;  and  the  several  regimental  paymasters  shall 
also  give  bond,  in  the  sum  of  !^5000,  with  one  or  more  sufficient  sureties,  and  take  an 
oath,  as  aforesaid,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  of  their  offices  respectively  ; 
and  that  the  Paymaster-General  shall  receive  $So  per  month,  with  the  rations  and  for- 
age of  a  major,  in  full  compensation  for  his  services  and  travelling  expenses  ;  and  the 
deputy,  in  addition  to  his  pay,  and  other  emoluments,  $30  per  month,  in  full  compen- 
sation for  his  extra  services  and  travelling  expenses." 


104  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Act  of  March  i6,  1802,  fixing  the  military  peace  establishment,  provided 
that  from  and  after  June  i,  1802,  the  peace  establishment  should  be  com- 
posed of  one  regiment  of  artillerists,  two  regiments  of  infantry,  and  acorps 
of  engineers.     Section  3  of  this  act  provides  : 

"  One  Paymaster  of  the  Army,  seven  paymasters,  and  two  assistants,  to  be  attached 
to  such  districts  as  the  President  of  the  United  States  shall  direct,  to  be  taken  from  the 
line  of  commissioned  officers,  who,  in  addition  to  their  other  duties,  shall  have  charge 
of  the  clothing  of  the  troops."  With  pay  as  follows:  "To  the  Paymaster  of  the 
Army, $120,  without  any  other  emolument,  except  such  stationery  as  may  be  requisite 
in  his  department  and  the  use  of  the  public  office  now  occupied  by  him  ;  each  Pay- 
master attached  to  districts,  $30,  and  each  assistant  to  such  Paymaster,  $10,  in  addition 
to  his  pay  in  the  line." 

Section  13  of  this  act  provides  : 

"  That  the  said  corps  shall  be  paid  in  such  manner  that  the  arrears  shall  at  no  time 
exceed  two  months,  unless  the  circumstances  of  the  case  shall  render  it  unavoidable." 

Section  16  : 

"That  the  Paymaster  shall  perform  the  duties  of  his  office,  agreeably  to  the 
direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  for  the  time  being:  [and  before  he 
enters  on  the  duties  of  the  same,  shall  give  bonds,  with  good  and  sufficient  sureties, 
in  such  sums  as  the  President  shall  direct,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  said  office  ; 
and  shall  take  an  oath  to  execute  the  duties  thereof  with  fidelity  ;  and  it  shall,  more- 
over be  his  duty  to  appoint  from  the  line,  with  the  approbation  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  several  Paymasters  to  districts  and  assistants  prescribed  by  this  act  ; 
and  he  is  hereby  authorized  to  require  the  said  Paymasters  to  districts,  and  assistants, 
to  enter  into  bonds,  with  good  and  sufficient  surety,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  their 
respective  duties]." 

The  Act  of  March  16,  1802,  seems  to  have  done  away  with  regi- 
mental and  battalion  paymasters,  but  the  office  was  again  created  by  the 
act  of  April  12,  1808,  which  provided  an  additional  military  force  of  five 
regiments  of  infantry,  one  of  riflemen,  one  of  light  artillery,  and  one  of 
light  dragoons,  with  one  paymaster  to  each  regiment,  with  $10  per  month 
in  addition  to  pay  in  the  line,  and  $6  for  forage  when  not  furnished  in  kind. 

Caleb  Swan  resigned  as  Paymaster  of  the  Army  on  the  30th  of  June, 
1808,  and  was  succeeded  by  Robert  Brent,  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 

The  act  of  January  11,  1812,  provided  one  Paymaster  to  each  of  the  ten 
regiments  of  infantry,  two  of  artillery  and  one  of  light  dragoons  raised  by 
that  act.  The  act  of  April  29,  181 2,  provided  a  Paymaster  for  the  Corps  of 
Engineers,  to  be  taken  from  the  subalterns.  This  was  repealed  by  the  act 
of  July  5,  1838,  which  provided  for  transfer  of  the  Paymaster  of  the  Corps 
of  Engineers  to  the  Pay  Department  of  the  army. 
The  act  May  16,  1812,  provided: 

"  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he  hereby  is,  authorized  and 
empowered  to  appoint  so  many  district  paymasters  as,  in  his  judgment,  the  service 
may  require  ;  and,  if  such  paymasters  are  taken  from  the  line  of  the  army,  they  shall 
respectively,  receive  $30  per  month,  in  addition  to  their  pay  in  the  line :  Provided, 
The  same  shall  in  no  case  exceed  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  major  ;  and,  if  not 
taken  from  the  line,  they  shall  receive  the  same  pay  and  emoluments  as  a  major  of 
infantry." 


THE  PA  Y  DEPA  R  THEN  T.  105 

Section  2  : 

"  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he  hereby  is,  authorized  and 
empowered  to  appoint  a  paymaster  to  each  regiment  on  the  peace  establishment,  who 
shall  receive  the  same  pay  and  emoluments  as  a  captain  of  the  regiment  to  which  he 
belongs :  Provided,  That  all  district  and  regimental  paymasters  shall  be  subject  to 
the  rules  and  articles  of  war,  and  give  such  bonds  to  the  United  States  as  the  secre- 
tary of  the  department  of  war  may  direct,  for  the  faithful  performance  of  their  duties. 
And  it  shall  he  the  duty  of  the  commanding  officer,  when  requested  by  the  paymaster, 
to  furnish  a  capable  non-commissioned  officer  or  soldier  to  aid  him  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty,  who,  while  so  employed,  shall  receive  double  pay. 

The  act  of  June  26,  1812,  provided  that  there  be  one  paymaster  to  each 
regiment  authorized  by  that  act.  And  the  act  of  July  6,  181 2,  authorized 
the  President  to  appoint  one  Deputy  Paymaster-General  from  the  line,  to 
any  army,  other  than  that  in  which  the  Paymaster  of  the  Army  shall  serve, 
with  $50  per  month  in  addition  to  his  pay  in  the  line,  "  and  assistant  depu- 
ties (not  exceeding  three  to  each  department)  as  the  public  service  may 
require,  who  shall,  in  like  manner,  be  taken  from  the  line,  and  who  shall, 
each,  be  entitled  to  $30  per  month,  in  addition  to  his  pay  and  other  emolu- 
ments, which  shall  be  in  full  compensation  for  his  extra  services." 

The  act  of  January  29,  181 3,  provided  one  paymaster  for  each  regiment 
raised  under  that  act,  and  the  acts  referred  to  therein  ;  as  does  the  act  of 
February  10.  1814,  entitled  "An  act  to  raise  three  regiments  of  riflemen." 

Section  20  of  the  act  of  March  30,  1814,  provided  "That  in  no  case  shall 
the  district  paymasters  or  quartermasters  of  any  grade  be  taken  from  the 
line  of  the  army,"  and  this  act  does  not  provide  Regimental  or  Battalion 
Paymasters  for  the  organizations  created  by  it. 

The  act  of  April  18,  1814,  fixed  the  annual  salary  of  the  Paymaster  of  the 
Army  at  $2000,  and  allowed  a  sum  for  clerk  hire  and  contingent  expenses 
of  office.  Also  authorized  the  appointment  of  Assistant  District  Paymas- 
ters, and  defined  the  duties  of  Paymaster,  District  and  Assistant  Dis- 
trict Paymasters. 

The  act  of  March  3,  181 5,  reduced  and  fixed  the  military  peace  estab- 
lishment at  10,000  men,  and  provided  that  there  should  be  one  Paymaster 
to  each  regiment,  to  be  taken  from  the  subalterns  of  the  line. 

By  this  act  the  office  of  District  and  Assistant  District  Paymaster  was 
abolished,  but  the  act  did  not  affect  the  office  of  Paymaster  of  the  Army, 
or  of  Deputy  Paymaster-General.  By  Executive  General  Orders  of  May 
17,  1815,  two  Deputy  Paymasters  and  two  Assistant  Deputy  Paymasters 
were  provisionally  retained. 

The  act  of  April  24,  18 16,  organizing  the  general  stafT  and  making  fur- 
ther provision  for  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  provided  for  a  Pay  De- 
partment as  follows : 

Sections,  "  That  the  pay  department  shall  consist  of  one  paymaster-general  of 
the  army,  with  the  annual  salary  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  and  that,  in 
addition  to  regimental  paymasters,  there  be  appointed  one  paymaster  to  each  battalion 
of  the  corps  of  artillery,  who,  as  well  as  the  regimental  paymasters,  in  addition  to  the 
tegular  and  punctual  payment  of  their  respective  regiments  or  corps,  shall  discharge 
the  duties  of  district  paymasters  within  such  district  as  shall,  from  time  to  time,  be 


io6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

assigned  them  by  the  paymaster-general,  under  the  direction  of  the  secretary  of  war. 
Provided,  That  regimental  and  battalion  paymasters  may  be  taken  either  from  the  sub- 
alterns of  the  army,  or  citizens,  and  appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
Provided,  also.  That  regimental  and  battalion  paymasters  shall  receive  the  pay  and 
emoluments  of  major,  and  shall  be  allowed  a  capable  non-commissioned  officer  as 
clerk,  who,  while  so  employed,  shall  receive  double  pay,  and  the  actual  expense  of 
transportation  while  traveling  under  orders  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty." 

Section  4  of  this  act  defines  the  duties  of  regimental  and  battalion 
paymasters. 

Section  6  prescribes  that  good  and  sufficient  bonds  shall  be  given. 

Robert  Brent  resigned  as  Paymaster-General  on  the  28th  of  August, 
1 8 19,  and  was  succeeded  by  Nathan  Towson,  of  Maryland.  Colonel  Tow- 
son  was  appointed  Colonel,  Second  Artillery,  on  the  ist  of  June,  1821,  but 
his  appointment  was  negatived  by  the  Senate.  On  the  appointment  of 
Colonel  Towson  to  the  Artillery,  June  i,  1821,  Daniel  Parker,  of  Massa- 
chusetts, then  Adjutant  and  Inspector  General  of  the  Army,  was  appointed 
Paymaster-General,  but  was  superseded  on  the  8th  of  May,  1822,  by  the  re- 
appointment of  Colonel  Towson,  who  continued  in  office  as  Paymaster- 
General  of  the  Army  until  the  date  of  his  death. 

Section  9  of  the  act  of  March  2,  1 821,  provided  "That  there  shall  be 
one  paymaster  general,  with  the  present  compensation,  and  fourteen  pay- 
masters with  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  regimental  paymasters." 

In  the  annual  report  of  Paymaster-General  B.  W.  Brice,  for  1868,  General 
Towson  is  referred  to  as  the  author  of  the  present  organization  of  the 
Pay  Department  and  the  arrangement  of  its  duties,  giving  to  paymasters 
the  field  grade  of  major,  and  making  it  an  independent  stafT  corps.  In  a 
report  dated  April  29,  1839,  to  the  Secretary  of  War  he  (Towson)  gives  the 
following  facts  in  the  history  of  army  paymasters  : 

Pirst. — From  1808  to  181 1,  before  the  war,  the  average  annual  loss  by 
the  defalcation  of  regimental  and  battalion  paymasters  amounted  to  1.58 
per  centum  on  the  amount  disbursed,  and  the  annual  average  expenses  for 
paying  the  army  to  3.10  per  centum. 

Second. — From  the  beginning  of  the  war  to  1816,  under  the  same  sys- 
tem, these  averages  were  :  defalcations,  2.98  per  cent.,  and  the  expenses,  4.36. 

Third. — From  the  date  of  the  reorganization,  in  1821,  on  the  new  plan 
(the  present  one)  to  1825,  the  average  defalcations  were  22-100;  little  more, 
it  will  be  perceived,  than  the  one-fifth  of  one  per  cent.,  which  was  finally 
paid  into  the  Treasury  ;  expenses  for  the  same  period,  2.13. 

Fourth. — From  1825,  after  the  new  system  had  been  well  established, 
not  one  dollar  of  defalcation,  and  the  total  average  expenses  reduced  to  one 
and  one-third  per  cent. 

Section  4  of  the  act  of  July  14,  1832,  provided,  "That  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  district  paymasters  of  the  army  of  the  United  States,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  payments  required  to  be  made  by  them  to  the  regular  troops,  to 
make  payment  to  all  other  troops  in  the  service  of  the  United  States, 
whenever  required  thereto  by  order  of  the  President." 

"Section  2  of  the  act  of  March  2,  1833,  authorized  the  Secretary  of 
War  to  allow,  and  pay,  district  paymasters  a  commission,  not  exceeding 


THE  PA  V  DEPA  R  THEN  T.  107 

one  per  centum  upon  the  amounts  paid  by  them,  respectively,  to  the  miiitia 
ordered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  according  to  law. 

The  act  of  July  4,  1836,  authorized  the  appointment  of  three  pay- 
masters, and  provided  for  the  detail  of  any  officer  of  the  army  to  the  duty 
of  Paymaster,  when  volunteers  or  militia  were  called  into  service. 

This  is  replaced  in  part  by  section  25  of  the  act  of  July  5,  1838,  and 
modified  by  section  31  of  the  same  act,  which  prohibits  the  separating  of 
any  officer  of  the  line  of  the  army,  employed  as  Paymaster,  from  his  regi- 
ment or  company.     (See  R.  S.  sec.  1224.) 

Section  24,  act  of  July  5,  1838,  provides  :  "  That  hereafter  the  officers  of 
the  pay  and  medical  departments  of  the  army  shall  receive  the  pay  and 
emoluments  of  officers  of  cavalry  of  the  same  grades  respectively  ac- 
ording  to  which  they  are  now  paid  by  existing  laws." 

Section  25  provides  for  a  temporary  expansion  of  the  Pay  Department 
whenever  militia  or  volunteers  are  called  into  service,  as  follows  : 

"  That  when  volunteers  or  militia  are  called  into  the  service  of  the  United  States, 
so  that  the  paymasters  authorized  by  law  shall  not  be  deemed  sufficient  to  enable  them 
to  pay  the  troops  with  proper  punctuality,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  President  to  ap- 
point as  many  additional  paymasters  as  he  shall  deem  necessary,  who  shall  perform  the 
same  duty,  give  the  same  bond,  be  subject  to  the  same  liability,  and  receive  the  same 
pay  and  emoluments,  as  are  now  provided  for  paymasters  of  the  army  :  Provided, 
however.  That  the  number  so  appointed  shall  not  exceed  one  for  every  two  regiments 
of  militia  or  volunteers  :  And  provided  also.  That  the  persons  so  appointed  shall  con- 
tinue in  service  only  so  long  as  their  services  are  required  to  pay  militia  and  volun- 
teers." 

Under  the  authority  given  by  the  foregoing  section  of  July  5,  1838,  the 
Pay  Department  was  increased  during  the  war  with  Mexico  and  the  war 
of  the  rebellion  by  the  appointment  of  a  number  of  Additional  Paymasters 
sufficient  for  the  payment  of  the  volunteer  force  called  into  the  service  of 
the  United  States,  as  follows  : 

ADDITIONAL   PAYMASTERS. 

Employed  during  war  with  Mexico 17 

Accounted  for  as  follows  : 

Died 2 

Resigned 2 

Discharged  (disbanded  March  4,  1849) 9 

Retained  in  permanent  establishment 4        17 

Subsequently  appointed  in  permanent  establishment i 

Employed  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion 562 

Died 28 

Resigned 171 

Cashiered 3 

Dismissed 14 

Honorably  mustered  out  of  service 318 

Retained  in  permanent  establishment 28       562 

Subsequently  appointed  in  permanent  establishment 17 


io8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Section  9  of  the  act  of  July  7,  1838,  allowed  the  Paymaster-General  and 
Surgeon-General  of  the  army  the  additional  rations  for  every  five  years' 
service,  granted  by  the  act  of  July  5,  1838. 

The  act  of  June  17,  1846,  authorized  an  mcrease  of  three  paymasters. 

The  department  was  again  increased  by  section  12  of  the  act  of  March 
3,  1847,  which  authorized  the  President  "  to  add  to  the  pay  department  of 
the  army  two  deputy  paymaster-generals,  with  the  pay  and  allowances, 
each,  of  a  deputy  quartermaster-general,  and  ten  paymasters,  with  the  pay 
and  allowances,  each  of  a  paymaster  of  the  army;  and  the  officers  so  ap- 
pointed shall  give  such  bonds  as  the  President  shall,  from  time  to  time,  di- 
rect :  Provided,  That  the  deputy  paymaster-generals  shall,  in  addition  to 
paying  troops,  superintend  the  payment  of  armies  in  the  field." 

The  ten  paymasters  appointed  under  this  act  were  to  be  disbanded  on 
the  4th  of  March,  1849,  under  section  3  of  the  act  of  July  19,  1848. 

Section  13  :  That  the  officers  of  the  pay  department  shall  have  rank  corresponding 
with  the  rank  to  which  their  pay  and  allowances  are  assimilated  :  Provided,  That  pay- 
masters shall  not  in  virtue  of  such  rank  be  entitled  to  command  in  the  line  or  other 
staff  departments  of  the  army :  Provided,  also,  that  the  right  to  command  in  the  pay 
department,  between  officers  having  the  same  rank,  shall  be  in  favor  of  the  oldest  in 
service  in  the  department,  without  regard  to  the  date  of  commission  under  which  they 
may  be  acting  at  the  time." 

The  last  proviso  of  this  section  being  sequent  upon  the  act  of  May  15, 
1820,  which  required  a  reappointment  every  four  years,  is  obsolete;  rank 
being  determined  by  date  of  commission  or  appointment. 

Section  14.  "That  all  paymasters  hereafterto  be  appointed  by  the  Pres- 
ident for  the  volunteer  service  of  the  United  States  shall  be  nominated  to 
the  Senate  for  confirmation  to  such  office." 

The  act  of  August  12,  1848,  authorized  the  Paymaster-General  to  allow 
to  any  Paymaster  of  the  army  who  had  been  employed  in  the  payment  of 
volunteers,  during  the  war  with  Mexico,  a  commission,  not  exceeding  one- 
half  of  one  per  centum,  on  all  sums  disbursed  by  them  to  volunteers,  pro- 
vided said  commission  did  not  exceed  $1000  per  annum,  from  commence- 
ment to  close  of  the.  war. 

The  act  approved  March  2,  1849,  provided 

"  That  the  pay  department  of  the  army  shall  consist  of  a  paymaster-general,  who 
shall  have  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  the  same  pay  and  allowances  as  are  at  present  pro- 
vided by  law  for  such  officers,  and  the  same  tenure  of  office  as  the  heads  of  other  dis- 
bursing departments  of  the  army;  two  deputy  paymasters-general,  with  the  same  rank, 
pay  and  allowances  as  are  now  provided  by  law  for  such  officers,  and  the  same 
tenure  of  office  as  officers  of  like  grade  in  other  disbursing  departments  of  the  army  ; 
and  twenty-five  paymasters,  with  the  same  rank,  pay,  and  allowances  as  are  now  pro- 
vided by  law  for  such  officers,  and  the  same  tenure  of  office  as  officers  of  like  grade  in 
other  disbursing  departments  of  the  army.  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  all  disbursing 
officers  of  the  pay  department  to  renew  their  bonds,  or  furnish  additional  security,  at 
least  once  in  four  years,  or  as  much  oftener  as  the  President  m.ay  direct. 

"  That  the  officers  of  the  Pay  Department,  provided  for  by  the  first  section  of  this 
act,  shall  consist  of  the  paymaster-general,  the  two  deputy  paymasters-general  now  in 
commission,  the  fifteen  paymasters  who  were  in  service  under  the  acts  in  force  at  the 


THE  PA  Y  DEPARTMENT.  109 

commencement  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  and  ten  paymasters  to  be  selected  from  the 
additional  paymasters  now  in  service,  and  the  thirteen  paymasters  authorized  by  the 
acts  of  the  17th  of  June,  1846,  and  the  3d  of  March,  1847." 

There  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  further  legislation  relative  to 
the  Pay  Department,  and  the  organization,  as  provided  by  the  above  act. 
continued  until  1866.  Colonel  Nathan  Towson  died  at  Washington,  D.  C. 
on  the  2oth  of  July,  1854,  and  was  succeeded  as  Paymaster-General,  by  the 
promotion  of  Colonel  Benjamin  F.  Larned,  of  Massachusetts,  then  Deputy 
Paymaster-General,  who  continued  in  office  to  the  date  of  his  death,  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  September  6,  1862. 

Colonel  Timothy  P.  Andrews,  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  then  Dci)uty 
Paymaster-General,  was  promoted  to  be  Paymaster-General,  on  Septem- 
ber 6,  1862,  and  continued  in  the  office  until  he  was  retired,  on  his  own  ap- 
plication, after  forty  or  more  consecutive  years  of  service,  in  conformity 
with  Section  15  of  the  act  of  August  3,  1861.  Colonel  Andrews  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Benjamin  W.  Brice,  of  Virginia,  then  a  Major  and  Paymaster, 
fifth  in  rank  in  the  Pay  Corps,  who  was  appointed  Paymaster-General, 
November  29,  1864,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel,  to  July  28,  1866,  and  Briga- 
dier-General since  that  date. 

The  statistics  of  the  Pay  Department  show  that  during  the  war  of  the 
rebellion,  in  which  it  disbursed  $1,100,000,000,  the  defalcations  and  losses 
of  all  kinds  were  less  than  one-tenth  of  one  per  cent.,  and  the  cost  of  pay- 
ing the  troops,  including  expenses,  defalcations  and  losses  of  all  kinds, 
falls  short  of  three-fourths  of  one  per  cent,  on  the  amount  disbursed  ;  that 
chiefly  within  the  three  months  of  June,  July  and  August,  1865,  $270,000,- 
000  were  paid  to  800,000  individual  men  by  the  small  regular  force  of  the 
Pay  Department  and  the  additional  force  employed  under  the  act  of  July 
5,  1S3S,  which  drew  from  General  Brice  the  following  in  his  annual  report 
for  1865: 

"  No  similar  work  of  like  magnitude,  regarding  its  immensity  both  as  to 
men  and  money  and  the  small  limit  of  time  in  which  it  has  been  performed, 
has,  it  is  believed,  any  parallel  in  the  history  of  armies  *  *  *,  "  and 
vindicates  the  language  used  by  him  :  "  No  system  can  be  devised  which, 
equal  to  the  present  one,  can  be  made  to  combine  the  advantages  of  prompt 
payment,  the  safety  of  the  public  money,  and  an  accurate  and  prompt 
accountability,  with  the  least  possible  liability  to  embezzlement  or  corrupt 
defalcation." 

Section  18  of  the  Act  of  July  28,  1866,  provided  "That  the  pay  depart- 
ment of  the  army  shall  hereafter  consist  of  one  paymaster-general,  with  the 
rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  a  brigadier-general;  two  assistant  paymas- 
ters-general, with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of  colonels  of  cavalry ; 
two  deputy  paymasters-general,  with  the  rank,  pay,  and  emoluments  of 
lieutenant-colonels  of  cavalry;  and  sixty  paymasters,  with  the  rank,  pay, 
and  emoluments  of  majors  of  cavalry,  to  be  selected  from  persons  who 
have  served  as  additional  paymasters." 

Section  23  provides  that  the  Paymaster-General  shall  be  appomted  by 
selection  from  the  Corps  to  which  he  belongs. 

Section  6  of  the  act  of  March  3,  1869,  prohibited  new  appointments  and 


no 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


promotions  in  the  Pay  Department,  but  was  so  far  modified  by  the  act  of 
June  4,  1872,33  to  authorize  the  President  to  "  appoint  a  Paymaster-Gen- 
eral, with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  colonel,  to  date  from  the  time 
the  appointee  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office,  to  fill  the  vacancy  now 
existing. 

General  Brice  at  his  own  request  was  retired  from  active  service  on 
January  i,  1872,  in  conformity  with  Section  12  of  the  act  of  July  17,  1862. 

Benjamin  Alvord,  of  Vermont,  then  a  Major  and  Paymaster,  fourth  in 
rank  in  the  Pay  Corps  was  selected  and  appointed  Paymaster-General  of 
the  army,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel,  from  January  i,  1872. 

The  act  of  March  2,  and  Joint  Resolution  of  March  3,  1875,  established 
the  number  of  paymasters  at  fifty  and  authorized  the  appointment  of  maj- 
ors ;  and  by  the  act  of  July  22,  1876,  the  rank  of  paymaster-general  was 
made  brigadier-general,  under  the  authority  of  which  General  Alvord  was 
appointed  brigadier-general. 

The  act  of  March  3,  1877,  repealed  so  much  of  the  act  of  March  3,  1869, 
as  prohibited  promotions  in  the  Pay  Department. 

General  Alvord  was  retired  on  June  8,  1880,  at  his  own  request,  having 
served  over  forty  years  (Sec.  1243  R.  S.) ;  and  Nathan  W.  Brown,  of  New 
York,  the  senior  colonel,  was  selected  and  appointed  Paymaster-General 
same  date,  and  retired  on  the  6lh  of  February,  1882,  under  the  provisions 
of  Sec.  1244  R.  S. 

William  B.  Rochester,  of  New  York,  then  a  major  and  paymaster,  tenth 
in  rank  in  the  pay  corps,  was  selected  and  appointed  paymaster-general  on 
February  17,  1882. 

The  act  of  July  5,  1884,  making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the 
army  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1885,  provides:  that  hereafter  any  pay- 
master of  the  rank  of  major  who  has  served  twenty  years  in  the  United 
States  Army  as  a  commissioned  officer  may,  upon  his  own  application  or 
by  direction  of  the  President,  be  placed  upon  the  retired  list  of  the 
army,  until  the  pay  department  shall  be  reduced  to  thirty-five  members,  as 
follows :  one  paymaster-general,  with  the  rank  of  brigadier-general ;  two 
assistant  paymasters-general,  with  the  rank  of  colonel ;  three  deputy  pay- 
masters-general, with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  and  twenty-nine  pay- 
masters, with  the  rank  of  major  ;  and  no  more  appointments  of  paymasters 
shall  be  made  in  the  pay  department  until  the  number  shall  be  reduced 
below  twenty-nine  majors,  and  thereafter  the  number  of  officers  in  the  pay 
department  shall  not  exceed  thirty-five. 

General  Rochester  was  retired  by  operation  of  law  February  15,  1S90 
(act  of  June  30,  1882),  and  on  March  lo,  1890,  William  Smith,  lieutenant- 
colonel  and  deputy  paymaster-general,  was  selected  and  appointed  pay- 
master-general. 


Brigadier-Gkneral 

JAMES    WILKINSON 

Commanding  the  Army,  1796-1798-   1800-181 


JE  earliesi  rcc  ^rds  re. 


lus,  on  June  i6, 
igineer  and  two 

ief  engine  . 
•liqers^were 
fly.     On  Janu  f. 
.ink  proper  Col. 
arabridge." 
On  December 


Lin;  Contii 
o*  service 


It  was  rcs<, 
n  the  13th 
respects  Llie  chevalier  du  Portal:, 
Gouvion  ;  the  first  t"  be  a  colons 
e  third  a  major  >  ' 
I   Engineers  in  t' 
ineers  had  ' 
ained  en^: 
as  highly  . 
..rated  in  i^ 

Although  ... 
v.^rmal  establibhf.u/m  o, 
ates  from   March   1 1.  ;~ 
That  the  engineers  in 
A  corps  and  styled  the  C 
ttie  same  rights,  honors  and  ; 
linental  establishment.     That, 
shall  beappointed  by  Con^re'^^ 
niander-in-Chief  shall  be  add' 
he  Commander-in-r!iief,  an(i 
natter  relative  to  his  deparim"' 
ier-General  «.'  " 
ineers. 


112  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

The  services  of  this  revolutionary  corps,  including  its  companies  of 
sappers  and  miners  to  which  reference  will  soon  be  made,  were  important 
and  honorable ;  numbers  of  its  officers  were  brevetted  by  Congress,  and  its 
chief,  on  November  i6,  1781,  was  promoted  to  the  grade  of  major-general, 
"  in  consideration  of  his  meritorious  services,  and  particularly  of  his  dis- 
tinguished conduct  in  the  siege  of  York,  in  the  State  of  Virginia."  The 
names  of  one  brigadier-general,  six  colonels,  eight  lieutenant-colonels, 
three  majors  and  ten  captains  are  preserved  on  the  records,  and  unques- 
tionably the  list  is  incomplete.  In  November,  1783,  the  corps  was  dis- 
banded. 

The  next  need  for  the  services  of  military  engineers  occurred  at  the 
period  of  threatened  European  complications  during  the  administration  of 
Washington.  On  March  20,  1794,  Congress  authorized  the  President  to 
fortify  certain  harbors  on  the  coast,  and  there  being  no  engineers  in  service 
he  appointed  temporarily  several  foreign  born  gentlemen,  a  number  of 
whom  had  served  in  the  war,  to  direct  the  work.  On  May  9,  1794,  Con- 
gress passed  an  act  raising  for  a  term  of  three  years  (subsequently  ex- 
tended) a  corps  of  artillerists  and  engineers,  to  be  incorporated  with  the 
Corps  of  Artillery  then  in  service.  The  new  organization  was  stationed  at 
West  Point,  and  preliminary  steps  were  then  taken  for  forming  a  military 
school  there.  By  the  Act  of  April  27,  1798,  a  second  regiment  of  artillerists 
and  engineers  was  authorized,  on  the  same  footing  as  the  earlier  corps. 
On  July  16,  1798,  four  "  teachers  of  the  arts  and  sciences  "  were  authorized 
for  the  instruction  of  this  organization  ;  which  was  only  discontinued  by 
the  Act  of  March  16,  1802,  fixing  the  new  military  establishment. 

This  latter  act  authorized  the  President  to  organize  and  establish  a  Corps 
of  Engineers,  not  to  exceed  i  colonel,  i  lieutenant-colonel,  2  majors,  4  cap- 
tains, 4  first  lieutenants,  4  second  lieutenants,  and  4  cadets.  It  was  pro- 
vided that  the  said  corps  "  shall  be  stationed  at  West  Point,  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  and  shall  constitute  a  Military  Academy ;  and  the  engineers, 
assistant  engineers,  and  cadets  of  said  corps,  shall  be  subject  at  all  times 
to  do  duty  in  such  places  and  on  such  service  as  the  President  of  the  United 
States  shall  direct."  This  was  the  germ  of  the  present  Corps  of  Engineers. 
Most  of  the  officers  were  soon  dispersed  along  the  coast  on  various  military 
duties,  but  the  superintendence  and  the  responsibility  for  the  successful 
operation  of  the  Academy  remained  with  the  Corps  until  July  1 3,  1 866,  when 
the  institution  passed  to  the  army  at  large,  having  attained  a  standard  of 
excellence  which  needs  no  eulogy  here. 

In  the  earlier  period  of  its  organization  the  duties  now  pertaining  to  the 
Corps  of  Engineers  were  divided  between  two  different  branches,  sometimes 
under  a  common  head  and  at  other  times  separately  commanded.  Space 
will  be  saved  by  considering  this  subdivision  here. 

Although  a  somewhat  similar  organization  existed  in  the  revolutionary 
war,  no  officers  with  the  special  functions  of  topographical  engineers  were 
provided  for  our  armies  until  the  early  part  of  the  war  of  1812,  when  con- 
gress by  Act  of  March  3,  181 3,  authorized  as  part  of  the  General  Staff,  8  to- 
pographical engineers  with  the  brevet  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  majors 
of  cavalry,  and  8  assistants  with  the  brevet  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of 


THE  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS.  1 1 3 

captains  of  infantry.  The  law  authorized  these  officers  to  be  appointed,  or 
transferred  from  the  line  without  prejudice  to  their  rank  and  promotion 
therein,  but  the  full  number  seems  never  to  have  been  selected ;  and  at  the 
conclusion  of  peace  all  but  two  majors  were  mustered  out  of  service  under 
the  requirements  of  the  Act  of  March  3,  181 5.  By  Act  of  April  24,  1S16, 
however,  the  Corps  was  reestablished,  three  topographical  engineers  and 
two  assistants  (still  attached  to  the  General  Staff)  being  provided  for  each 
division  of  the  army.  This  stafT  assignment  continued  until,  by  general 
order  dated  July  2,  1818,  the  officers  were  "arranged  to  the  Engineer's  De- 
partment, and  *  *  *  made  subject  to  the  orders  of  the  chief  and  com- 
manding engineers."  In  the  August  following  a  separate  topographical 
bureau  was  established  in  the  War  Department,  under  the  immediate  direc- 
tion of  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  chief  engineer.  The  work  of  this 
branch  of  the  Engineer  Department  soon  increased,  calling  for  an  average 
detail  of  about  twenty-five  officers  of  the  line  of  the  army  and  the  employ- 
ment, under  the  Act  of  April  30,  1824,  of  a  still  larger  number  of  civil  en- 
gineers. On  June  21,  1831,  the  topographical  bureau  was  constituted  by 
the  Secretary  of  War  a  distinct  bureau  of  the  War  Department ;  and  by  Act 
of  July  5,  1838,  an  independent  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers  was  cre- 
ated by  Congress. 

By  the  Regulations  of  1841,  issued  shortly  after  this  separation,  the 
engineering  duties  of  the  War  Department  were  divided  between  the 
Corps  of  Engineers  and  the  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers  upon  the 
following  basis  : 

"  The  duties  of  the  Engineer  Corps  comprise  reconnoitring  and  survey- 
ing for  military  purposes,  the  selection  of  sites,  and  formation  of  plans,  pro- 
jects, and  estimates  for  military  defenses  of  every  kind ;  the  construction 
and  repair  of  fortifications  and  defensible  works  of  every  description, 
whether  temporary  or  permanent,  the  planning,  laying  out,  and  superin- 
tending all  military  works,  defensive  or  offensive,  of  troops  in  the  field, 
camp,  or  cantonment ;  the  planning  and  construction  of  military  bridges; 
the  planning,  laying  out,  and  superintending  military  trenches,  parallels, 
saps,  mines,  and  other  works  of  military  attack  and  siege;  the  planning  and 
executing  such  works  of  river  or  harbor  improvement,  including  sea-walls, 
breakwaters,  and  light-houses,  as  may  be  assigned  to  it  by  law,  or  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States ;  the  general  direction  and  management  of 
disbursements  for  the  above  works,  including  purchases  of  sites  and  mate- 
rials, hiring  workmen,  and  making  contracts  for  supplies  of  materials  or 
workmanship;  the  collection,  arrangement,  and  preservation  of  all  reports, 
memoirs,  estimates,  plans,  drawings,  and  models,  relating  to  the  several 
duties  above  enumerated :  and  the  superintendence  and  inspection  of  the 
Military  Academy. 

"The  duties  of  the  [Topographical  Engineer]  Corps  shall  consist,  in  sur- 
veys for  the  defense  of  the  frontier,  inland  and  Atlantic,  and  of  positions  for 
fortifications  ;  in  reconnoissances  of  the  country  through  which  an  army  has 
to  pass,  or  in  which  it  has  to  operate  ,  in  the  examination  of  all  routes  c' 
communication  by  land  or  by  water,  both  for  supplies  and  military  move- 
ments; in  the  construction  of  military  roads  and   permanent  bridges  con- 


114  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U,  S.  ARMY. 

nected  with  them,  and,  in  the  absence  of  an  officer  or  officers  of  the  Corps  of 
Engineers,  of  military  bridges,  and  of  field-works,  for  the  defense  of  encamp- 
ments, fords,  ferries,  and  bridges.  For  which  purposes,  officers  of  the  Corps 
of  Topographical  Engineers  shall  always  accompany  armies  in  the  field." 

In  the  Regulations  of  1857  and  in  subsequent  editions,  the  duties  of  the 
two  corps  were  defined  jointly  under  a  common  heading,  being  practically  a 
summation  of  those  comprised  in  the  Regulations  of  1841  for  both.  In  time 
of  peace  this  modification  of  the  Regulations  introduced  no  change  and  no 
confusion,  the  Corps  of  Engineers  retaining  charge  of  the  works  for  per- 
manent defenses  and  of  certain  other  public  constructions,  and  the  Corps  of 
Topographical  Engineers  of  the  survey  of  the  lakes,  the  exploration  of  the 
Western  wilderness,  and  the  demarcation  of  State  and  International  boun- 
daries,— while  officers  of  both  corps  served  upon  works  of  river  and  harbor 
improvement,  and  upon  the  Coast  Survey,  the  Light-house  establishment 
and  other  special  duties.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  however,  it  was 
soon  discovered  that  engineer  duties  with  armies  in  the  field  admitted  of  no 
advantageous  division  between  different  organizations.  The  officers  were 
few  in  number,  and  the  work  was  so  onerous  that  practical  consolidation 
on  the  staffs  of  commanding  generals  very  soon  resulted.  Legal  union, 
however,  was  desired  by  the  officers  themselves  ;  and  a  petition  to  this 
effect,  prepared  by  a  joint  committee  representing  both  corps,  was  urgently 
favored  by  General  McClellan,  General  Halleck  and  General  Banks,  and  was 
approved  by  Mr.  Stanton,  the  Secretary  of  War.  A  bill  uniting  the  two 
corps  was  passed  by  the  House  of  Representatives  in  1862  and  was  favor- 
ably reported  in  the  Senate,  but  received  no  action.  Finally  by  Act  of 
March  3,  1863,  it  was  provided  :  "  That  the  Corps  of  Topographical  Engi- 
neers, as  a  distinct  branch  of  the  army,  is  hereby  abolished,  and  from  and 
after  the  passage  of  the  Act,  is  merged  into  the  Corps  of  Engineers  which 
shall  have  the  following  organization ;  *  *  *  That  the  general  officer 
provided  by  the  first  section  of  this  act  shall  be  selected  from  the  Corps  of 
Engineers  as  therein  established  ;  and  that  officers  of  all  lower  grades  shall 
take  rank  according  to  their  respective  dates  of  commission  in  the  existing 
corps  of  engineers  or  corps  of  topographical  engineers." 

The  Corps  of  Engineers,  as  thus  established,  and  as  af  present  consti- 
tuted, becomes  therefore  the  heir  to  the  honorable  record  of  both  the  origi- 
nal corps. 

The  same  Act  of  March  3,  1863,  also  inaugurated  the  present  system  of 
examinations  for  promotion  in  the  army  by  providing  that  no  engineer 
officer  below  the  grade  of  field  officer  shall  thereafter  be  promoted  before 
having  passed  a  satisfactory  examination  before  a  board  of  three  engineers 
senior  to  him  in  rank  ;  a  like  provision  was  also  inserted  for  the  Ordnance 
Department. 

T/ie  Engineer  Department. — Another  organization  should  not  be  over- 
looked in  tracing  the  history  of  the  development  of  the  service.  The 
"  Engineer  Department  "  was  established  by  order  of  the  President  shortly 
after  the  war  of  1812,  as  a  separate  command  with  geographical  limits  co- 
extensive with  those  of  the  United  States  and  embracing  the  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers, and  such  officers  of  topographical  engineers  and  other  arms  of  service 


THE  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS.  1 1 5 

as  might  be  attached  thereto,  and  the  Military  Academy.  Thus  the  chief 
engineer  in  early  days  exercised  the  functions  of  a  department  commander, 
being  allowed  an  aide-de-camp,  convening  courts-martial,  assigning  olficers 
to  stations,  granting  leave  of  absence,  and  placing  officers  on  "  waiting 
orders."  The  headquarters  which  had  been  first  established  in  New  York, 
were  transferred  to  Washington  by  order  of  the  President  on  April  3.  1818. 
While  this  organization  has  nominally  ceased  to  exist,  its  most  essential 
functions  are  still  vested  in  the  chief  of  engineers  as  commandant  of  the 
Corps  of  Engineers. 

The  Board  0/  E>!gineers.— On  November  16,  1816,  a  "Board  of  Engi- 
neers for  Fortifications  "  was  constituted  by  the  War  Department  to  perform 
the  following  duties : 

"  It  shall  be  the  duties  of  the  officers  of  this  board  to  examine,  in  con- 
junction, all  those  positions  where  permanent  works  are  or  maybe  proposed 
to  be  erected.  They  shall  select  the  proper  sites  for,  and  form  the  plans  of 
all  new  works.  Where  fortifications  have  been  commenced  or  are  finished, 
they  shall  report  how  far  the  sites  for  such  fortifications  have  been  judici- 
ously selected,  or  whether  or  not  the  works  are  adequate  to  the  defense  of 
the  prospective  positions,  and  they  shall  propose  such  alterations  or  addi- 
tions to  them  as  may  be  deemed  necessary.     *    *     * 

"  The  report  and  plans  adopted  by  the  board,  shall  be  submitted  with 
accurate  estimates     *     *     *    to  the  chief  of  the  corps. 

"The  original  reports  and  plans  agreed  upon  by  the  board,  as  well  as  those 
reported  by  any  member  of  it,  shall  be  submitted  by  the  Chief  of  the  Corps 
of  Engineers,  with  such  remarks  as  he  may  deem  proper,  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  for  final  adoption,  and  they  shall  be  deposited  in  the  secret  bureau  of 
the  Department  of  War." 

Under  the  Act  of  April  30, 1824,  inaugurating  works  of  internal  improve- 
ment, a  similar  "  Board  of  Engineers  for  Internal  Improvement  "  was 
organized  and  continued  until  about  the  date  of  the  segregation  of  the 
topographical  engineers  into  a  distinct  bureau  of  the  War  Department ;  after 
which  these  functions  seem  to  have  devolved  on  special  boards  of  greater 
or  less  permanency  until,  by  authority  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  in  an  order 
issued  on  September  2,  1879,  the  functions  of  the  "Board  of  Engineers  for 
Fortifications,"  which  had  continued  unchanged  since  1816,  were  extended 
to  include  such  works  of  river  and  harbor  improvement,  and  other  matters  as 
may  be  referred  to  it  by  the  chief  of  engineers.  This  organization,  now 
officially  designated  "  The  Board  of  Engineers,"  continues  to  the  present 
date. 

Engineer  Troops.— In  view  of  the  persistent  efforts  which  have  been 
made  to  class  the  engmeer  arm  of  service  with  the  stafT  of  the  army,  it 
should  be  noted  that  the  Continental  Congress  established  three  companies 
of  sappers  and  miners  before  it  definitely  constituted  the  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers. The  dates  of  the  resolutions  effecting  these  objects  are  May  27, 
1778,  and  March  11,  1779,  respectively.  Each  of  these  three  companies 
consisted  of  i  captain,  3  lieutenants,  4  sergeants,  4  corporals  and  60  pri- 
vates. It  appears  that  subsequently  another  company  was  added  ;  f(ir  by 
the  resolution  of  February  7,   1780,  four  captains  were  commissioned  by 


ii6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

name.  The  duties  assigned  were  the  following :  "  These  companies  to  be 
instructed  in  the  fabrication  of  field  works,  as  far  as  relates  to  the  manual 
and  mechanical  part.  Their  business  shall  be  to  instruct  the  fatigue  par- 
ties to  do  their  duty  with  celerity  aad  exactness,  to  repair  injuries  done  to 
the  works  by  the  enemy's  fire,  and  to  prosecute  works  in  the  face  of  it. 
The  commissioned  officers  to  be  skilled  in  the  necessary  branches  of  mathe- 
matics; the  non-commissioned  officers  to  write  a  good  hand." 

These  companies  of  sappers  and  miners  were  assigned  to  the  command 
of  Brigadier-General  du  Portail,  the  first  commandant  of  the  Corps  of 
Engineers,  and  served  throughout  the  war,  being  disbanded  with  that  corps 
in  November,  1783.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  David  Bushnell,  "the 
father  of  submarine  mining"  was  appointed  to  this  body  of  troops  on  the 
recommendation  of  Governor  Trumbull  of  Connecticut ;  he  signed  one  of 
the  last  returns  (now  on  file  in  the  archives  of  the  Department  of  State)  at 
West  Point  on  June  4,  1783,  as  "  Captain  Commanding." 

The  two  regiments  of  Artillerists  and  Engineers,  formed  before  the  reor- 
ganization of  the  army  in  1802,  each  contained  992  enlisted  men;  of  the 
privates  672  were  designated  sappers  and  miners  and  160  artificers;  the  re- 
maining 160  were  non-commissioned  officers  and  musicians. 

After  the  reorganization  of  1802  a  few  enlisted  engineer  soldiers  [one 
artificer  and  eighteen  privates]  were  authorized  to  be  enlisted  by  Section  3, 
Act  of  February  28,  1803.  By  the  Act  of  April  29,  1812,  it  was  enacted 
that  there  be  attached  to  the  Corps  of  Engineers  "either  from  the  troops 
now  in  service  or  by  new  enlistments,  as  the  President  of  the  United  States 
may  direct,  4  sergeants,  4  corporals,  i  teacher  of  music,  4  musicians,  19 
artificers,  and  62  men,  which  non-commissioned  officers,  musicians,  artifi- 
cers, and  men,  together  with  the  artificers  and  men  already  belonging  to 
the  Corps  of  Engineers,  shall  be  formed  into  a  company  to  be  styled  a  com- 
pany of  bombardiers,  sappers  and  miners,  and  be  officered  from  the  Corps 
of  Engineers,  according  as  the  commanding  officer  of  that  corps  may,  with 
the  approbation  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  direct." 

From  the  9th  of  June,  1814,  this  company  served  along  the  Niagara 
frontier,  especially  at  Fort  Erie  and  in  the  sortie  from  that  work.  It  was 
disbanded  by  the  Act  of  March  2,  1 821,  fixing  the  peace  establishment  of 
the  United  States,  which  retained  no  engineer  troops. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Mexican  war,  Congress,  by  the  Act  of  May  16, 
1846,  created  a  company  of  engineer  soldiers  which  were  "  entitled  to  the 
same  provisions,  allowances  and  benefits  in  every  respect  as  are  allowed  to 
the  other  troops  constituting  the  present  peace  establishment."  It  was  to 
"  compose  a  part  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  and  be  officered  by  officers  of 
that  corps  as  at  present  organized."  Its  functions  included  "  all  the  duties 
of  sappers,  miners  and  pontoniers  "  ;  and  it  was  also  to  "aid  in  giving  prac- 
tical instructions  in  these  branches  at  the  Military  Academy."  The  en- 
listed organization  comprised  10  sergeants,  10  corporals,  2  musicians,  and 
78  privates. 

This  company  joined  the  column  of  General  Taylor  on  October  11,  1846, 
but  was  soon  transferred  to  that  of  General  Scott,  where  it  took  a  gallant  and 
distinguished  part  in  all  the  battles  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico. 


THE  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS.  i  1 7 

In  1853  a  detachment  of  25  men  assisted  on  the  survey  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  railroad  ;  in  1858  the  company  took  part  in  the  Utah  expedition;  in 
1858,  1859  and  1S60  a  detachment  of  30  men  served  with  the  troops  in  Oregon 
and  Washington  territory,  taking  part  in  the  Wallen  expedition  to  Salt  Lake, 
the  joint  occupation  of  San  Juan  Island,  and  performing  other  important 
services. 

In  the  feverish  excitement  preceding  the  Civil  War  the  company  was 
ordered  to  Washington  to  guard  public  property,  and  at  the  inauguration  of 
President  Lincoln  it  was  selected  to  form  his  immediate  body  guard  when 
proceeding  to  the  Capitol.  It  formed  part  of  the  second  relief  expedition  to 
Fort  Pickens,  sailing  from  New  York  on  April  8,  and  after  spending  the 
summer  at  that  fort,  putting  the  works  in  a  state  of  defense,  returned  to 
Washington  in  October  1861. 

By  the  Acts  of  August  3  and  August  6,  1861,  three  additional  companies 
of  engineer  soldiers  and  i  company  of  topographical  engineer  soldiers  were 
added  to  the  military  establishment.  They  were  to  have  "  the  same  pay  and 
rations,  clothing,  and  other  allowances,  and  to  be  entitled  to  the  same  bene- 
fits in  every  respect  as  the  company  created  by  the  Act  for  the  organization 
of  a  company  of  sappers  and  miners  and  pontoniers,  approved  May  15,  1S46." 
The  old  company  and  each  of  the  new  companies  was  to  be  composed  of  10 
sergeants,  10  corporals,  2  musicians,  64  privates  of  the  first  class,  and  64 
privates  of  the  second  class, — in  all  150  men.  During  the  war  no  legal 
battalion  organization  existed,  although  the  companies  were  so  organized 
in  orders  ;  but  by  the  Act  of  July  28,  1866,  this  defect  was  remedied  by  the 
addition  of  a  sergeant-major  and  a  quartermaster-sergeant,  and  the  recog- 
nition of  the  detail  of  officers  of  engineers  to  act  as  adjutant  and  quarter- 
master, the  battalion  thus  comprising  a  total  of  752  enlisted  men. — its  pres- 
ent legally  authorized  strength. 

These  engineer  companies  after  the  return  from  Fort  Pickens  served 
throughout  the  Civil  War  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Space  is  lacking 
to  detail  their  important  and  gallant  services.  The  battalion  was  attached 
to  the  headquarters  of  the  army,  under  orders  of  the  chief  engineer,  and  be- 
sides its  special  duties  was  often  placed  in  the  line  of  battle.  Its  officers 
were  habitually  detached,  as  needed,  to  serve  temporarily  on  the  staffs  of 
generals  commanding  army  corps  and  divisions.  Its  colors  were  officially 
authorized  to  bear  the  names  of  the  following  engagements  :  Vera  Cruz, 
Mexico,  9  and  28  March,  1847;  Cerro  Gordo,  17  and  18  April,  1847; 
Contreras  and  Churubusco,  19  and  20  August,  1847;  Molino  del  Rey, 
8  September,  1847  ;  Chapultepec  and  City  of  Mexico,  13  and  14  September, 
1847;  Yorktown,  Va.,  4  May,  1S62;  Fair  Oaks,  31  May,  1862;  Mechanics- 
ville,  26  June,  1862;  Gaines's  Mill,  27  June,  1862;  White  Oak  Swamp,  28 
June,  1862;  Malvern  Hill,  i  July,  1862;  Antietam,  Md.,  17  September,  1862; 
Fredericksburg,  Va.,  13  December,  1862;  Chancellorsville,  4  May,  1863; 
Franklin  Crossing,  5  June,  1863;  Kelly's  Ford  and  Rappahannock  Station, 
7  November,  1863  ;  Wilderness,  5  and  6  May,  1864;  Po  River,  8  May.  1S64: 
North  Anna,  23  May,  1864;  Cool  Arbor,  3  June,  1864;  Siege  of  Petersburg, 
June,  186410  April,  1865. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war  the  headquarters  of  the  battalion 


ii8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

were  established  at  Willet's  Point,  New  York  harbor,  where  has  been 
gradually  developed  the  present  engineer  school  of  application.  All  officers 
on  assignment  to  the  Corps  of  Engineers  are  attached  for  two  or  three  years 
to  one  of  the  companies  to  acquire  practical  experience  with  troops,  and  to 
supplement  their  course  of  instruction  in  engineering  received  at  the  Mili- 
tary Academy.  The  captains  commandmg  the  companies  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  battalion  commander  act  as  instructors.  The  school  was  in- 
formally organized  by  General  Humphreys  on  August  8,  j866,  shortly  after 
his  appointment  as  Chief  of  Engineers ;  and  it  received  the  official  recognition 
of  the  War  Department  on  February  28,  18S5. 

One  company  of  the  battalion  is  usually  stationed  at  West  Point  to  aid 
in  giving  practical  instructions  in  its  special  duties  to  the  cadets  of  the  Mili- 
tary Academy.  For  several  years  after  the  Civil  War  two  companies  were 
posted,  one  at  San  Francisco  and  the  other  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  to 
be  available  for  any  military  duty  pertaining  to  their  arm  of  service.  When, 
under  the  changed  conditions  of  the  Indian  problem,  these  detachments 
became  unnecessary,  they  were  discontinued. 

Three  times  since  the  Civil  War  the  Battalion  of  Engineers  has  been 
called  upon,  by  order  of  the  President,  to  join  its  comrades  of  the  line  of 
the  army  in  aiding  the  civil  authority  to  enforce  the  law.  The  first  occa- 
sion was  the  suppression  of  illicit  distilleries  near  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard 
in  December,  1869.  The  second  was  on  similar  duty  in  Brooklyn,  in  No- 
vember, 1870,  together  with  the  occupation  of  the  Army  building  to  be  in 
readiness  to  suppress  anticipated  rioting  in  New  York  City  at  the  election 
of  that  month.  The  third  was  to  aid  in  putting  down  the  railroad  riots  in 
the  summer  of  1877  ;  and  it  so  happened  that  the  only  regular  soldier  who 
was  wounded  in  this  service  was  a  private  of  Company  A,  Battalion  of  En- 
gineers. Small  detachments  have  repeatedly  been  made  to  assist  officers  of 
the  Corps  in  reconnaissances,  surveys,  and  other  professional  duties  ;  and  the 
battalion  has  frequently  paraded  with  other  troops  on  National  occasions. 

One  important  duty  of  the  engineer  troops  in  times  of  peace  has  always 
been  to  aid  in  perfecting  the  materiel  pertaining  to  their  arm  of  service  in 
war.  This  has  been  done  with  marked  success.  The  bridge  equipage  has- 
tily organized  for  the  Mexican  war  had  proved  unsatisfactory,  and  in  1858 
experiments  were  begun  to  determine  the  best  composition  of  trains  for 
our  service.  These  studies  included  trials  with  and  the  improvement  of 
samples  of  those  used  in  the  European  armies  most  experienced  in  the  art 
of  military  bridge  making.  The  materiel,  except  a  few  iron  boats,  was  all 
fabricated  by  Company  A  at  West  Point,  and  the  investigation  was  con- 
ducted in  so  thorough  and  systematic  a  manner  by  Lieut.  Duane  (since 
Chief  of  the  Corps)  that  at  the  outbreak  of  war  in  1861  every  need  of  our 
armies  operating  in  a  theatre  much  obstructed  by  great  rivers  was  perfectly 
met.  After  the  Civil  War  similar  duties  were  devolved  upon  the  Battalion 
of  Engineers  in  the  development  of  a  system  of  submarine  mines  for  the 
defense  of  our  harbors  and  rivers;  and  the  materiel  and  methods  now  offi- 
cially determined  and  established  by  the  Chief  of  Engineers  with  the 
approval  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  have  resulted  from  these  studies.  The 
duty  of  employing  these  weapons  in  war  was  on  July  i,  1871,  added  to  the 


THE  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS.  i  19 

other  military  duties  of  engineer  troops  by  Congress.  The  school  of  sub- 
marine mining  forms  a  branch  of  the  Engineer  School  of  Application  at 
Willet's  Pomt;  all  officers  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers  are  required,  and 
officers  of  other  arms  of  the  service  are  allowed  upon  application  to  take 
this  special  course. 

]Var  Record  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers. — Beside  the  military  duties  as- 
signed to  engineer  troops,  there  are  important  professional  functions  which 
devolve  upon  engineer  officers  serving  on  the  statT  of  generals  commanding 
armies  in  the  field  ;  and  in  our  service  the  command  of  volunteer  troops, 
as  well,  has  often  devolved  on  officers  of  the  Corps.  In  every  war  with  a 
civilized  power  since  the  earliest  history  of  our  country  these  duties  have 
been  performed  by  them  in  a  manner  to  merit  and  receive  distinguished 
commendation  ;  and  in  all  these  wars  their  blood  has  been  shed  on  the  field 
of  honor.  That  this  is  no  exaggeration  is  shown  by  the  following  list  of 
officers  who  have  been  killed  or  mortally  wounded  in  battle  since  the 
organization  of  the  present  Corps  in  1S02.  All  were  graduates  of  the  Mil- 
itary Academy  : 

Capt.  and  Bvt.  Lieut.-Col.  E.  D.  Wood,  Sept.  17,  1814,  Sortie  from  Fort 
Erie,  U.  C. 

Capt.  W.  G.  Williams,  Sept.  21,  1846,  Monterey,  Mexico. 

1st.  Lieut,  and  Bvt.  Captain  W.  H.  Warner,  Sept.  26,  1849,  by  Indians 
near  Pitt  River,  Cal. 

Captain  J.W.  Gunnison,  Oct.  26, 1853,  by  Indians  near  Sevier  Lake,  Utah. 

Maj.-Gen.  I.  I.  Stevens,  U.  S.  V.,  Sept.  i,  1862,  Chantilly,  Va. 

Brig.-Gen.  J.  K.  F.  Mansfield,  U.  S.  A.,  Sept.  18,  1862,  Antietam,  Md. 

ist.  Lieut,  and  Bvt.  Col.  J.  L.  K.  Smith,  Oct.  12,  1862,  Corinth,  Miss. 

1st.  Lieut,  and  Bvt.  Major  O.  G.  Wagner,  April  21,  1863,  Siege  of  York- 
town,  Va. 

Major  and  Bvt.  Major-Gen.  A.  W.  Whipple,  May  7,  1863,  Chancellors- 
ville,  Va. 

Captain  and  Bvt.  Col.  C.  E.  Cross,  June  5,  1863,  Franklin's  Crossing  of 
Rappahannock  River,  Va. 

ist  Lieut,  and  Bvt.  Col.  P.  H.  O'Rorke,  July  2,  1863,  Gettysburg,  Pa. 

Captain  and  Bvt.  Col.  H.  S.  Putnam,  July  18, 1863,  Assaultof  Fort  Wag- 
ner, S.  C. 

Captain  and  Bvt.  Col.  A.  H.  Dutton,  June  5,  1864,  Bermuda  Hundred, 
Va. 

Major  and  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  J.  St.  C.  Morton,  June  17,  1864,  Petersburg, 
Va. 

Brig.-Gen.  U.  S.  A.,  J.  B.  McPherson,  July  22,  1864.  Atlanta,  Ga. 

1st  Lieut,  and  Bvt.  Maj.  J.  R.  Meigs,  Oct.  3,  1864,  Harrisonburg,  Va. 

1st  Lieut.  Jacob  E.  Blake,  Topographical  Engineers,  deserves  to  be  men- 
tioned in  this  list,  although  his  death  resulted  from  the  accidental  discharge 
of  his  own  pistol  on  the  field  of  Palo  Alto  after  an  act  of  the  most  con- 
spicuous gallantry  performed  in  the  sight  of  both  armies. 

Very  many  of  the  officers  of  the  Corps  have  been  wounded  in  battle, 
some  several  times,  but  the  list  is  too  long  for  the  space  allotted  to  this 
paper. 


120  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

During  the  war  with  Mexico  19  officers  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers  and 
24  officers  of  the  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers  served  actively  in  the 
field.  One  of  them,  Captain  Williams,  was  killed,  and  sixteen  wounds  were 
divided  among  the  others.  Among  those  of  this  little  band  who  subse- 
quently, in  the  Civil  War,  reached  high  rank  and  distinction  may  be  men- 
tioned in  order  of  seniority  in  their  respective  corps  :  Generals  Mansfield, 
Robert  E.  Lee,  Barnard,  Beauregard,  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  Halleck,  Tower, 
G.  W.  Smith,  McClellan,  Foster,  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  Emory,  Fremont, 
Meade,  Pope,  Franklin,  and  T.  J.  Wood. 

During  the  Civil  War  the  officers  of  both  Corps  with  few  exceptions 
served  with  the  armies  in  the  field.  Some  were  attached  to  the  battalion, 
others  were  on  the  staffs  of  army  and  division  commanders,  and  many  held 
volunteer  commissions  in  command  of  troops.  This  latter  list  would  have 
been  much  larger  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  had  not  the  ground  been 
taken  at  the  War  Department  that  their  services  in  their  own  arm  were  too 
important  to  be  spared  in  volunteer  grades  lower  than  that  of  brigadier- 
general. 

It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  33  officers  who  either  held  or  had  held  com- 
missions in  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  were  appointed  during  this  war  general 
officers  in  command  of  troops.  Of  these,  3  became  major-generals,  and  3 
brigadier-generals  in  the  regular  army  ;  1 5  were  major-generals,  and  i?  were 
brigadier-generals  of  volunteers;  8  of  the  33  commanded  armies;  and  10, 
army  corps.  At  least  8  general  officers  in  the  Confederate  armies  had  been 
officers  of  our  Corps  of  Engineers,  and  among  them  were  General  Robert  E. 
Lee  and  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 

Peace  Record  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers. — The  limits  of  this  paper  forbid 
any  attempt  at  details.  The  subject  can  hardly  be  covered  more  concisely 
than  by  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  General  Humphreys  when 
Chief  of  Engineers,  addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  War  in  response  to  a  cir- 
cular of  September  4,  1876,  inviting  suggestions  upon  the  subjects  before  a 
commission  for  the  reform  and  reorganization  of  the  army.  This  paper, 
which  is  reproduced  nearly  verbatim  in  Hamersly's  Army  Register  for  100 
years,  contains  historical  sketches  of  the  two  Corps  compiled  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Casey,  now  Chief  of  Engineers.  It  involved  much  research  and 
has  been  freely  used  in  preparing  the  foregoing  pages.  General  Humphreys 
writes  : 

"  From  the  earliest  period,  the  several  organizations  of  engineers  which 
we  have  had  in  our  service,  have  invariably  and  exclusively  made  the  sur- 
veys for,  and  the  plans  of,  our  sea-coast  defenses,  whether  of  a  temporary 
character  which  were  built  up  to  i Si  8,  or  of  the  permanent  character  which 
have  been  since  that  time  projected,  and  have  superintended  their  con- 
struction and  the  disbursement  of  the  funds  appropriated  by  Congress  for 
the  same. 

"  Up  to  about  1 83 1,  its  officers  were  to  a  great  degree  the  repositors  m 
this  country,  of  that  knowledge  which  was  requisite  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing accurate  surveys.  The  location  and  construction  of  the  roads,  canals, 
and  bridges  built  for  the  development  of  the  resources  of  the  country,  and 
the  accurate  methods  of    surveying,  geodetic,  topographic,  and   hydro- 


THE  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS.  \  2  i 

graphic,  now  in  use,  are  in  a  great  measure  due  to  the  talents  and  labors  of 
its  officers. 

"  Almost  all  the  great  routes  of  internal  communication  in  the  interests  of 
commerce  and  speedy  transit,  now  in  existence  in  the  country,  were  first  ex- 
plored, located,  and  projected  by  officers  of  this  Corps.  The  files  of  the 
bureau  of  the  Corps  in  Washington,  and  the  Congressional  documents,  are 
rich  in  reports  upon  the  works  of  this  character,  that  have  been  examined 
into  under  authority  of  law,  by  the  Corps  of  Engineers. 

"  In  the  matter  of  the  improvement  of  rivers  and  harbors,  in  the  interest 
of  commerce,  the  Corps  of  Engineers  has  had  almost  the  exclusive  control, 
and  the  information  on  this  subject  contained  in  reports  of  its  officers,  from 
the  early  years  of  this  century  to  the  present  time,  now  filed  in  the  Bureau 
of  the  Corps,  is  a  monument  to  its  labors  and  a  most  valuable  collection  of 
precedents  to  be  used  in  the  future  prosecution  of  such  works. 

"  The  surveys,  examinations,  and  constructions  which  have  been  made 
by  officers  of  the  Corps,  have  not  been  confined  to  such  matters  as  are  solely 
in  charge  of  the  War  Department.  From  time  to  time  the  State  Depart- 
ment, the  Navy  Department,  the  Treasury  Department,  and  the  Interior 
Department  have  employed  its  officers  in  the  running  of  boundary  lines,  and 
the  surveys  for  the  maps  necessary  to  be  used  in  delicate  diplomatic  nego- 
tiations ;  in  the  surveys  for,  and  the  constructions  of,  dock-yards;  the  sur- 
veys for  canal  routes  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama;  upon  astronomical 
observations  in  the  interest  of  science  ;  in  the  surveys  of  the  coasts,  the 
planning  and  construction  of  light-houses  and  other  fixed  aids  to  navigation  ; 
the  planning  and  construction  of  public  buildings,  of  custom  houses,  post- 
offices,  marine  hospitals,  etc. ;  and  especially  in  the  construction  of  the 
Capitol,  the  General  Post  Office,  and  the  Washington  Aqueduct  in  this  city. 

"  Scarcely  a  branch  of  engineering,  whether  military  or  civil  can  be  men- 
tioned, that  has  not  been  improved  and  expanded  by  the  study  and  labors 
of  the  officers  of  this  Corps. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  enumerate  all  the  duties  which  may  have  been,  or  which 
can  be  devolved  on  the  Corps  of  Engineers  in  time  of  peace.  As  the  duties 
generally  are  such  as  require  familiarity  with  the  sciences  and  arts,  any  duty 
which  the  Government  needs  performed  which  involves  the  application  of 
this  character  of  learning  and  comes  within  the  professional  training  of  the 
several  members  of  the  Corps,  may  be  devolved  by  the  President  upon  them." 

The  labors  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers  have  been  largely  increased  by  the 
Act  of  August  II,  1888,  which  imposes  upon  the  Secretary  of  War  the  duty  of 
establishing  harbor  lines  when  in  his  judgment  they  are  essential  for  the  pre- 
servation and  protection  of  harbors  ;  also  by  the  Acts  of  September  19,  1890. 
and  of  July  13,  1892,  which  contain  important  provisions  relative  to  bridges, 
dumpmg,  wrecks,  and  other  obstructions  to  navigation. 

Presettt  Organization  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers.— The  headquarters  of 
the  Corps  are  now  in  Washington,  where  under  the  direction  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  the  engineer  department,  including  its  bureau,  is  commanded 
by  its  chief.  His  office  is  subdivided  into  five  divisions.  In  general  terms, 
the  first  includes  fortification  ;  the  second,  engineer  troops  and  depots, 
with  Corps  orders,  returns  and  personnel ;  the  third,  civil  works  of  improve- 


122  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ment;  the  fourth,  appropriations  and  disbursements;  the  fifth,  surveys, 
maps  and  claims.  Officers  of  the  Corps,  usually  three  in  number,  are  detailed 
to  take  charge  of  these  divisions. 

A  permanent  board  of  engineers  of  not  less  than  three  members,  usually 
high  in  rank,  plans  and  revises  projects  of  permanent  fortification  and 
works  of  river  and  harbor  improvement,  and  considers  such  other  matters 
as  may  be  referred  to  it  by  the  Chief.  The  latter  submits  all  important  re- 
ports, with  his  views  thereon,  to  the  Secretary  of  War  without  whose  sanc- 
tion no  important  work  is  undertaken. 

The  geographical  limits  of  the  United  States  are  divided  into  districts 
usually  about  fifty  in  number,  the  military  and  civil  engineerings  works  in 
each  of  which  are  in  charge  of  an  officer  of  experience  in  the  corps.  These 
officers  execute  the  works,  disburse  the  funds,  and  submit  such  projects  and 
estimates  as  may  be  ordered. 

Such  of  these  districts  as  are  in  charge  of  officers  below  the  grade  of 
lieut. -colonel  are  grouped  in  divisions,  the  number  and  extent  of  which  are 
determined  by  the  Chief  of  Engineers.  At  present  there  are  five,  each  in 
charge  of  a  Colonel  of  the  Corps.  Division  engineers  exercise  care  and  over- 
sight over  the  works  in  progress,  inspect  them  at  least  once  a  year,  and 
counsel,  advise,  and  incase  of  emergency  direct  the  district  officers  in  matters 
pertaining  to  the  engineering  features  of  their  works,  reportingsuch  action 
promptly  to  the  Chief  of  the  Corps.  All  papers  connected  with  engineering 
project,  plan  and  construction  within  his  division  pass  through  the  office  of 
the  division  engineer. 

The  engineering  works  of  all  districts  are  inspected  annually  by  the 
chief  of  engineers  or  by  the  division  engineers. 

Officers  of  the  Corps  are  detached  under  the  Treasury  Department  to 
act  as  light-house  engineers  in  each  of  the  sixteen  districts  into  which  the 
country  is  divided ;  and  others  are  detailed  to  serve  as  members  and  as 
engineer  secretary  of  the  Light-house  Board. 

Under  the  Act  of  June  ii,  1878,  an  officer  of  the  Corps,  with  two  Engineer 
officers  as  assistants,  is  detailed  as  one  of  the  three  commissioners  for  the 
Government  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  Other  officers  are  detached  for 
service  in  connection  with  the  Military  Academy,  and  on  special  duties 
such,  for  example,  as  the  demarcation  of  State  and  International  boundaries. 

The  battalion  is  officered  by  details  from  the  Corps,  and  other  officers 
may  be  detached  to  serve  on  the  staffs  of  generals  commanding  depart- 
ments. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  the  duties  of  our  Corps  of  Engineers 
combine  the  functions  of  the  Corps  du  Genie,  and  of  the  Fonts  et  Chaussees 
in  the  French  service  ;  and  in  time  of  war  include  many  of  the  functions  of 
the  Etat  Major.  That  these  duties  are  performed  by  an  aggregate  of  109 
officers,  not  including  the  additional  2d  lieutenants  authorized  by  Act  of 
May  17,  1886,  sufficiently  demonstrates  the  onerous  nature  of  the  services 
exacted  from  the  Corps. 

It  may  be  added  in  conclusion  that  the  term  "  staff  corps  "  sometimes 
erroneously  applied  has  always  been  repudiated  by  officers  of  the  Corps  of 
Engineers   as   a   designation    not  in  accordance  with  our  statute   law  or 


THE  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS.  .123 

with  the  practice  of  other  armies.  The  Corps  forms  no  part  of  the  staff  of 
the  army,  for  it  in  no  case  furnishes  the  means  necessary  for  its  subsistence, 
comfort,  mobility,  and  action  to  any  greater  degree  than  does  the  artillery 
or  cavalry.  In  most  services  it  is  termed  a  special  arm,  and  in  all  services  it 
is  assigned  a  place  in  the  line  of  battle.  With  us  the  honor  of  the  right  of 
the  line  is  conceded  by  the  regulations.  This  fact  from  the  very  derivation 
of  the  term  is  sufficient  to  justify  the  claim  that  the  Corps  belongs  to  "  the 
line  "  of  the  army  and  that  its  officers  are  properly  so  classed  except  when 
specially  detailed  for  staf?  duty. 

In  view  of  the  general  misapprehension  prevailing  as  to  the  old  63d 
Article  of  War,  now  expunged  from  the  list,  some  reference  to  its  history 
and  true  import  seems  appropriate.  The  article  was  enacted  by  the  Act 
of  April  10,  1806,  and  read  as  follows: 

"  The  functions  of  the  engineers  being  generally  confined  to  the  most 
elevated  branch  of  military  science,  they  are  not  to  assume,  nor  are  they  sub- 
ject to  be  ordered  on,  any  duty  beyond  the  line  of  their  immediate  profes- 
sion, except  by  the  special  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  ;  but 
they  are  to  receive  every  mark  of  respect  to  which  their  rank  in  the  army 
may  entitle  them  respectively,  and  are  liable  to  be  transferred,  at  the  discre- 
tion of  the  President,  from  one  corps  to  another,  regard  being  paid  to  rank." 

This  enactment  was  the  outcome  of  a  dispute  which  in  1803  arose  be- 
tween Colonel  Williams,  Commandant  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  and 
Captain  Izard  of  the  Artillery,  whose  company  was  stationed  at  West  Point, 
upon  a  question  connected  with  the  command  of  the  post. 

The  matter  was  referred  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  then  Hon.  H.  Dear- 
born, who  decided  "  that  no  officer,  cadet,  or  soldier  of  the  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers was  subject  to  the  orders  of  any  officer  of  any  other  corps,  but  to  the 
orders  of  the  President  only,  or  when  in  actual  service  to  the  orders  of  the 
commanding  general,  and  that  no  officer  of  engineers  should,  under  any 
circumstances,  command  any  officer  or  troops,  of  any  other  corps,  except 
by  the  special  orders  of  the  President." 

This  decision  limiting  command  of  engineer  officers  being  in  contraven- 
tion of  the  then  Articles  of  War,  published  by  order  of  Congress  on  Sep- 
tember 2,  1776,  was  received  with  great  mortification  and  dissatisfaction  by 
the  officers  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  who  felt  themselves  justly  aggrieved 
thereby.  No  reply  being  received  to  a  memorial  on  the  subject  addressed 
to  the  President,  Mr.  Jefferson,  the  whole  Corps  determined  to  resign  their 
commissions  ;  and  Colonel  Williams  and  Major  Wadsworth,  the  only  field 
officers  then  in  the  Corps,  did  actually  resign. 

As  it  was  apparent  that  the  military  pride  and  sense  of  justice  of  the 
officers  was  severely  wounded,  the  Secretary  of  War  sanctioned  a  corre- 
spondence between  General  Wilkinson,  the  commanding  general  of  the 
army,  and  Colonel  Williams,  inviting  him  to  return  to  the  command  of  the 
Corps,  accompanied  with  a  project  of  a  General  Order  containing  the  prin- 
ciples, and  substantially  the  expressions,  subsequently  embodied  in  the  63d 
article  above  quoted.  Upon  this  basis  the  difficulty  was  settled.  The  arti- 
cle was  in  truth  a  compromise,  accepted  but  never  favored  by  the  Corps  of 
Engineers. 


124  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

This  article  did,  however,  contrary  to  the  usage  of  other  nations,  deprive 
engineer  officers  of  the  right  of  succession  in  command  by  virtue  of  sen- 
iority of  commission,  when  different  corps  of  the  army  joined  to  do  duty 
together.  Foreseeing  the  trouble  which  might  arise  in  consequence,  Con- 
gress wisely  enacted  in  the  organic  acts  raising  the  engineer  troops  now  in 
service,  the  provision  that  these  organizations  "  shall  be  entitled  to  the 
same  provisions,  allowances  and  benefits  in  every  respect  as  are  allowed  to 
other  troops  constituting  the  present  military  peace  establishment." 

This  legislation  has  settled  the  old  standing  controversy  as  to  right  of 
command  in  actual  service  with  troops.  The  Battalion  of  Engineers  has 
often  served  with  other  troops  both  of  the  army  and  navy,  and  always  upon 
the  basis  thus  laid  down ;  which,  moreover,  was  officially  recognized  by 
General  Sheridan  when  commanding  the  army.  In  an  indorsement  dated 
July  7,  1885,  he  wrote :  "  When  engineers  are  on  duty  with  organized  bodies 
of  troops  of  their  own  corps,  they  are  or  should  be  considered,  as  line  officers, 
and  when  a  command  of  engineer  troops  happens  to  join  or  do  duty  with 
the  troops  of  other  corps,  the  engineer  officers  should  be  entitled  to  com- 
mand, or  to  be  commanded,  according  to  seniority  of  rank. 

"  Paragraph  9  of  the  present  Army  Regulations,  fixes  the  position  in 
lines,  of  the  different  corps,  including  engineers  on  all  occasions  of  pa- 
rade and  ceremony,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  for  the  interest  of  the  service, 
generally,  that  the  engineer  troops  should  in  our  service,  as  in  that  of 
other  nations,  be  considered  as  of  the  line  of  the  army, — an  arm  of 
service.     *     *     * 

"In  1 86 1,  a  battalion  of  engineer  troops  was  formed,  and  with  a  strength 
varying  from  200  to  750  enlisted  men.  has  been  continued  in  the  permanent 
establishment.  The  Battalion  of  Engineers,  comprising  the  companies 
stationed  at  Willet's  Point  and  one  company  of  engineer  soldiers  stationed 
at  West  Point,  having  an  aggregate  strength  of  466  officers  and  men,  is  one 
of  the  most  efficient  bodies  of  troops  in  our  service." 

In  the  early  part  of  its  history  the  Chief  of  the  Corps  took  an  active 
part  in  the  operation  of  armies  in  the  field.  The  latest  example  was  in 
the  case  of  General  Totten,  who  personally  directed  the  duties  of  his  arm 
of  service  in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  In  one  instance,  that  of  General 
Alexander  Macomb,  the  Chief  of  the  Corps  was  promoted  to  the  command 
of  the  army  with  the  rank  of  Major-General. 

The  limited  space  allotted  to  this  paper  has  precluded,  for  the  most 
part,  the  mention  of  individual  members  of  the  Corps,  although  many  of 
them  have  played  an  important  part  in  the  history  of  the  country.  The 
list  on  the  following  page  of  the  successive  commanders,  however,  should 
find  a  place ; 


THE  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS. 


CHIEFS   OF   T 

HE  CORPS 

OF   ENGINEERS, 

1774  TO    1893 

Date 

Where 

Name. 

Rank. 

Title. 

of 

Appointed 
From. 

Appointment. 

Richard  Gridley 

Colonel 

Chief  Engineer 

June       ,  1775 

Mass. 

Rufus  Putnam 

" 

" 

Aug.     5,  1776 

" 

Lewis  du  Portail 

" 

" 

July    22,  1777 
Nov.  17,  1777 

France 

Lewis  du  Portail 

Brig.  Gen. 

" 

" 

Lewis  du  Portail 

Maj.  Gen. 

" 

Nov.  16,  17S1 

" 

Stephen  Rochefontaine 

Lt.-Col. 

Comdr.  Corps  of 
Artillerists  and 
Engineers 

Feb.    26,  1795 

Henry  Burbeck 

Comdr.  ist  Regt. 
Corp:  Artillerists 
and  Tngineers 

May      7,  1798 

Mass. 

Jonathan  Williams 

" 

Principal  Engineer 

July      8,  1S02 

Penn. 

Jonathan  Williams 

" 

Chief  Engineer 

April  19,  1805 

" 

Jonathan  Williams 

Colonel 

" 

Feb.    23,  1808 

" 

Joseph  G.  Swift 

" 

" 

July    31,  1S12 

Mass. 

Walker  K.  Armistead 

" 

Nov.  12,  181S 

Va. 

Alexander  Macomb 

" 

" 

June      I,  1821 

New  York 

Charles  Gratiot 

" 

" 

May   28,  1828 

Mo.  Ter. 

Joseph  G.  Totten 

" 

" 

Dec.      7,  1838 

Conn. 

J.  J.  Abert 

' 

Chief  Top.  Engineer 

July      7,  1838 

D.  C. 

Stephen  H.  Long 

" 

"       "           " 

Sept.    9,    1S61 

New  Hamp. 

Joseph  G.  Totten 

Brig.  Gen. 

Chief  Engineer 

Mar.     3,  1863 

Conn. 

Richard  Delafield 

" 

.\pril  22,  1864 

New  York 

Richard  Delafield 

Chief  of  Engineers 

July    13,  1866 

Andrew  A.  Humphreys 

" 

Aug.     8,  1866 

Penn. 

Horatic  G.  Wright 

" 

[une  30,  1879 

Conn. 

John  Newton 

" 

" 

Mar.     6,  1884 

Va. 

Tames  C.  Duane 

Oct.    II,  1886 

New  York 

Thomas  L.  Casey 

" 

July      6,  1S88 

R.  I. 

THE  ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT. 
By  Major  C.   E.  BUTTON,  Ordnance  Dept,,  U.  S.  A 

THE  Ordnance  Department  was  organized  as  a  distinct  branch  of  our 
military  establishment  by  an  act  of  Congress  approved  May  14, 
1 8 1 2.  The  duty  of  providing  military  stores  for  the  army  and  militia 
had  devolved  prior  to  that  time  upon  a  purveyor  of  public  supplies 
acting  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  Everything  except  small 
arms  was  purchased,  mainly  by  contract,  and  the  Secretary  personally 
supervised  the  contracts.  The  examination  of  accounts  now  performed  in 
the  stalT  bureau  was  made  in  the  office  of  an  accountant  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment. The  duties  of  supplying  ordnance  material  vested  in  the  Secretary 
himself.  When  an  addition  of  6000  men  was  made  to  the  army  in  1808  these 
duties  became  excessive  and  burdensome  to  the  Secretary,  but  no  relief  was 
granted  until  the  war  with  Great  Britain  was  impending,  when  bills  were 
passed  establishing  a  Quartermaster  and  an  Ordnance  Department.  An  act 
of  May  14,  1812,  provided  for  a  Commissary  General  of  Ordnance,  an  assis- 
tant commissary  general,  four  deputy  commissaries,  and  as  many  assistant 
deputy  commissaries  as  the  President  might  think  necessary  not  exceeding 
eight. 

An  act  approved  February  5, 181 5,  "  For  the  better  regulation  of  the  Ord- 
nance Department,"  provided  a  body  of  officers,  consisting  of  one  colonel,  one 
lieutenant  colonel,  two  majors,  ten  captains,  and  ten  of  each  of  first,  second 
and  third  lieutenants.  As  this  act,  so  far  as  relates  to  the  Department  itself, 
independently  of  its  personnel,  is  regarded  as  its  organic  law,  and,  with  only 
minor  modifications  by  more  recent  acts,  is  still  in  force,  it  may  be  well  to 
indicate  briefly  its  most  important  features.  It  authorized  the  chief  officer 
of  the  new  department,  "  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  for  the  De- 
partment of  War,"  to  enlist  artisans  and  laborers  ;  to  direct  the  inspection 
and  proof  of  all  cannon  and  small  arms  ;  to  direct  the  construction  of  gun 
carriages,  equipments,  implements,  and  ammunition  ;  to  make  estimates 
and  contracts  for,  and  purchases  of  ordnance  supplies  and  stores,  and  to 
issue  them  to  the  army  ;  to  exact  from  armories  and  arsenals  quarterly  re- 
turns of  property  and  to  receive  from  all  responsible  officers  reports  of 
damages  to  ordnance  material;  to  establish  ordnance  depots ;  to  prepare 
regulations  for  the  government  of  the  Ordnance  Department  and  forms  of 
returns  and  reports.  The  public  armories  and  arsenals  were  placed  under 
his  direction,  and  the  duty  of  arming  and  equipping  the  militia  from  the 
permanent  appropriation  of  $200,000  per  annum  provided  by  the  law  of 
April  23,  1808,  devolved  upon  the  new  department. 

The  colonel  and  chief  of  the  new  corps  was  Decius  "\|fedsworth  and  the 
lieutenant  colonel  was  George  Bomford,  both  officers  of  ability  and  distinc- 

126 


THE  ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT.  127 

tion.  Little  is  known  of  the  state  of  this  service  in  the  six  years  following 
the  war  with  England  beyond  what  appears  in  the  routine  records.  These 
records  suffice  to  show  that  great  improvements  were  effected  in  modes  of 
administration  and  a  system  introduced  for  securing  promptness,  efTiciency, 
economy  and  responsibility  to  a  degree  which  was  before  unknown  and 
which  in  its  main  features  has  lasted  down  to  the  present  time.  Whoever 
reads  the  Ordnance  regulations  of  1818  will  be  surprised  to  see  how  little 
rather  than  how  much  they  diflfer  from  those  now  in  force. 

In  the  reduction  of  the  army  in  1 82 1 ,  the  Ordnance  Corps  ceased  to  exist, 
the  majority  of  its  officers  being  re-commissioned  in  the  artillery.  But  the 
Ordnance  Departmetit  remained.  Its  duties  were  performed  by  officers  de- 
tailed from  the  artillery.  Bomford,  who  had  been  the  lieutenant  colonel  of 
the  corps  and  was  made  lieutenant  colonel  of  the  ist  Artillery,  became  the 
head  of  the  Department.  The  law  provided  for  four  supernumerary  captains 
of  artillery  who  should  be  available  for  ordnance  duty,  and  these  were  so 
assigned.  Their  details  were  practically  permanent,  though  not  necessarily 
so;  their  continuance  depending  upon  the  pleasure  of  the  Secretary  of  War. 
All  other  officers  whose  services  might  be  required  were  to  be  detailed  for 
the  term  of  one  year  from  the  artillery. 

Whatever  may  be  the  merits,  under  favorable  conditions,  of  an  ordnance 
service  performed  by  officers  detailed  from  the  line,  it  is  now  apparent  that 
they  could  not  be  realized  under  the  law  of  1821.  The  periods  of  detail 
were  much  too  short  to  enable  them  to  become  proficient,  and  the  little  ex- 
perience they  might  have  gained  was  lost  to  the  Ordnance  service  by  the 
return  of  the  officers  to  their  regiments.  Then,  as  now,  the  duties  required 
men  of  special  and  long  experience,  and  once  secured  they  could  not  be 
easily  spared.  The  service  degenerated,  and  after  the  retirement  of  Mr. 
Calhoun  in  1825  his  successors  urged  with  increasing  pressure  the  reestab- 
lishment  of  the  Ordnance  Corps.  In  1832  Congress  yielded  and  passed  the 
bill.  It  provides  for  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant  colonel,  two  majors  and 
ten  captains,  to  be  selected  from  the  artillery.  Bomford  was  made  chief  of 
the  corps.  He  was  a  man  of  vigor  and  great  intelligence,  a  capable  organ- 
izer and  well  qualified  to  renovate  and  build  up  an  important  administra- 
tive bureau.  He  brought  to  his  new  office  certain  qualifications  which  are 
most  essential  to  it ;  above  all,  the  faculty  of  impressing  himself  strongly 
upon  public  men  in  Congress  and  at  the  head  of  administrations.  His  social 
standing  and  connections  were  eminent ;  his  address  impressive,  yet  pleas- 
ing. His  official  papers  in  particular  were  models  of  reserve  force,  lucid  ar- 
gument, and  fluent  style.  The  personnel  of  the  new  corps  was  carefully  se- 
lected. All  of  them  had  excellent  records.  Three  of  them,  Lieut.  Colonel 
George  Talcott,  Major  H.  K.  Craig,  and  Captain  R.  L.  Baker,  had  been  su- 
pernumerary captains  of  artillery  during  the  consolidation  period,  serving 
continuously  in  the  Ordnance.  One  name,  however,  was  conspicuous  by  its 
absence.  Captain  William  Wade,  who  had  been  one  of  the  supernumerary 
captains,  had  served  as  an  Ordnance  officer  since  181 2,  and  with  conspicu- 
ous merit.  In  the  natural  course  of  appointments  it  was  expected  that  he 
would  be  made  the  second  major :  but  the  place  was  given  to  Captain  and 
Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  William  J.  Worth.   Wade,  though  oftered  a  cap- 


128  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

taincy,  considered  himself  overslaughed,  and  resigned  from  the  army.*  If 
he  was  wronged,  he  secured  a  noble  revenge.  For  the  time  came  when  the 
department  was  in  urgent  need  of  just  such  services  as  Wade  was,  of  all 
men,  most  capable  of  rendering.  He  gave  them  loyally,  with  lasting  honor 
to  himself,  and  with  great  advantage  to  the  government.  Among  the  cap- 
tains, the  first  place  in  respect  to  ability  must  be  conceded  to  Alfred  Mor- 
decai.  He  rose  rapidly  by  force  of  merit  to  a  fame  less  brilliant,  but  not 
less  solid  than  Rodman's.  His  memory  is  entitled  in  a  peculiar  degree  to 
the  care  of  army  historians,  for  his  work  was  such  as  appeals  to  technical 
and  professional  men  rather  than  to  the  multitude.  His  contributions 
came,  not  in  the  shape  of  a  few  large  nuggets,  but  in  a  steady  stream  of  gold 
dust  sustained  for  many  years  and  far  outweighing  the  nuggets  in  the  end. 
The  value  of  his  work  consisted  in  its  accuracy,  its  systematic  character,  and 
its  immediate  utility,  and  still  more  in  the  subtle,  potent  way  in  which  the 
spirit  of  it  pervaded  almost  insensibly  the  entire  corps. 

Mordecai  was  not  the  only  one  whose  merit  was  greater  than  his  popular 
fame.  Of  some  of  them  I  knew  too  little  to  speak,  and  all  had  gone  from 
the  corps  when  I  entered  it.  But  I  well  remember  the  accounts  of  them 
given  by  those  who  had  served  under  them  and  whose  own  conduct  was 
the  best  illustration  of  the  discipline  and  training  they  had  learned  to  emu- 
late. Their  abilities  were  chiefly  executive.  They  may  perhaps  be  gauged 
by  the  generally  admitted  fact  that  the  armories  and  principal  arsenals  be- 
came the  model  workshops  of  the  country. 

The  field  open  to  the  new  corps  was  a  broad  one.  The  stagnation  of  the 
preceding  decade  had  pervaded  the  entire  army,  and  most  of  all  the  Ord- 
nance service.  It  had  caused,  not  indeed  retrogression,  but  a  lack  of  pro- 
gress. The  Indian  wars  of  the  thirties  once  more  awakened  the  interest  of 
Congress  in  the  army  and  the  army's  interest  in  itself.  The  equipment  of 
the  new  regiment  of  dragoons,  the  renovation  of  the  field-guns  and  their 
mounting,  the  improvement  of  cast  iron  with  a  view  to  heavier  calibres  in 
the  fortresses,  the  important  changes  in  their  carriages,  experiments  with 
breech-loading  small  arms,  all  engaged  attention.  Although  progress  was 
made,  the  full  fruition  of  that  progress  did  not  become  manifest  until  ten 
to  sixteen  years  later,  for  the  problems  were  difficult  and  the  general  state 
of  the  arts  and  sciences  was  not  at  that  time  such  as  to  render  a  very  rapid 
progress  possible. 

By  an  act  approved  July  5,  1838,  the  President  was  authorized  to  add  to 
the  Ordnance  Department  two  majors  and  to  transfer  to  it  from  the  artil- 
lery ten  first  lieutenants  and  ten  second  lieutenants,  A  supplementary  act 
approved  two  days  later,  July  7,  1838,  limited  the  number  of  lieutenants  to 
be  transferred  to  twelve.  Among  the  new  names  of  the  corps  we  find  those 
of  Captains  Maynadier  and  Thornton  and  Lieutenants  Whitely,  John  F. 
Lee,  Hagner,  Wainwright,  and  Dyer,  all  of  whom  rose  to  distinction  in  after 
years.     Worth  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  8th  Infantry,  Ripley  was  pro- 


*  Worth's  commission  as  captain  of  artillery  was  senior  to  Wade's,  but  I  thinlc  he  had  never 
before  served  in  the  Ordnance.  In  1838  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  newly  organized  8th  In- 
fantry and  his  career  in  the  Mexican  War,  where  he  served  in  his  brevet  rank  of  major  general,  is 
familiar  history. 


THE  ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT.  129 

moted  to  be  major,  and  Lomax  was  transferred  and  reappointed  major  from 
the  artillery.  In  1841  were  added  the  names  of  Gorgas  and  Rodman,  in 
1842  those  of  Laidley  and  Benton. 

The  decade  from  1840  to  1850  was  a  most  creditable  one.  The  propor- 
tion of  very  able  men  in  the  corps  was  such  as  could  be  equalled  by  very 
few  organizations  in  any  army.  In  1841  the  Ordnance  Board  was  estab- 
lished,— a  feature  of  the  department  which  still  exists,  though  its  functions 
are  in  a  large  measure  superseded  by  the  Board  of  Ordnance  and  Fortifica- 
tion. It  has  been  a  very  serviceable  institution.  It  has  always  been  com- 
posed of  ordnance  officers  of  great  experience  and  ability.  The  mixed 
boards  which  preceded  it  had  yielded  comparatively  small  results,  owing  to 
want  of  harmony  of  views  among  the  members.  The  new  board  being 
more  homogeneous  accomplished  more  every  year  than  its  predecessors 
had  accomplished  in  three  or  four.  The  first  work  before  it  was  systema- 
tizing the  armament  of  the  country,  including,  so  far  as  practicable,  the 
entire  range  of  ordnance  material,  making  complete  the  equipment  of 
every  arm  of  the  service  in  all  details,  preparing  working  drawings  of  every 
part  in  such  manner  that  they  could  be  made  of  exact  record  and  regula- 
tion. It  was  also  advisory  to  the  Chief  of  Ordnance  on  all  matters  referred 
to  it  concerning  improvements  in  material  and  as  to  experiments  upon  new 
devices  or  inventions.  Its  systematic  work  lasted  eight  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  (1849)  it  may  be  said  that  we  had,  in  theory  at  least,  a  true  sys- 
tem of  ordance  material  and  the  means  of  creating  any  amount  of  it  that 
Congress  might  deem  it  fitting  to  appropriate  the  money  for.  The  equip- 
ment of  light  batteries  was  completed  in  1842,  and  their  performance  in  the 
Mexican  War  is  well  known.  Material  for  siege  trains  had  received  full  con- 
sideration by  1845,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  that  war  an  effective  siege  train 
was  assembled  by  Huger  assisted  by  Hagner,  and  took  a  highly  creditable 
part  in  the  operations  of  General  Scott's  army  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City 
of  Mexico.  The  mounting  of  guns  in  casemate  and  barbette  was  com- 
pletely revised,  the  cast-iron  carriages  which  had  been  preferred  since  1820 
being  virtually  condemned  in  1839,  and  timber  carriages  were  again 
adopted.* 

The  armories  at  Springfield  and  Harper's  Ferry  since  their  first  estab- 
lishment in  1798  had  been  under  the  immediate  charge  of  civil  superinten- 
dents. Though  placed  under  the  nominal  control  of  the  Ordnance  De- 
partment by  the  law  of  181 5,  it  seems  to  have  been  held  that  the  executive 
management  of  the  affairs  of  the  armories  was  vested  by  law  in  the  super- 
intendents. Although  some  highly  objectionable  features  of  the  manage- 
ment had  grown  up  and  were  well  known,  no  decisive  measures  were  taken 
by  the  Secretary  of  War  to  correct  them  until  1842.  By  an  act  approved 
August  23,  1842,  the  offices  of  civil  superintendents  were  abolished  and 
the  duties  were  imposed  upon  officers  of  the  Ordnance  Corps.  Craig  was 
put  in  command  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  Ripley  at  Springfield. 

The  same  act  provided  for  the  employment  by  the  Ordnance  Bureau  of 
a  competent  person  to  superintend  the  manufacture  of  iron  cannon.     This 

*  Lieut   Birkhimer's  '  History  of  the  Artillery  "  gives  a  gooT!  sununary  of  the  changes  in  heavy 
gun  carriages,  page  254. 


I30  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

was  no  doubt  intended  for  the  recall  of  Wade  to  his  proper  sphere.  Since 
his  resignation  in  1832  he  had  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Fort  Pitt  Foundry 
at  Pittsburg,  and  as  a  result  of  many  costly  experiments  had  made  great 
progress  in  obtaining  large  iron  castings  of  increased  strength  and  reliability. 
This  was  of  much  importance  in  view  of  the  desire  to  obtain  guns  of 
greatly  increased  power.  About  1830  Bomford  had  designed  a  class  of 
large  guns  for  firing  shells  to  which  he  gave  the  grotesque  name  of  "  Co- 
lumbiads."  At  first  they  were  50  and  loo-pounders,  but  owing  to  the  un- 
certain character  of  the  metal  it  was  deemed  inexpedient  to  procure  more 
than  sufBced  for  a  trial  of  them.  In  1843  shell  guns  (columbiads)  of  8  and 
lo-inch  calibre  were  undertaken  with  some  degree  of  success.  The  metal 
was  of  excellent  quality,  but  it  had  become  plain  that  its  advantages  could 
not  be  fully  realized  until  advances  were  made  in  the  knowledge  of  gun- 
powder and  in  controlling  its  action.  Experiments  upon  gunpowder  were 
begun  by  Mordecai  at  the  Washington  Arsenal  in  1843.  As  models  of 
scientific  method  in  research  they  will  always  rank  high.  The  results  lie  at 
the  foundation  of  those  remarkable  improvements  in  the  use  and  control  of 
that  agent  which  came  in  after  years.  Their  completion  rendered  possible 
a  considerable  advance  in  the  power  of  heavy  artillery. 

In  1842  Talcott  became  the  real  Chief  of  Ordnance,  and  after  Bomford 's 
death  in  1848  was  promoted  to  be  colonel.  During  the  Mexican  War  there 
were  added  to  the  corps  by  the  act  of  March  3,  1847,  two  captains  and  six 
lieutenants.  Among  the  new  names,  appear  those  of  Charles  P.  Stone 
(1845)  and  Jesse  L.  Reno  (1846),  Julian  McAllister  (1847),  and  S.  V.  Benet 
(1849),  all  of  whom  attained  distinction  in  after  years. 

Great  as  had  been  the  advances  from  1840  to  1850,  those  from  1850  to 
i860  were  greater  still.  But  it  will  be  impossible  to  do  more  here  than  to 
allude  to  the  most  important.  First  in  importance  was  the  adoption  of  the 
rifled  musket  in  place  of  the  smooth-bore.  The  invention  of  the  sub-calibre 
expanding  bullet  was  the  turning  point.  Prior  to  that,  the  rifle  was  the 
inferior  arm  in  the  main  line  of  battle,  and  its  utility  had  been  limited  to 
special  corps  of  troops.  The  new  bullet  made  it  superior  for  all  purposes, 
and  in  1855  the  rifle  was  adopted  in  all  the  armies  of  the  world  as  the  in- 
fantry arm.  It  was  in  the  early  part  of  this  decade  that  Rodman's  experi- 
ments were  mostly  conducted  on  metals,  resulting  in  the  establishment  of 
the  principle  of  initial  tensions  in  the  construction  of  cannon.  His  exper- 
iments on  gunpowder,  establishing  the  control  of  its  combustion  and  carry- 
ing that  control  further  than  had  ever  before  been  contemplated  soon 
followed.  Of  all  methods  of  applying  the  principle  of  initial  tensions, 
Rodman's  was  the  crudest  and  least  satisfactory.  But  the  demonstration  ci 
the  principle  itself,  remains  as  the  most  important  contribution  to  the  art 
of  gun  construction  which  has  ever  been  made,  and  established  his  fame 
as  effectively  as  the  twitching  of  the  frog's  legs  established  the  fame  of 
Volta.  Little  if  any  less  important  was  the  control  of  the  action  of  gun- 
powder. But  Rodman's  contribution  in  this  line,  while  entitling  him  to 
high  honor,  must  be  shared  by  others. 

This  decade  18 50- 1860  was  remarkable  for  the  extraordinary  number  of 
devices  for  breech-loading  arms,  as  well  as  for  attempts  to  introduce  rifled 


THE  ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT.  131 

cannon.  The  results  were  at  best  very  imperfect,  thouyh  important  ad- 
vances and  some  partial  successes  were  attained.  The  introduction  of 
breech-loading  arms  as  a  finality  took  place  immediately  after  the  war,  and 
was  determined  by  a  great  invention  which  in  the  period  was  little  thought 
of  though  it  was  foreshadowed.  This  will  be  spoken  of  further  on.  The 
cavalry,  however,  accepted  the  Sharp's  carbine  in  1S57,  after  a  stubborn 
resistance  to  all  breech-loading  arms,  beginning  with  the  organization  of 
the  ist  Dragoons  in  1833.  Of  the  many  forms  of  breech-loading  arms. 
Sharp's  model  was  doubtless  the  best,  but  the  ammunition  was  from  its 
nature  very  perishable 

Perhaps  no  better  indication  of  the  character  of  the  progress  of  that 
decade  can  be  found  than  in  two  inventions,  Rodman's  pressure  gauge,  and 
Benton's  electro-chronograph.  The  first  (with  the  crusher  improvement) 
is  indispensable  in  interior  ballistics;  the  second  was  an  important  addition 
to  the  many  devices  which  are  equally  indispensable  in  exterior  ballistics. 
They  effected  a  revolution  in  scientific  methods  of  investigating  the  more 
difficult  problems  of  gunnery. 

In  this  decade  also  began  the  transitions  from  ancient  to  modern  artil- 
lery. It  proceeded  by  slow  and  difficult  steps.  The  establishment  of  the 
principle  of  initial  tensions  and  the  control  of  gunpowder  were  two  great 
achievements.  But  before  they  could  be  so  utilized  as  to  secure  the  enor- 
mously improved  results  which  were  afterwards  reached,  collateral  advances 
along  other  lines  were  necessary.  The  enlarged  chamber  leading  to  the 
principle  of  variable  "  density  of  loading  "  was  a  third  advance.  The  devel- 
opment of  the  art  of  making  large  masses  of  steel  suitable  for  guns  was  the 
fourth,  and  the  longest  delayed,  as  well  as  the  most  costly. 

In  1 85 1  Talcott  was  succeeded  by  Craig.  Between  1850  and  1859  the 
corps  received  Crispin,  Balch,  Shunk,  Treadwell,  Baylor,  O.  O.  Howard. 
Strong,  Horace  Porter,  and  Edson.  Soon  after  the  war  Balch  and  Porter 
resigned  ;  the  others  (except  Major  General  Howard)  are  all  dead.  The 
seven  senior  officers  of  the  corps  now  on  the  active  list  entered  it  in  1861. 

The  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  found  the  Ordnance  Department  in  a 
trying  situation.  It  had  been  its  policy  since  its  organization  to  accumu- 
late as  large  a  store  of  the  durable  munitions  of  war  as  its  appropriations 
permitted.  But  the  change  from  smooth-bore  to  rifle  in  1855  had  rendered 
the  old  muskets  obsolete.  Such  rifles  as  had  been  procured  since  that  year 
had  been  mostly  distributed  to  the  army  and  militia,  and  nearly  all  of  the 
remainder  had  been  sent  by  Secretary  Floyd  to  the  Southern  States  in  an- 
ticipation of  secession.  The  first  Secretary  under  Mr.  Lincoln  took  the 
matter  of  providing  arms  to  volunteers  in  chief  part  into  his  own  hands, 
and  sent  agents  to  Europe  to  purchase  whatever  arms  could  be  found. 
Meantime,  measures  were  taken  to  enlarge  the  capacity  of  Springfield 
Armory,  and  contracts  were  made  with  private  armories  to  furnish  with  the 
greatest  practicable  haste  large  supplies  of  muskets  of  the  Springfield  pat- 
tern. This  required  time,  and  the  first  volunteer  troops  were  in  many  cases 
armed  with  indifferent  weapons  derived  largely  from  Europe,  and  of  several 
widely  distinct  patterns.  All  other  supplies  were  forthcoming  in  abundance 
about  as  fast  as  the  troops  were  ready  to  receive  them,  and  from  the  begin- 


132  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ning  to  the  end  of  the  war  there  was  no  lack  of  small  arms,  artillery  ammu- 
nition, or  equipments.  Much  of  the  contract  work  and  material  was  of 
inferior  quality  in  comparison  with  the  outputs  of  the  Arsenal,  but  this  was 
due  in  a  great  measure  to  the  fact  that  the  Government  had  accumulations 
of  good  raw  materials  and  specially-trained  workmen,  while  contractors 
found  it  difficult  and  sometimes  impossible  to  secure  them.  The  efficiency 
of  a  well-trained  corps  of  officers  was  signally  displayed  in  the  promptness, 
accuracy  and  good  judgment  with  which  all  demands  upon  it  were  met, 
and  in  the  judicious  economy  with  which  its  material  was  managed  and 
husbanded. 

But  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  the  corps  lost  some  of  its  best  officers. 
Mordecai  resigned,  but  did  not  give  his  great  abilities  to  the  South.  Gorgas 
became  Chief  of  Ordnance  to  the  Confederacy,  and  displayed  the  highest 
ability  in  that  office.  Bell,  Huger,  John  F.  Lee.  and  Welcker,  resigned  and 
entered  the  Confederate  service.  Strong  became  a  brigadier,  and  after- 
wards a  major  general  of  volunteers,  and  was  killed  in  the  attack  on  Fort 
Wagner.  Reno  (Jesse  L.)  also  became  a  major  general  of  volunteers  and 
died  most  gallantly  at  South  Mountain.  The  distinguished  career  of  Oliver 
O.  Howard,  who  was  a  first  lieutenant  of  Ordnance  at  the  beginning  of  the 
war,  can  only  be  alluded  to  here. 

The  need  of  more  Ordnance  officers  was  obvious,  and  the  act  of  August 
3,  1861,  provided  that  "there  shall  be  added  to  the  Ordnance  Department 
*  *  *  one  Chief  of  Ordnance,  with  the  rank,  pay  and  emoluments  of  the 
Quartermaster  General  of  the  army,  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant  colonel,  and 
six  second  lieutenants,  the  field  officers  to  be  appointed  by  selection  from 
the  officers  of  the  army,  and  the  second  lieutenants  from  the  graduates  of 
the  MiUtary  Academy,  by  transfers  from  the  engineers,  or  the  topographi- 
cal engineers,  or  the  artillery."  The  office  of  Chief  of  Ordnance,  with  the 
rank  of  brigadier  general  being  thus  an  original  vacancy,  was  filled  by  the 
promotion  of  Ripley  over  the  head  of  Craig.  The  field  officers  were  selected 
from  the  Ordnance  Corps  in  accordance  with  seniority.  As  thus  organ- 
ized, the  corps  numbered  (January  i,  1862),  one  brigadier  general,  two 
colonels,  two  lieutenant  colonels,  four  majors,  twelve  captains,  twelve  first 
lieutenants,  eight  second  lieutenants,  twelve  storekeepers,  and  four  vacan- 
cies in  the  lowest  grade. 

The  act  of  March  3,  1863,  provided  for  the  addition  of  one  lieutenant 
colonel,  two  majors,  eight  captains,  and  eight  first  lieutenants,  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  promotion,  and  the  vacancies  at  the  foot  of  the  list  to  be  filled 
by  transfers  from  regiments  or  other  corps  of  the  army.  It  also  provided 
"  that  no  officer  of  the  Ordnance  Department  below  the  rank  of  a  field  offi- 
cer shall  be  promoted  to  a  higher  grade,  nor  shall  any  officer  of  the  army 
be  commissioned  as  an  Ordnance  officer,  until  he  shall  have  passed  a  satis- 
factory examination  before  a  board  of  not  less  than  three  Ordnance  officers 
senior  to  him  in  rank."  It  also  provided  that  this  organization  should  con- 
tinue only  during  the  Rebellion,  and  that  thereafter  the  officers  promoted 
should  have  the  rank  they  would  have  had  if  the  act  had  not  passed,  and 
the  number  should  be  reduced  to  the  organization  of  August  3,  1S61.  By 
the  act  of  July  28,  1S66,  the  number  of  officers  authorized  by  the  act  of 


THE  ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT.  133 

March  3,  1863,  was  made  permanent,  but  with  the  following  grades:  one 
brigadier  general,  three  colonels,  four  lieutenant  colonels,  ten  majors, 
twenty  captains,  sixteen  first  lieutenants,  ten  second  lieutenants,  and  thir- 
teen Ordnance  storekeepers. 

In  June,  1863,  Craig,  and  in  September  following,  Ripley,  were  retired 
after  more  than  forty-five  years  of  active  service,  and  George  D.  Ramsey  was 
appointed  Chief  of  Ordnance,  He  was  the  senior  officer  of  the  corps  at  the 
time  of  Ripley's  retirement,  having  entered  the  artillery  in  1S20  and 
transferred  to  the  Ordnance  as  a  captain  in  1S35.  In  September,  1864, 
Ramsey  was  retired,  and  Major  A.  B.  Dyer,  then  commanding  the  Spring- 
field Armory,  was  appointed  Chief. 

The  close  of  the  war  was  followed  by  dark  days  for  the  Ordnance.  Dis- 
appointed contractors  and  inventors  whose  hopes  had  not  been  realized, 
were  embittered  against  the  bureau  and  carried  their  grievances  into  Con- 
gress. A  joint  committee  was  appointed  to  investigate  their  complaints, 
and  the  procedure,  it  is  gratifying  to  know,  has  not  often  been  paralleled 
in  Congressional  committees.  Its  report  (drafted  by  the  most  bitter  and 
most  unreasonable  of  the  complainants)  reflected  severely  upon  General 
Dyer,  who  at  once  asked  for  a  court-martial.  It  was  refused,  and  he  then 
asked  for  a  court  of  inquiry,  which  was  granted.  The  inquiry  of  the  court 
was  long  and  thorough,  and  not  only  exonerated  him,  but  held  him  up  as 
an  example  worthy  of  the  imitation  of  all  army  officers.  Probably  the 
worst  effect  of  the  investigation  by  the  Congressional  committee  was  the 
encouragement  it  afforded  to  similar  attacks,  and  though  this  appears  to 
have  been  the  only  personal  one,  the  Ordnance  Department  found  to  its 
great  embarrassment  that  similar  influences  were  ever  present  to  poison  the 
minds  of  Committees  against  all  its  projects  for  the  improvement  of  heavy 
ordnance,  and  to  impose  upon  it  heavy  burdens  of  proof  against  other  projects 
which  it  could  in  no  way  recommend.  These  influences  were  maintained 
through  many  years.  They  created  a  feeling  of  distrust  towards  the  Depart- 
ment and  its  officers  for  which  there  was  no  real  ground.  They  caused 
Committees  to  give  precedence  to  and  vote  large  sums  for,  the  trial  of  costly 
devices  whose  failure  was  assured  in  advance,  and  every  attempt  in  the  true 
path  of  improvement  was  hampered  or  kept  waiting  indefinitely. 

The  year  1866  marks  a  revolution  in  the  armament  of  the  infantry.  To 
say  that  it  marks  the  change  from  the  muzzle-loading  to  the  breech-loading 
musket  does  not  accurately  nor  logically  express  its  real  significance. 
Breech-loading  arms,  both  great  and  small,  have  been  experimented  with 
for  at  least  three,  and  perhaps  four,  centuries.  The  period  from  1840  to  1857 
abounded  in  devices  for  breech  loading  which  became  more  numerous 
every  year.  It  is  a  common  idea  that  the  aversion  to  them  on  the  part  of 
all  officers  was  founded  in  mere  conservatism,  or  even  prejudice.  But  the 
truth  was  otherwise.  All  things  considered,  the  breech-loaders  were  inferior 
to  muzzle-loaders,  and  the  superiority  of  the  former  was  established  only  when 
the  centre  fire  metallic  cartridge  was  perfected.  The  ordinary  notion  is 
that  powder  and  ball  are  mere  accessories  to  the  gun  ;  that  the  gun  is  the 
all-important  and  substantive  thmg,  while  the  cartridge  is  a  minor  incident. 
So  all-pervading  has  this  idea  been  in  times  past,  that  even  the  most  expert 


134  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

have  been  not  only  influenced  by  it,  but  sometimes  governed  by  it.  The 
truth  is  the  opposite.  The  cartridge  is  primary  and  antecedent,  the  gun 
secondary  and  consequent.  Before  the  metallic  cartridge  was  perfected, 
breech-loading  arms  were  all  of  varying  degrees  of  badness  ;  afterwards  they 
were  all  of  varying  degrees  of  goodness.  At  no  time  smce,  has  there  been 
a  year  in  which  it  was  not  possible  to  select  half  a  dozen  or  more  designs  of 
breech-loaders,  such  that  if  we  were  to  assign  loo  as  a  figure  of  merit  for  the 
best,  the  corresponding  figure  for  the  poorest  would  be  at  least  90  and  per- 
haps 95.  Under  the  old  system,  the  ball,  the  powder  and  the  priming  were 
separate  and  separately  handled  ;  under  the  new  system,  they  formed  one 
piece.     The  gun  with  its  breech  mechanism  follows  as  a  logical  sequence. 

We  may  now  perceive  why  progress  with  breech-loading  arms  was  so 
slow,  prior  to  the  war,  and  why  "  science  moved  but  slowly,  slowly,  creeping 
on  from  point  to  point."  All  inventive  thought  was  concentrated  on  the 
gun  as  the  primary  factor.  But  when  the  centre  fire  metallic  cartridge  was 
developed — presto  !  "  Science  "  had  put  on  its  seven-leagued  boots.  The 
change  to  the  breech-loader  took  place  at  a  bound. 

These  remarks  are  oflfered  as  a  general  answer  to  the  frequent  criticism 
that  Ordnance  officers  were  slow  to  adopt  improved  arms,  and  that  they 
were  behind  other  nations  in  this  respect.  If  our  army  was  later  than  others 
in  receiving  breech-loaders,  it  was  the  first  to  have  the  metallic  cartridge, 
and  other  armies  only  got  bad  muskets  and  worse  ammunition  by  being  too 
previous. 

The  metallic  cartridge  it  seems  to  me  is  the  greatest  military  invention 
since  the  discovery  of  gunpowder.  It  is,  however,  an  evolution  rather  than 
an  invention,  embodying  a  slow  accretion  of  the  ideas  of  many  workers  and 
inventors.  The  earliest  patent  I  am  aware  of  on  the  centre-fire  form  is  that 
of  Morse,  though  his  design  is  crude.  It  was,  however,  worked  up  to  a 
thoroughly  effective  form  and  with  many  changes  at  the  Frankford  Arsenal. 
With  the  developed  form  came  the  necessity  of  providing  machinery  for 
manufacturing  it  rapidly  and  cheaply.  This,  too,  was  accomplished  at  the 
same  arsenal  during  the  commands  of  Benet  and  Treadwell.  The  designer 
of  this  machinery  was  Jabez  H.  Gill,  a  master  mechanic  at  Frankford,  who 
was  much  aided  by  Robert  Bolton,  the  foreman  of  the  cartridge  factory. 
Achievements  such  as  theirs,  if  attained  outside  of  the  government  service, 
would  have  made  their  names  illustrious. 

The  development  of  the  Springfield  rifle,  with  the  swinging  breech-block, 
quickly  followed.  Though  some  minor  improvements  have  been  made  from 
time  to  time,  its  essential  features  have  lasted  to  the  present.  While  foreign 
armies  have  changed  their  arms  repeatedly,  and  while  our  own  Ordnance 
Department  has  repeatedly  offered  competing  arms  which  seemed  from  the 
tests  of  the  provmg  ground  to  be  better,  the  infantry  have  clung  to  the 
Springfield  arm  with  a  tenacity  for  which  Ordnance  officers  som.etimes  find 
it  difficult  toaccount.  In  the  change  to  the  magazine  system,  the  policy  of 
the  Department  has  been  the  same  as  in  the  sixties ;  it  is  comprised  in  the 
old  proverb  :  "  Be  sure  you  are  right  and  then  go  ahead."  In  this  second 
change,  something  more  than  a  device  for  the  more  rapid  loading  and  dis- 
charge of  cartridges  was  required,  and  that  was  a  cartridge  of  reduced  size  and 


THE  ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT.  135 

weight,  without  any  reduction,  but  rather  with  an  increase  of  power.  Until 
the  cartridge  was  greatly  improved  the  change  was  at  best  of  very  doubtful 
advantage. 

The  act  of  March  8,  1869  (Army  Appropriations  bill),  stopped  all  promo- 
tions and  appointments  in  the  staff  corps  until  further  legislation.  The  act 
of  June  23,  1874,  reopened  promotions  and  gave  to  the  corps  its  present 
organization.  The  grade  of  second  lieutenant  of  Ordnance  was  abolished, 
and  also  Ordnance  storekeepers,  but  without  affecting  the  status  of  the 
storekeepers  then  in  service.  All  vacancies  in  the  grade  of  first  lieutenant 
were  to  be  filled  by  transfer  from  the  line,  and  all  promotions  and  appoint- 
ments to  be  subject  to  a  satisfactory  examination  before  a  board  of  Ord- 
nance officers.  These  provisions  have  been  of  great  value  and  importance  to 
the  corps,  and  are  in  a  large  measure  due  to  the  efforts  of  the  lamented  Lyford. 
They  have  secured  a  class  of  officers  to  whom  the  professional  reputation  of 
the  corps  may  be  entrusted  for  many  years  to  come  with  the  entire  confi- 
dence of  the  army  and  the  country.  There  might  seem  to  be  one  drawback, 
as  it  has  thus  far  had  the  effect  of  taking  from  the  artillery  some  of  its 
brightest  and  most  capable  lieutenants ;  but  that  corps  is  so  abundantly 
supplied  with  splendid  material  of  that  kind  that  it  will  hardly  feel  the 
drain. 

In  May,  1874,  General  Dyer,  after  a  long  illness,  passed  away,  and  in  the 
following  month,  S.  V.  Benet,  then  a  major  in  the  corps,  was  appointed 
Chief  of  Ordnance,  which  position  he  held  until  his  retirement  in  1891. 

Since  the  close  of  the  war,  the  corps  has  suffered  the  severest  visitations 
of  death.  The  complete  list  of  those  who  have  died  in  active  service  since 
the  war  is,  Wainwright,  Rodman,  Benton,  Crispin,  Shunk,  Todd,  Tread- 
well,  Baylor,  Edson,  Bradford.  Hill,  Buel,  Lyford,  Edie,  Chaffee,  C.  F.  Rock- 
well, McKee,  Ramsay,  Jr.,  Michaelis,  Prince,  Poland,  Clifford,  Wright,  Star- 
ring, Wier,  Medcalfe.  If  death  loves  a  shining  mark,  he  seldom  missed  it 
when  he  aimed  at  the  Ordnance  Corps.  If  the  average  efficiency  of  their 
successors  shall  be  as  great  as  theirs,  more  could  not  reasonably  be  asked 
nor  expected.  The  names  of  those  who  have  passed  in  the  same  time  to 
the  retired  list  and  thence  to  their  graves  will  also  serve  to  recall  the  early 
history  of  the  corps  in  whose  achievements  they  bore  a  highly  honorable 
part.  The  assemblage  of  names  is  a  strong  one :  Craig,  Ripley,  Ramsay, 
Maynadier,  Thornton,  Hagner.  Laidley,  McAllister.  Of  the  corps  which 
antedates  the  Mexican  War,  there  is  but  one  survivor.  Colonel  and  Brevet 
Brigadier  General  R.  H.  K.  Whiteley,whom  the  older  officers  of  the  present 
corps  recall,  not  only  with  profound  respect  and  admiration,  but  with  affec- 
tion. He  and  his  contemporaries  just  mentioned,  present  themselves  to 
our  recollection  as  models  to  be  imitated  in  respect  to  industry,  fidelity, 
discipline,  devotion  to  duty  in  the  military  relation,  and  dignified  courtesy 
in  the  private  one. 

The  recency  of  General  Benet's  command  would  make  it  from  a  military 
point  of  view  indecorous  for  me  to  do  more  than  to  respectfully  offer  my 
congratulations  upon  the  high  efficiency  of  the  corps  and  of  the  departmcnv 
at  the  term  of  his  administration. 


THE  SIGNAL  CORPS. 

By  LIEUT.  W.  A.  GLASSFORD. 
Signal  Corps.   U.  S.  A. 

THE  genesis  of  military  signaling  is  written  in  the  labors  of  Myer. 
What  from  the  most  ancient  times  other  commanders  had  dimly 
comprehended,  Napoleon  first  saw  clearly  enough  to  crystalize  into 
his  maxim,  "  Le  secret  de  la  guerre  est  dans  le  secret  de  conijumiica- 
tions."  What  the  great  captain  of  modern  warfare  recognized  but  could 
not  attain  was  the  problem  whose  solution  fell  to  Albert  James  Myer  of  the 
Medical  Department,  United  States  Army.  In  all  campaigns  from  the  re- 
motest times  the  maintenance  of  communication  by  transient  signals  had 
presented  itself  to  commanders  as  of  paramount  importance,  but  in  practice 
it  had  eluded  them.  When  simple  the  signal  was  inefficient,  when  efficient 
it  was  so  unwieldy  as  to  be  impracticable  ;  the  flashing  shield  at  Sunium  and 
the  fingers  of  Chappe's  semaphore  were  alike  in  their  unavailability  upon 
the  field  of  battle.  The  waving  flag  and  torch  of  Myer  were  the  first  con- 
tribution to  the  solution  of  the  problem  which  were  efficient  without  cum- 
bersome machinery,  and  while  so  simple  as  to  be  easily  extemporized  from 
any  chance  materials  were  yet  capable  of  performing  every  service  which 
they  could  be  called  upon  to  render. 

From  the  flag  and  torch  of  the  enthusiastic  inventor  to  a  highly  devel- 
oped corps  of  the  general  staff  is  a  long  step.  To  show  how  it  was  taken, 
to  present  some  of  the  more  striking  features  of  this  growth,  rapid  in  the 
heat  of  battle,  to  sketch  the  plan  on  which  the  Signal  Corps  was  built,  this 
chapter  of  the  history  of  the  war  has  been  written  from  study  of  the  com- 
piled Official  Records  of  the  Union  and  Confederate  armies. 

In  the  beginning,  the  corps  was  enfolded  in  the  enthusiasm  and  deter- 
mination of  Myer.  In  fact  there  was  no  corps,  but  there  was  Myer.  A 
chief  without  a  corps,  it  was  his  consuming  ambition  to  surround  himself 
with  a  staff  of  trained  assistants;  he  succeeded  in  his  ambition  in  1S63,  but 
such  were  the  animosities  excited  by  his  success  that  he  was  removed  from 
the  command  of  the  corps  he  had  created  and  in  1864  was  out  of  the  Army. 
Yet  such  was  the  influence  he  was  still  able  to  exert  that  he  prevented  the 
confirmation  of  Colonel  Fisher  twice  appointed  to  succeed  him.  It  is  with 
the  period  between  these  two  phases  of  signal  service  that  most  of  this 
sketch  has  to  do. 

Dr.  Myer  entered  the  Army  in  1854  as  an  assistant  surgeon.  His  active 
interest  in  sign  language,  already  displayed  in  his  graduating  thesis,  was 
manifested  at  once  by  its  development  into  a  system  of  signal  communica- 
tion, for  in  1856  he  drafted  a  memorandum  of  his  device.     This,  however 

136 


SIGNAL  CORPS. 


137 


attracted  little  or  no  attention  at  the  War  Department,  and  not  before  185L 
was  the  inventor  successful  in  bringing  his  plans  before  a  military  board 
duly  authorized  to  consider  them.  Yet  another  two  years  of  exertions, 
strenuous  though  unrecorded,  passed  by  before  Congress  created  the  posi- 
tion of  signal  officer  of  the  Army.  On  June  27,  i860,  Myer  was  gazetted 
Major  and  Signal  Officer,  the  first  known  to  history,  and  the  first  acknowl- 
edgment that  the  Napoleonic  maxim  was  worthy  a  place  in  practical 
military  science. 

Within  a  fortnight  he  was  despatched  to  the  plains.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  who  ordered  the  duty  and  to  whom  this  inventor  of  the  latest  feature 
of  military  art  was  sent.  It  was  Floyd  who  wrote  the  order,  it  was  Faunt- 
leroy  of  the  First  Dragoons  who  commanded  the  Department  of  New  Mex- 
ico to  which  the  signal  officer  was  assigned  ;  within  a  year  they  were  both 
under  arms  in  the  Rebellion,  and  the  signal  officers  of  the  Confederacy  were 
conveying  messages  on  Myer's  system  in  the  very  front  of  Washington  be- 
fore the  National  Army  had  fairly  realized  that  it  had  a  signal  officer. 
Fortuitous  as  this  coincidence  maybe.  Major  Myer  on  reaching  his  distant 
post  was  ordered  to  participate  in  the  Navajo  campaign  in  Colonel  Canby's 
command.  Here  again  the  senior  officer  designated  for  a  course  of  signal 
instruction  and  to  act  as  assistant  in  the  field  was  among  those  who  joined 
Floyd  and  Fauntleroy.  This  expedition  in  the  severest  rigors  of  mid-winter 
upon  the  mountains  of  New  Mexico  proved  a  test  which  showed  the  new 
signal  system  to  be  capable  of  all  that  was  claimed  for  it.  The  test  which 
proved  the  system  satisfactory  must  also  be  regarded  as  a  test  of  the  author. 
The  examination  of  what  he  did  in  this  campaign  gives  a  clue  to  his  suc- 
cesses as  well  as  his  failures  in  the  graver  war  which  followed,  and  the  test 
is  a  more  than  fair  one,  since  it  is  judging  him  by  his  own  standard. 

Myer  was  an  enthusiast,  but  his  enthusiasm  was  often  expended  on  trivi- 
alities. Strong  on  details  he  was  weak  on  great  principles.  Having 
founded  his  system  of  signal  communication  upon  a  code  of  three  elements 
he  failed  to  grasp  the  induction  which  should  have  led  him  higher.  He 
was  diligent  in  repeating  the  same  three  elements  in  all  sorts  of  guises 
having  developed  the  system  for  the  eye  he  devised  codes  to  appeal  to  the 
other  senses  of  touch,  hearing  and  even  of  smell.  He  multiplied  instance 
upon  instance  and  repeated  needlessly  the  demonstration  of  that  which  was 
already  proved.  In  connection  with  the  torch  he  was  minute  in  measuring 
the  diameter  of  the  flame-shade  and  its  linear  distance  below  the  wick.  He 
attributed  the  failure  of  his  dial  signal-telegraph  train  to  the  fact  that  curi- 
ous soldiers  cut  the  trailing  insulated  wire  to  see  what  it  was  made  of ;  he 
could  not  be  brought  to  see  the  inherent  inefficiency  of  an  apparatus  which 
could  not  be  made  to  work  over  ten  miles  of  wire,  even  if  uncut,  because 
wrong  in  principle. 

It  is  essential  to  a  proper  comprehension  of  the  corps  in  the  early  chap- 
ters of  the  war  to  understand  these  traits  of  the  man  who  called  the  corps 
into  being.  How  he  did  it,  how  he  induced  the  creation  of  a  staff  corps, 
how  he  was  himself  overpowered  in  the  very  success,  these  are  matters 
which  appear  in  the  Rebellion  records,  here  a  piece  and  there  a  piece  with 
many  gaps  which  demand  close  attention  to  fill  them  up. 


138  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

When  in  iS6i,  war  unexpectedly  broke  out  Major  Myer  was  prompt  to 
suggest  the  practical  value  of  signals  to  the  Army,  and  on  this  account  he  was 
called  from  the  west,  since  the  patriotic  zeal  at  headquarters  would  neglect 
no  chance  that  gave  even  the  faintest  promise  of  assistance.  In  Washing- 
ton there  was  haste  to  meet  the  emergency  so  suddenly  thrust  upon  the  Army 
not  yet  recovered  from  the  paralysis  of  wholesale  resignations.  Little  was 
known  of  the  new  military  device  and  Myer  found  officials  too  busy  to  give 
much  attention  to  his  plans.  Lights  appeared  on  the  Virginia  hills  by  night 
and  waving  flags  by  day,  a  device  of  the  enemy.  Incomprehensible  to  all 
others  and  menacing,  these  things  were  clear  to  Myer,  who  renewed  his 
efforts  under  this  stimulus  and  succeeded  in  gaining  the  official  ear.  A 
course  of  signal  instruction  was  initiated  on  June  lo,  1861,  at  Fort  Monroe, 
where  eleven  subaltern  officers  detailed  from  the  forces  near  that  post  were 
hastily  instructed  in  signal  duties.  This  course  continued  but  a  few  weeks 
and  came  to  a  sudden  close  when  Major  Myer  was  ordered  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Northeast  Virginia,  and  called  upon  to  establish  communication 
without  being  allowed  a  single  trained  assistant.  Blunder  as  it  was,  yet  it 
was  fruitful  in  results,  since  nothing  short  of  the  spectacle  of  the  Signal 
Officer  of  the  Army  idle  upon  the  field  of  Bull  Run,  could  avail  to  show  those 
charged  with  the  conduct  of  affairs,  that  the  individual  signal  officer  is  valu- 
able only  as  a  part  of  perfected  machinery.  However,  rudely  acquired,  this 
knowledge  led  to  the  establishment  on  August  30, 1861,  of  the  Signal  Camp 
of  Instruction  on  Red  Hill,  Georgetown,  D.  C,  a  permanent  institution 
where  under  the  diligent  charge  of  Lieut.  Samuel  T.  Gushing,  who  was  as- 
sociated with  Major  Myer  in  the  Navajo  campaign,  signal  parties  were  in- 
structed and  equipped  to  attend  each  army  that  took  the  field. 

Established  under  these  circumstances,  the  activity  of  the  Signal  Gorps 
during  the  war  can  best  be  studied  in  connection  with  the  great  military 
operations  of  the  campaigns  which  it  so  materially  assisted.  Reference  to 
the  general  maps  of  the  war  will  show  the  Confederacy  to  have  held  posses- 
sion of  the  interior  lines  of  communication,  a  decided  advantage,  the  want 
of  which  imposed  upon  the  Federal  commander  grave  inconvenience  and 
considerable  hazard,  in  that  it  enforced  upon  him  the  necessity  of  attack  by 
widely  disconnected  armies  operating  in  regions  equally  separated.  Com- 
paring all  the  campaigns  it  may  in  a  broad  way  be  said  that  the  Federal  at- 
tack was  directed  midway  between  the  four  cardinal  points.  Hasty  move- 
ments began  the  attack  upon  the  northeast  where  the  valleys  of  Virginia, 
Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  were  the  theatres  of  the  hardest  fighting.  In  the 
southeast,  the  coast  of  Florida,  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas  formed  another 
point  of  attack.  Louisiana  and  the  lower  Mississippi  were  the  scene  of  the 
southwestern  attack.  The  assault  upon  the  northwest  moved  along  the 
great  military  lines  of  the  Tennessee  and  the  Cumberland.  Any  study  of  the 
growth  of  the  corps  during  the  war  will  involve  the  necessity  of  tracing  its 
history  in  each  of  these  approaches  to  the  heart  of  the  Confederacy. 

This  method  of  examination  of  the  materials  at  hand,  while  sacrificing 
unity  of  time,  yet  in  its  stead  renders  it  possible  to  present  in  clear  terms 
the  independent  but  co-ordinate  development  of  four  bodies  of  signal  officers, 
each  in  its  own  field.  This  in  due  course  of  time  made  it  possible  for  Major 


SIGNAL  CORPS. 


139 


Myer,  as  with  intent  to  bring  about  a  uniform  degree  of  signal  efficiency 
throughout  the  armies,  to  embody  in  a  single  centralized  corps  these  organiza- 
tions which  were  practically  as  independent  of  him  as  of  one  another.  The 
period  comprehended  within  the  scope  of  the  more  detailed  part  of  this 
paper,  is  that  during  which  the  system  of  regimental  signal  officers  obtained, 
which  was  concluded  in  1S63  by  the  act  creating  the  Signal  Corps  to  con- 
tinue during  the  Rebellion.  However  successful  the  system  of  signals 
proved  itself,  it  must  be  seen  that  the  plan  of  detailing  regimental  officers 
crudely  instructed  broke  down  completely  under  the  strain  of  actual  cam- 
paign. One  of  the  most  distinct  lessons  of  the  war  is  this  which  appears 
unmistakably  in  every  report. 

Recurring  to  the  four  columns  of  inquiry  a  brief  presentation  will  be 
made  of  the  development  of  signals  in  each  up  to  the  period  noted.  This 
happens  most  opportunely  to  correspond  with  the  limit  of  the  Rebellion 
records  thus  far  published,  beyond  which  it  is  not  deemed  advisable  to  push 
a  detailed  inquiry  in  which  the  chances  of  error  are  considerable. 

Instruction  at  the  Georgetown  camp  had  been  but  a  few  weeks  under 
way  when  the  Signal  Officer  was  called  on  to  detail  officers  for  an  expedition 
then  fitting  out  at  Annapolis  for  an  unknown  destination.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning of  the  operations  on  the  southeast  at  the  close  of  i86i,and  the  ex- 
pedition was  that  commanded  by  General  Thomas  W.  Sherman  against 
Port  Royal  in  which  the  signal  officers  were  efficient  in  maintaining  com- 
munication and  won  for  the  signal  system  in  a  particular  degree  the  commen- 
dation of  the  Navy.  Early  ini862  signal  officers  accompanied  General  Burn- 
side's  Roanoke  expedition  and  secured  a  foothold  upon  the  coast  of  North 
Carolina.  Thereafter,  during  1862  and  1S63  the  Signal  Corps  was  present  at 
the  operations  in  the  two  Carolinas  with  ever  growing  efficiency.  It  must 
suffice  to  indicate  in  broad  outline  the  growth  in  the  southeast  quarter  up 
to  the  time  when  the  corps  was  placed  upon  a  solid  basis,  which  corre- 
sponds closely  with  the  engineering  successes  before  Charleston.  The  be- 
ginning was  small  at  Port  Royal ;  at  Roanoke  the  signal  officers  did  no  signal 
duty  at  all  and  won  mention  by  volunteer  service  as  aides.  From  this  hum- 
ble start  the  progress  in  the  next  eighteen  months  though  slow  was  steady, 
and  as  the  novel  service  won,  little  by  little,  the  confidence  of  commanding 
generals,  it  was  stimulated  to  greater  efficiency.  The  result  attained  is  appar- 
ent in  the  reports  of  the  chief  acting  signal  officer  of  the  Department  of  the 
South  which  detailed  the  events  just  prior  to  and  including  the  fall  of  Fort 
Wagner  and  Battery  Gregg,  the  approaches  to  Charleston.  It  is  shown 
plainly  in  his  record  of  events  ;  but  more  prominently  yet  in  the  attitude 
which  he  seems  to  have  felt  justified  in  assuming  toward  officers  his  super- 
iors in  lineal  rank,  and  in  the  freedom  with  which  he  called  upon  the  other 
staff  corps  to  render  him  assistance  in  erecting  the  ingeniously  constructed 
signal  towers  which  overlooked  Charleston  harbor  and  roads. 

The  scanty  record  of  signal  operations  in  the  southeast  presents  one 
difficulty, — lack  of  material  ;  the  record  in  the  northeast,  being  voluminous, 
presents  another  and  even  harder  difficulty,  that  of  selection  and  condensa- 
tion. Major  Myer,  who  was  designated  Chief  Signal  Officer  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  published  in  1864  his  report  of  its  two-year-old  signal  opera- 


I40  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S,  ARMY. 

tions,  written  with  less  reference  to  its  military  value  than  to  its  political  bear- 
ing upon  legislation  then  under  consideration  in  Congress.  From  these  rec- 
ords, diflfuse  in  details  and  silent  as  to  essentials,  it  is  a  hard  task  to  arrive 
at  the  methods  by  which  the  Signal  Officer  proposed  to  utilize  the  military 
results  of  his  actions,  in  firmly  establishing  his  own  position  which  as  yet 
had  not  emerged  from  the  insecurity  which  must  attach  to  any  experiment. 
On  this  northeastern  approach  there  was  some  signaling  done  in  1861  ; 
the  officers  instructed  at  Fort  Monroe  put  their  lessons  into  practice,  but 
they  contributed  little  to  the  success  of  these  early  engagements.     But  in 

1862  the  Signal  Corps,  after  its  full  winter's  training  at  Georgetown,  was  as 
eager  to  press  on  to  Richmond  as  any  portion  of  that  luckless  army.  Myer 
moved  with  his  corps  ;  he  saw  what  each  man  did  and  made  a  note  of  it ; 
nothing  escaped  his  attention  and  few  events  but  were  made  to  contribute 
to  the  greater  glory  of  the  new  arm  of  the  service.  He  diligently  recorded 
that  on  the  voyage  down  the  Potomac  the  Signal  Corps  prevented  marine 
disaster;  at  Yorktown  it  became  in  the  person  of  its  officers,  prominent  by 
reason  of  the  incessant  waving  of  their  flags,  the  target  for  artillery  practice  ; 
it  served  at  intervals  in  the  Seven  Days  Battles,  and  that  the  service  was  in- 
terrupted was  the  fault,  not  of  the  system,  but  of  the  battle  clouds  of  smoke  ; 
it  changed  its  base  to  the  James  and  directed  the  gunboat  fire  at  Malvern  ; 
it  fell  back  with  the  rear  guard  from  Richmond  with  the  great  army  to 
which  it  was  attached.  At  every  step,  after  the  corps  had  done  anything 
noteworthy,  Myer  insured  the  future  of  his  system  by  securing  a  letter  to 
that  effect  from  the  general  or  flag  officer  who  had  seen  it  done. 

Another  Signal  Corps  at  the  same  time  was  operating  with  Pope's  army 
at  Cedar  Mountain  and  Second  Bull  Run  as  it  had  done  in  the  early  spring 
with  Banks  at  Strasburg  and  Winchester,  but  its  history  is  obscure,  since 
its  successful  work  was  not  heralded  by  Myer's  reports  until  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  moved  north  in  September.  Then  came  the  operations  about 
Frederick,  Md.,  the  engagements  at  South  Mountain  and  Antietam,  in  all 
which  the  corps  was  efficient  in  its  proper  function.  With  these  northern 
battles  the  signal  operations  assume  a  status  of  more  real  value  and  are 
better  recognized  by  commanders;  Fredericksburg  brings  the  corps  promi- 
nently to  the  dangerous  front,  Chancellorsville  shows  Hooker  making  in- 
telligent use  of  this  body  of  trained  officers  both  to  observe  and  to  com- 
municate, and  at  Gettysburg  the  Signal  Corps  is  acknowledged  as  firmly 
fixed  in  the  military  household  by  Meade's  circular  before  the  battle,  in 
which  he  calls  upon  this  as  upon  all  other  staf?  corps  to  aid  him  in  the  im- 
pending engagement.  First  appearing  as  an  idle  spectator  at  Bull  Run, 
later  summoned  to  the  council  of  war  at  Gettysburg,  these  two  facts  tersely 
illustrate  the  two  years'  growth  of  the  signal  system  on  this  front. 

In  the  southwest  the  signal  officers,  like  the  son  of  Achilles,  came  late 
to  the  war.  When  Farragut  ran  Forts  Jackson  and  St.  Philip  no  signal 
men  were  with  him,  nor  did  they  come  until  the  first  assault  was  over  and 
New  Orleans  was  occupied  by  the  Federal  forces.     It  was  not  indeed  until 

1863  that  the  Signal  Corps  made  its  mark  in  this  field  of  the  war.  Having 
had  just  enough  duty  in  small  skirmishes  to  bring  it  into  efficiency,  it  in 
vested  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson  with  Grant  and  Banks;  from  its  towers 


SIGNAL  CORPS.  141 

and  treetops  it  covered  the  beleaguered  towns  with  vigilance  ever  alert ;  it 
saw  every  movement  in  time  and  gave  warning  to  the  besiegers,  for  whom  it 
was  not  only  eyes  but  tongue  as  well. 

The  beginning  of  the  war  on  the  northwest  was  most  distinctly  marked 
by  the  failure  of  signal  operations,  not  so  much  by  reason  of  any  ineffici- 
ency of  the  system,  as  through  the  chapter  of  accidents  which  so  greatly  re- 
tarded military  operations  upon  that  approach.  The  first  signal  party  was 
sent  to  General  Halleck  at  St.  Louis  late  in  March  of  1862,  but  the  use  of 
this  new  military  art  was  not  fairly  appreciated,  and  the  detachment  was 
soon  dissolved.  At  Shiloh,  Grant's  army  had  no  signal  officers;  Buell's  had, 
but  almost  the  sole  mention  of  their  activity  is  that  they  were  ordered  back 
to  duty  with  their  companies.  At  Perryville  the  record  shows  that  the  sig- 
nal system  was  in  operation,  but  by  a  strange  mischance  it  did  not  succeed 
in  conveying  to  Buell  the  knowledge  that  a  battle  was  in  progress.  But  an 
improvement  was  noticeable  when  on  the  last  day  of  1862  Rosecrans  fought 
the  battle  of  Stone's  River,  and  found  his  signal  officers  to  be  relied  upon  in 
the  discharge  of  their  proper  duties.  Thenceforward  the  progress  was 
distinct,  the  service  was  growing  in  efficiency  and  in  reputation,  and  in  each 
regard  an  improvement  may  be  noted  after  Franklin,  Tullahoma,  Chicka- 
mauga.  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge  and  Knoxville.  In  a  year 
and  a  half  the  Signal  Corps  had,  from  a  position  in  which  it  was  treated 
with  indifference,  advanced  in  this  army  also  to  the  burden  of  grave  respon- 
sibilities, in  which  it  proved  itself  deserving  of  the  reliance  placed  upon  it. 
On  the  Confederate  side  signal  officers  were  no  less  active,  although 
the  close  details  of  their  operations  exist  only  in  fragmentary  reports.  It 
has  been  already  remarked  that  the  Confederate  army  made  earlier  use  of 
signals  than  the  Union  forces,  and  that  the  sight  of  their  flags  and  flames 
on  the  Virginia  hills  served  to  hasten  consideration  of  Major  Myer's  plans. 
The  Richmond  Congress  early  recognized  the  value  of  this  service  and 
drafted  a  measure  which  authorized  the  creation  of  a  Signal  Corps  of  con- 
sistent and  comprehensive  efficiency.  Under  this  act  the  Signal  Corps  of 
the  Provisional  Army  of  the  Confederacy  was  instituted  and  placed  in 
charge  of  Major  Norris.  The  plan  was  excellent  but  when  it  came  to  put- 
ting it  into  operation  it  would  seem  that  of  the  two  duties  of  the  signal  officer, 
observation  and  communication,  which  the  model  signal  officer  of  the  future 
must  combine,  Norris,  not  being  actuated  by  the  inventor's  enthusiasm,  de- 
voted his  attention  to  the  former.  The  reports  of  Norris'  bureau  which 
have  survived  are  in  the  majority  of  cases  the  details  of  scouting  exploits 
within  the  Federal  lines  ;  the  system  seems  to  have  grown  into  a  matter  of 
high-class  spying  in  which  the  commission  and  uniform  were  expressly  de- 
sio-ned  to  serve  as  a  cloak  to  the  operations  and  to  enable  the  operator,  if 
captured,  to  ofTer  a  specious  plea  against  the  customary  penalty  of  spying. 
To  perform  the  legitimate  duties  of  signal  communication  there  grew  up 
another  body,  the  Independent  Signal  Corps  under  Major  Milligan,  which 
operated  in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  and  probably  enjoyed  a  still  wider 
field. 

In  the  four  fields  of  war  in  which  the  signal  officers  prosecuted  their  op- 
erations the  work  in  this  formative  period  was  done  by  acting  signal  officers. 


142  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

that  is,  subalterns  of  volunteer  regiments  detached  for  this  special  service. 
To  understand  their  position  attention  should  be  directed  upon  the  enact- 
ments and  orders  which  authorized  their  employment  on  this  duty.  The 
act  of  2ist  June  i860  created  the  position  of  Signal  Officer  and  announced 
rather  than  defined  his  duties.  In  1861  the  commanding  generals  of  the 
several  departments  to  which  in  succession  Major  Myer  was  assigned,  de- 
tailed junior  officers  to  be  instructed  in  signal  duty  ;  thus  originated  the 
school  at  Monroe,  the  experimental  stations  along  the  upper  Potomac,  and 
the  permanent  camp  at  Georgetown,  all  being  authorized  by  orders  and 
confirmed  upon  an  essential  point  by  the  act  of  22d  February,  1862,  which 
settled  upon  officers  so  detailed  the  pay  of  cavalry  officers  of  the  same 
grade.     Thus  the  Signal  Officer  obtained  his  first  corps. 

There  was  about  this  corps,  as  in  all  new  projects  brought  about  by  the 
personal  efforts  of  any  enthusiast,  an  element  of  uncertainty,  it  was  of  a 
temporary  nature,  officers  detailed  might  be  recalled  to  the  line  by  the  order 
of  their  regimental  commanders  or  by  their  own  wish,  above  all  there  was 
no  appropriation  directly  made  for  the  service  rendered.  One  remedy  was 
applied,  the  order  of  the  War  Department  that  acting  signal  officers  should 
not  be  relieved  from  that  duty  except  by  order  of  the  Adjutant-General  of 
the  Army.  This  was  palliative,  it  secured  the  corps  against  rapid  depletion, 
but  it  did  not  remove  the  causes  which  led  to  such  depletion,  nor  did  it 
secure  the  corps  a  permanent  status.  It  still  presented  the  anomaly  of  but 
one  Signal  Officer  in  the  Army  and  all  the  work  of  signal  communication 
performed  by  acting  signal  officers.  To  remove  this  anomaly,  to  acquire  a 
permanent  status  with  an  eye  to  inevitable  retrenchments  of  the  peace-foot- 
ing in  the  future,  engaged  the  best  efforts  of  the  Signal  Officer.  This  system 
of  regimental  officers  detailed  for  signal  duty  had  the  most  fair  trial,  it  was 
tested  by  the  exigencies  of  actual  campaigning  and  this  test  was  continued 
for  two  years  ;  in  this  length  of  time  its  merits,  if  it  had  any,  should  have 
been  made  overwhelmingly  manifest,  its  faults  should  have  suggested  their 
correction.  But  the  two  years  experiment  showed  the  faults  too  deep-seated 
for  correction  short  of  radical  reconstruction,  the  merits  expected  were  uni- 
formly absent.  Every  battle,  every  movement  of  troops  showed  defects, 
and  proved  them  to  be  inherent  in  any  corps  of  signal  officers  which  de- 
pended for  its  existence  upon  regimental  details.  Yet,  following  his  plan  of 
utilizing  every  method  which  might  popularize  his  system,  he  succeeded  in 
having  a  course  of  signals  prescribed  at  the  Military  Academy  in  July,  1S63, 
and  added  to  the  instruction  in  visual  signals  a  course  of  lectures  on  tele- 
graphic communication,  and  to  aid  that  purpose  sent  to  West  Point  a  train 
with  the  Beardslee  instruments. 

Myer's  system  was  a  novelty  in  military  practice  ;  there  had  been  no 
opportunity  to  exhibit  its  utility  to  the  army  in  general ;  New  Mexico  was 
far  away  and  in  1861  men  had  other  things  to  occupy  their  minds  than 
waving  flags  in  a  fruitless  Indian  campaign  ;  worst  of  all  not  a  line  about 
the  duties  of  the  Signal  Officer  was  found  in  any  text  of  the  art  of  war,  and 
not  yet  had  the  lesson  been  learned  that  war  well  made  makes  its  own  art. 
The  unknown  system  was  nowhere  welcomed,  at  best  it  was  tolerated,  in 
many  cases  it  had  to  encounter  the  dogged  resistance  of  rigid  formalists. 


SIGNAL  CORPS,  I43 

Time  and  the  event  had  not  yet  proved  its  superiority  in  its  twofold  sphere ; 
the  scout  for  observation  and  the  orderly  for  communication  were  yet  su- 
preme. Like  Napoleon,  who  rejected  Fulton's  project  to  transport  the 
French  army  across  the  channel  by  steam  power,  few  could  sufl'iciently 
project  the  new  arm  of  the  service  into  the  future  to  give  Myer  support  in 
his  efforts.  Where  improvements  in  the  methods  of  observation  and  com- 
munication failed  to  affect  the  result,  it  was  necessary  to  seek  still  further 
modes  of  usefulness  in  which  the  Signal  Officer  might  be  free  from  old 
traditions.  It  must  be  recognized  that  Myer  was  diligent  in  grasping  at 
every  means  that  might  even  remotely  assist  him.  and  characteristically 
pertinacious  in  returning  to  his  purpose  with  unabated  vigor  after  each  re- 
buff. 

The  chance  of  the  times  and  the  events  incidental  to  the  hasty  mobiliza- 
tion of  great  bodies  of  raw  levies,  zealous  as  they  were  unskilled,  offered 
the  first  opportunity.  The  disasters  of  Big  Bethel  and  Glasgow,  where  troops 
fired  deadly  volleys  into  the  ranks  of  their  own  comrades,  sadly  showed  the 
inability  of  new  volunteers  in  the  peril  of  panic  to  know  friend  from  foe. 
While  the  feeling  of  horror  was  still  fresh.  Major  Myer  came  forward  with 
a  system  of  countersign  signals  which  should  prevent  similar  deplorable 
catastrophes.  The  system  was  adopted  and  promulgated  in  general  orders. 
Regimental  commanders  were  to  have  their  adjutants  and  color  sergeants 
instructed  to  wave  by  day  the  regimental  colors  in  certain  fashions  and  to 
burn  colored  fires  by  night.  There  were  then  two  hundred  and  fifty  organi- 
zations in  the  single  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  they  were  all  instructed  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1861  ;  but  the  time  and  labor  were  spent  in  vain.  The 
system  never  gained  a  foothold,  and  properly  lapsed  as  better  training  in 
the  duties  of  the  soldier  removed  the  causes  which  had  operated  to  bring 
it  forward. 

A  second  attempt  to  attain,  first,  prominence,  and  next,  permanence, 
brought  the  Signal  Officer  in  contact,  not  this  time  with  apathy  and  indif- 
ference of  commanding  officers,  but  with  the  lively  opposition  of  a  civil 
bureau  of  the  War  Department  already  well  established  and  decidedly  in- 
disposed to  yield  to  the  pretensions  of  Major  Myer.  This  was  the  attempt 
to  secure  control  of  the  telegraph  upon  the  field  and  in  its  relation  with  the 
army.  The  attitude  which  the  civilian  operators  assumed,  seems  to  have 
been  prompted  not  so  much  by  the  belief  they  professed  in  the  essentially 
civil  nature  of  their  calling  as  by  their  personal  objection  to  Myer,  who  had 
not  served  an  operator's  apprenticeship,  and  who  did  not  have  that  peculiar 
touch  by  which  an  operator  comes  into  electric  sympathy  with  his  fellows 
in  the  profession. 

Governed  in  this  by  sentiment  rather  than  by  reason  they  made  a  mis- 
take ;  the  mistake  they  then  made  they  have  since  acknowledged,  and  have 
pleaded  it  in  support  of  legislation  sought  in  their  behalf.  The  men 
who  were  most  strenuous  in  opposition  to  military  control  of  the  telegraph, 
are  now  on  record  as  supporting  just  that  control  and  discipline  in  campaign. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  Myer  was  personally  unsuited  for  telegraph  duty; 
moreover,  it  must  be  admitted  that  had  he  been  suited  for  that  duty  history 
would  have  been  different.     Similarly  of  the  few  nations  which  attempted  to 


1 44  HIS  TO  RICA  L  SKE  TCHES  U.  S.  A  RM  Y. 

perform  military  telegraph  work  by  force  of  civilians,  all  have  realized  the 
practical  impossibility  of  the  attempt.  Every  nation  except  France  has  trans- 
ferred the  service  to  the  army,  and  even  in  France  the  transfer  will  soon  be 
brought  about  inasmuch  as  schools  for  the  instruction  of  officers  and  men 
have  been  established. 

The  creating  act  of  i860  explicitly  authorized  the  Signal  Officer  to  have 
charge  of  all  signal  duty  and  all  apparatus  connected  therewith.  This  language 
was  General  Butler's  sufficient  authority  for  assigning  Myer  to  the  charge 
of  the  recently  constructed  line  of  the  U.  S.  Military  Telegraph  in  south- 
eastern Virginia.  The  order  was  distasteful  to  the  regularly  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  line,  who  believed  himself  to  be  accountable  only  to 
the  War  Department.  But  communieation  with  Washington  was  practi- 
cable only  by  letter,  and  disobedience  to  Butler's  order  would  have  been 
quickly  visited  with  heavy  penalties ;  on  this  account  the  operators  made 
temporar}'  submission.  The  Signal  Officer's  tour  of  duty  as  telegraph  officer 
was  brief,  and  he  was  sharply  reminded  by  the  Secretary  of  War  that  elec- 
tric telegraphy  was  not  in  his  province.  This  was  the  first  skirmish  of  a 
bitter  contest. 

Myer  now  made  a  formal  demand  upon  the  War  Department  to  be  given 
control  of  the  entire  system  of  military  telegraphs  under  the  terms  of  his 
commission,  but  it  was  at  once  apparent  that  he  would  not  be  allowed  to 
interfere  with  the  electric  operators.  His  attention  was  accordingly  directed 
upon  some  portable  system  of  telegraphy  operated  upon  other  principles 
than  the  Morse  system,  and  even  in  his  early  plans  he  seems  to  have  ap- 
preciated the  important  differences  between  the  flying  telegraph  and  the 
semi-permanent  lines.  Having  discovered  what  he  sought  in  a  magnetic 
dial  apparatus,  the  Signal  Officer  in  August,  1861,  laid  before  the  Secretary 
of  War  a  plan  for  signal  telegraph  trains  which  should  not  interfere  with 
existing  interests,  and  yet,  by  a  clause  judiciously  inserted  to  the  effect  that 
a  proper  proportion  of  the  officers  and  men  should  be  selected  electric  tele- 
graphists employed  for  the  war,  it  was  carefully  devised  to  secure  Major 
Myer  a  permanent  corps  in  the  place  of  the  acting  signal  officers,  and,  by 
securing  a  sufficiency  of  Morse  operators  attracted  by  actual  commissions  or 
the  prospect  of  winning  them,  to  place  him  in  a  position  to  make  a  more 
effectual  demand  for  the  control  of  the  military  telegraph.  This  was  met 
by  an  authorization  to  purchase  a  small  telegraph  train  to  communicate 
with  points  which  could  not  be  reached  by  signals,  and  fixing  upon  the 
Signal  Officer  the  responsibility  of  determining  the  necessity  for  such  a 
train.  Major  Myer  hesitated  to  act  under  this  authorization,  which  was  silent 
as  to  any  appropriation.  In  March,  1862,  the  Beardslee  or  magnetic  instru- 
ment had  not  been  brought  into  condition  to  use,  and  the  question  of  an 
electric  train  was  beset  with  difficulties  when  the  Signal  Officer  was  ordered 
to  take  the  field  with  no  definite  arrangements  concluded. 

Under  these  circumstances  little  could  be  done  with  this  branch  of  the 
equipment  in  the  Peninsular  campaign,  and  what  little  was  attempted  was 
touched  upon  very  lightly  by  Major  Myer  in  his  personal  report,  although 
this  is  the  first  mention  in  all  history  of  the  telegraph  on  the  battle-field.  It 
was  not  until  the  close  of  the  year  1862,  at  Fredericksburg,  that  any  definite 


SIGNAL  CORPS.  145 

attempt  was  made  to  brinj:^  into  special  prominence  the  telegraph  train  of  the 
Signal  Corps.  This  dial  telegraph  was  maintained  in  intermittent  operation, 
and  for  the  most  part  was  favorably  reported  by  the  oflicers  in  charge.  In 
May,  iS63,at  Chancellorsville,  the  field  telegraph  of  the  Signal  Corps  was  in 
operation.  Practical  test  demonstrated  the  line  to  be  insufficiently  insulated 
and  incapable  of  working  except  for  short  stretches,  while  the  instrument  was 
slow  and  particularly  sensitive  to  atmospheric  disturbances.  But  the  gravest 
difficulty  was  that  it  here  came  into  direct  and  disastrous  competition  with 
the  electric  military  telegraph  of  the  War  Department,  and  offered  itself  to 
the  critical  judgment  of  such  men  as  Eckert,  Stager  and  Bates,  who  were  in 
a  position  to  pass  upon  it  the  criticism  of  technical  experts. 

Under  the  influence  of  sundry  successes  achieved  in  the  summer  cam- 
paigns, the  last  month  of  1862  saw  the  appropriation  of  funds  sufficient  to 
construct  several  of  these  telegraph  trains.  The  same  causes  contributed 
to  produce  a  result  of  greater  importance  than  the  supply  of  field  telegraph 
trains.     This  was  the  permanent  organization  of  the  Signal  Corps. 

The  authorization  to  construct  signal  telegraph  trains  was,  in  its  very 
nature,  a  solace  to  Major  Myer  for  refusing  him  control  of  the  U.  S.  Military 
Telegraph  to  which  he  claimed  title.  He  had  been  in  conflict  with  Secretary 
Stanton  and  had  been  worsted.  There  could  have  been  no  better  recom- 
mendation to  the  sympathies  of  the  Congress  of  that  time.  Avoiding  any 
chance  of  reference  to  the  more  purely  military  committees,  which  would  be 
to  a  certain  extent  under  the  influence  of  the  powerful  secretary,  the  legisla- 
tion was  accomplished  in  the  Sundry  Civil  Bill  which  became  law  on  the 
3d  of  March,  1863.  Thus  was  the  Signal  Corps  built  and  equipped  with  a 
systematic  organization. 

At  the  head  of  the  corps  there  was  a  chief  signal  officer,  a  colonel,  who 
should  be  Signal  Officer  of  the  Army,  there  was  a  lieutenant-colonel  and  two 
majors,  there  was  one  captain  and  eight  lieutenants  for  each  army  corps,  and 
for  each  officer  there  was  allowed  a  sergeant  and  six  privates.  The  corps  was 
authorized  for  the  duration  of  the  Rebellion,  and  appointments  were  to  be 
made  on  the  recommendation  of  examining  boards.  In  accordance  with  the 
report  of  the  first  of  these  boards  Major  Myer  was  nominated  Chief  Signal 
Officer  and  given  a  recess  appointment.  Later  in  the  same  year  the  Judge 
Advocate  General  wrote  an  opinion  establishing  the  status  of  the  corps  as 
of  the  establishment  of  the  regular  army.  The  realization  of  Myer's  ambi- 
tion had  yielded  to  his  persistence,  he  had  secured  a  higher  rank  and  his 
corps  would  be  permanently  established  as  soon  as  the  examining  boards  had 
completed  their  work  in  the  several  military  departments. 

But  Colonel  Myer  in  the  moment  of  success  had  to  learn  that  the  War 
Secretary  could  not  be  trifled  with  in  safety.  Once  again  the  Chief  Signal 
Officer  sought  to  obtain  a  certain  control  of  electric  telegraphs,  and  to  that 
end  advertised  his  willingness  to  give  commissions  to  telegraph  operators. 
Thereupon  the  blow  fell.  On  the  loth  of  November,  1863,  Colonel  Myer 
was  relieved  from  command  of  the  Signal  Corps  and  ordered  to  the  Missis- 
sippi. He  turned  the  bureau  over  to  Major  Nicodemus,  who  was  later  pro- 
moted to  the  lieutenant-colonelcy,  and,  most  important  of  all,  the  Secretary 
of  War  ordered  that  the  telegraph  trains  be  put  in  charge  of  the  Superin- 


146  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY, 

tendent  of  the  Military  Telegraph,  Colonel  Anson  Stager.  Thus  was  the 
Signal  Corps  built ;  but  when  the  cap-stone  had  been  laid  in  place  the  edifice 
passed  away  from  him  who  built  it.  Myer  was  not  only  banished  to  a  re- 
mote military  division,  but  the  Senate  failed  to  confirm  his  appointment  ; 
the  President  revoked  it,  and  the  first  Signal  Officer,  the  inventor  of  the 
art,  was  no  longer  in  the  Army. 

It  is  to  study  the  growth  of  a  staff  corps  from  a  single  officer  to  a  highly 
organized  body,  rather  than  to  make  a  record  of  the  deeds  of  the  signal  offi- 
cers or  a  roster  which  should  give  them  the  credit  they  earned,  that  this  paper 
has  been  written.  In  pursuing  this  line  of  research  it  has  been  necessary  to 
pay  strict  regard  to  the  operations  of  the  Signal  Officer  of  the  Army  and  to 
weigh  his  official  acts  as  presented  directly  in  the  official  records  of  the  re- 
bellion, and  as  reflected  in  the  services  which  his  subordinates  rendered  in 
obedience  to  his  orders.  A  study  of  the  later  period  of  signal  operations 
will  afford  an  opportunity  to  return  to,  and  present  in  detail  a  narrative  of 
events  which  cannot  fail  of  interest.  This  chapter  is  of  necessity  drawn 
closely  about  the  personality  of  the  first  Signal  Officer,  for  it  was  in  and 
through  that  personality  that  the  Signal  Corps  came  into  being. 

Freed  from  the  guiding  touch  of  its  inventor  and  foremost  advocate,  the 
Signal  Corps  nevertheless  maintained  a  steadfast  activity  during  the  war 
and  grew  in  favor,  as  it  conscientiously  discharged  its  invaluable  duties. 
Major  Nicodemus,  temporarily  placed  in  charge,  had  control  until  the  end 
of  1864,  when  he  too  was  visited  with  punishment.  He  had  published  his  re- 
port for  that  year  without  having  gone  through  the  formality  of  submitting 
it  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  for  that  offense  was  dismissed  the  service  on 
the  ostensible  ground  that  he  had  aided  the  enemy  by  divulging  valuable  in- 
formation. His  innocence  of  any  wrong  intent  was  made  manifest  soon 
afterwards,  and,  it  perhaps  becoming  apparent  by  what  influences  he  had 
been  hampered,  he  was  reinstated  in  his  regiment  of  the  regulars.  He  was 
succeeded  in  the  Signal  Bureau  by  Colonel  B.  F.  Fisher,  who  was  given  a 
recess  appointment  as  Signal  Officer  of  the  Army,  and  when  that  lapsed, 
through  failure  to  receive  confirmation  at  the  instigation  of  Myer's  friends, 
was  at  once  reappointed  on  the  same  terms. 

While  affairs  of  the  Bureau  at  Washington  were  thus  kept  in  a  perman- 
ently unsettled  condition,  the  corps  in  the  field  was  winning  fame.  At  Alla- 
toona  its  services  were  so  distinguished  as  to  win  brevets  or  actual  promo- 
tion for  all  who  participated  in  the  battle.  When  Farragut  overcame  the 
fort,  the  torpedo  and  the  ram,  the  defenses  of  Mobile,  he  sent  his  army  signal 
officers  below  and  bade  them  assist  the  surgeon  in  the  cockpit,  for  they  had 
been  assigned  to  him  only  for  the  purpose  of  opening  communication  with 
the  army  after  the  naval  victory  had  been  won.  But  he  could  not  keep 
them  there,  the  needs  of  battle  overtaxing  the  naval  signal  system,  forced 
him  to  summon  them  to  give  him  aid.  They  found  their  proper  station  on 
deck,  and  aloft  as  the  fight  grew  fiercer.  The  admiral  ceased  to  look  upon 
his  signal  officers  as  idlers  ;  in  his  moment  of  greatest  need,  when  the  Lack- 
awanna havingonce  through  accident  collided  with  the  flagship  and  was  re- 
turning to  the  disastrous  charge,  the  admiral  called  to  Lieut.  Kinney  who  had 
been  detailed  to  his  vessel,"  Can  you  say  '  For  God's  sake  '  by  signal  ?  "  Then 


SIGNAL  CORPS.  147 

followed  the  hasty  and  historic  message  to  the  Lackawanna,  "  For  God's 
sake  get  out  of  our  way."  As  the  armies  closed  in  on  the  vanquished  enemy 
the  Signal  Corps  closed  in  with  them  until  there  were  no  foes  to  figlit ;  then 
it  was  mustered  out  and  absorbed  in  the  body  of  citizenship,  proud  to  have 
been  pioneers  in  a  new  military  art  whose  value  none  will  now  dispute. 

By  way  of  a  conclusion,  which  is  at  the  same  time  a  commentary  upon 
the  methods  employed  in  building  the  Signal  Corps,  reference  may  be  not 
improperly  made  to  a  sketch,  hastily  outlined,  that  was  designed  to  establish 
for  the  Confederacy  a  signal  corps  founded  on  ideas  of  making  it  a  body 
efficient  in  proportion  to  its  purely  scientific  character,  an  ideal  which  has 
indeed  been  reached  in  the  present  Signal  Corps  of  the  Army,  but  reached 
only  after  many  years  of  painstaking  endeavor.  In  a  memorandum  submit- 
ted to  General  Beauregard  in  November,  1862,  Joseph  Manigault,  signal 
officer  of  the  department  of  South  Carolina,  outlined  the  plan  for  securing 
to  his  corps  the  management  of  telegraph  lines  of  the  army.  Incidentally 
he  referred  to  the  education,  the  reliability  and  the  scientific  training  of  the 
signal  men  as  fitting  them  to  become  a  bureau  for  the  transmission  of  mili- 
tary information  ;  and  since  they  would  necessarily  have  a  certain  electrical 
equipment,  that  they  were  in  a  position  to  assume  charge  of  electric  mines 
and  the  management  of  the  electric  light,  and,  in  short,  might  properly  be- 
come the  electrical  corps  of  the  army. 

If  Myer  fell  short  of  these  broadly  philosophical  plans  for  a  Signal  Corps, 
which  should  conquer  all  opposition  by  the  very  weight  of  its  scientific  at- 
tainments practically  applied  to  the  exigencies  of  actual  warfare,  it  is  not 
that  those  ideas  were  yet  in  the  future.  It  is  shown  that  practical  experi- 
ence had  suggested  those  ideas  to  one  signal  officer ;  that  the  same,  and 
even  greater,  practical  experience  did  not  suggest  those  ideas  to  another  is 
not  the  fault  of  the  ideas  nor  the  fault  of  experience.  But  had  the  case 
been  reversed,  had  the  ideas  of  Manigault  found  a  welcome  in  the  mind  of 
Myer,  it  is  probable  that  this  chapter  of  the  building  of  the  Signal  Corps 
had  been  written  in  far  different  form,  and  the  history  of  the  corps  in  the 
later  times  would  show  far  more  done,  far  less  that  had  to  be  undone. 

It  is  pertinent  to  add  that  to  Myer  fell  the  construction  of  a  second  sig- 
nal corps.  The  act  of  July  28,  1866,  fixing  the  military  peace  establishment 
enacted  that  there  should  be  one  chief  signal  officer  with  the  rank  of  col- 
onel, but  it  made  no  provision  for  a  corps  other  than  by  a  limited  detail  of 
six  officers  and  not  to  exceed  one  hundred  men  from  the  engineer  battalion. 
The  lessons  of  experience  were  left  unheeded,— it  was  as  though  the  war 
had  never  been.  The  conditions  were  of  the  utmost  similarity,  with  the  sole 
exception  that  the  absence  of  the  war  rendered  it  feasible  to  formulate  a 
comprehensive  policy  and  elaborate  its  details  in  a  wise  and  thoughtful 
manner.  But  Myer  did  not  choose  to  study  the  record  of  history.  The  first 
step  in  his  construction  of  the  first  corps  was  paralleled  by  his  first  act  in 
the  construction  of  the  second  corps;  he  again  organized  his  corps  by  de- 
tails of  acting  signal  officers  and  thereby  exceeded  the  provisions  of  the  act, 
which  limited  his  choice  to  engineers  ;  two  years  of  war  had  proved  the  de- 
fects of  such  a  system  to  be  beyond  remedy,  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  peace 
has  barely  sufficed  to  effect  its  removal  from  the  corps  of  to-day.  The  parallel 


148  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

may  be  pursued  still  further.  It  has  been  shown  that  Myer,  failing  to  secure 
immediately  for  his  first  signal  corps  the  dignity  which  its  intrinsic  merits 
would  have  won  for  it  in  due  time,  sought  to  win  consideration  by  assuming 
duties  foreign  to  its  legitimate  province,  and  thereby  destroyed  that  which 
he  wished  to  secure.  A  similar  method  marked  his  plans  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  second  corps,  for  his  own  language  declares  this  unmistakable 
purpose  "  the  main  question  is  not  how  to  curtail  the  corps  but  how  to  enlarge 
Its  scope  and  consequent  usefulness  to  the  varied  industries  of  the  nation  " 
To  the  legitimate  duties  of  military  signaling  he  added  the  utterly  foreign 
concerns  of  the  meteorologist,  with  a  result  well  known.  The  military  side 
of  the  corps  found  its  chief  activity  in  the  system  of  military  telegraph  lines, 
which  was  extended  along  the  frontier  and  which  has  been  maintained  to 
the  present.  This  telegraph  system  was  designed  to  secure  necessary  com- 
munication where  the  commercial  Imes  were  not  available,  and  its  lines  have 
been  withdrawn  when  private  enterprise,  finding  its  advantage  in  the  coun- 
try thus  opened,  has  removed  the  pioneer  burden  from  the  government.  In 
1878  the  act  of  June  20th  made  provision  for  the  appointment  of  two  second 
lieutenants  chosen  from  the  sergeants  of  the  corps,  recognizing  their  ser- 
vices by  the  promise  of  a  military  career.  In  18S0  the  Signal  Corps  was  ad- 
vanced to  equality  of  consideration  with  the  other  stafif  corps,  and  its  chief 
was  given  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  This  comparative  review  is  timely. 
The  present  Signal  Corps  stands  to-day  at  the  point  where  the  Signal  Corps 
of  the  Civil  War,  its  predecessor,  began  to  crystallize  into  a  recognized  aux- 
iliary of  modern  war  and  gained  that  glory  of  which  it  may  well  be  proud. 
Two  years  of  battle  brought  to  that  a  permanent  organization  and  a  single- 
ness of  purpose  in  the  prosecution  of  its  proper  duties  and  of  those  alone  ; 
twenty-five  years  of  peace  have  brought  this  to  a  point  where  extraneous 
occupations  have  been  renounced  and  defective  constitution  rectified.  As 
the  two  formative  years  of  the  first  corps,  despite  their  faulty  methods,  were 
filled  with  military  activity,  so  in  this  formative  quarter  century  of  the  pres- 
ent corps,  military  duties  have  been  prosecuted  despite  the  foreign  occupa- 
tions which  Myer  grasped.  Under  the  earnest  endeavors  of  signal  officers 
the  crude  device  of  the  flag  and  torch  have  developed  into  the  ingenious 
yet  simple  mechanism  of  the  heliograph  and  the  flash  lantern  ;  the  defective 
machinery  of  the  early  dial  telegraph  has  given  place  to  the  portable  field 
telegraph,  and  the  telephone  and  the  Morse  key  have  been  advanced  to  the 
skirmish  line.  All  signal  duties  have  been  studied,  some  have  been  prac- 
tised to  a  perfection  reached  by  no  other  army,  and  in  this  the  heliograph 
system  stands  preeminent.  The  Indian  campaigns  in  which  the  Signal 
Corps  has  participated  exhibit  this  fact  most  forcibly.  In  the  Apache  wars 
in  Arizona  the  signal  detachments  from  their  stations  on  the  mountain  tops 
have  discerned  the  most  stealthy  movements  of  the  enemy  and  have  flashed 
the  news  to  headquarters  or  moving  bodies  of  cavalry,  enabling  the  troops 
to  change  instantly  their  direction  of  march  to  conform  to  that  of  the  enemy 
or  to  be  massed  where  danger  threatened,  and  even  to  meet  the  Indians 
with  their  own  favorite  manoeuvre  of  the  ambuscade.  With  equal  distinct- 
ness these  campaigns  have  shown  the  weakness  of  the  system  of  regimental 
instruction  and  details,  for  in  the  Geronimo  campaign  it  was  found  neces- 


SIGNAL  CORPS.  149 

sary  to  call  upon  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  to  assign  technically  trained  mem- 
bers of  the  corps  to  render  the  duty  which  proved  too  great  for  the  un- 
skilled. Despite  the  continued  record  of  failure  of  the  system,  both  in  the 
Civil  War  and  in  the  several  Indian  wars,  the  War  Department  has  shown 
a  disposition  to  maintain  the  same  fallacious  idea,  and  to  this  is  due  the 
repetition  of  the  successive  failures  of  the  system  of  regimental  instruction 
and  details. 

If  the  lesson  is  not  drawn  sufficiently  clear  in  our  own  military  history, 
the  same  principles  appear  in  the  policy  of  foreign  armies  which  have  bor- 
rowed the  art  of  signaling  from  us.  No  matter  how  much  the  foreign  sys- 
tems may  vary  among  themselves  they  are  all  copied  from  the  Signal  Corps 
of  this  army  with  that  imitation  which  is  always  the  sincerest  flattery.  They 
have  adopted  the  code,  the  cipher,  the  train,  though  modifying  them  to  suit 
their  own  needs  ;  but  one  feature  they  have  uniformly  not  copied  and  that 
is  the  regimental  detail.  Even  where  their  signal  services  have  not  been 
dignified  by  a  separate  corps  organization,  they  have  at  least  formed  a  dis 
tinct  division  of  some  corps  already  in  existence,  such  as  the  engineers,  and 
the  practical  exigencies  of  war  have  in  general  served  to  make  them  inde- 
pendent in  all  but  name. 

The  permanent  Signal  Corps  is  now  built  on  a  foundation  substantiated 
by  the  double  test  of  war  and  peace,  and  it  is  in  a  position  to  relieve  for  the 
second  time  the  line  of  the  army  from  the  burden  of  drill  and  study  in  the 
purely  technical  and  special  duties  of  signal  communication.  It  is  now 
possible  to  progress  to  a  development  of  the  legitimate  activities  of  the  sig- 
nal officer,  to  observe  and  to  communicate ;  in  war  to  watch  the  forces  of 
the  enemy  and  to  keep  the  army  advised  of  hostile  movements  ;  in  peace  to 
watch  those  whom  the  chance  of  a  day  may  make  enemies,  to  study  what 
preparations  they  are  making  and  what  advantages  they  hold,  and  to  keep 
the  army  advised  of  these  matters  ;  in  short  so  to  utilize  its  energies  that  as 
in  the  field  the  army  will  rely  upon  its  signal  officers  for  information,  so  in 
peace  the  army  will  confidently  turn  to  its  Signal  Corps  for  its  military  in- 
telligence. 


Cbe  Cavalry 


Major-General 

ALEXANDER     HAMILTON 

Commanding  the  Army,   i  799-1800. 


THE  FIRST  REGI]\iL.. 

iv  !.  .  PAGE  WAIN  wis 

^  ¥^HE  "United  States  Regiment  of  [■ 


Cont'i 
of  1 
de- 
Act  of  Aul; 
regiment  w, 
tenant-coloiu. 


I         Cont'n~<;^ ..  .1    nved  March  2,  I ^ 
*'  '  ■  lien  the  Second 

s  changed  to  "  F  ^ 

The  first  order     > 
ich  5,  1833.  and  t 
<iia)K.,i,  (pur  captains  an( 
organization  of  the  regiment  would  be  pc. 
from  the  "  Battalion  of  Rangers"      Headqu-.i. 
ierson  Barracks. 

The  organization  of  the  regiment  does  n(. 
jleted  until  June,  1834,  the  ;regimental  retun 
loUowing  officers : 

Colonel  Henry  Dodge. 

Lieuj.enan;;-Colonel  Stepbo;.  ,, .  i^-^^..... 

Major  Richard  B.  Mason. 

Captains  Clifton  Wharton.   E.  V.  ;"; inner.  Eustac': 
ter,  Lemuel  Ford,  Nathan  Bii  Jesse  Beai. 

can  .and  David  Perkins. 

First  Lieutenants  P.  St.  G.  Cooke,  b.  W.  Moore.   A.  Van 
Izard,  Je6ferson  Davis,  L.  P.  Lupton,  Thomas  Sword?  T   R.  W 
W.  Hfamilton  (adjutant).  B.  D.  Moore,  and  C.  F.  M.  \ 

Second  Lieutenants  James  Allen,  T.  H.  Holmes. 
\'an  Derveer,  J.  W.  Shaumburg,  Enoch  Stech.  James  ■ 
and  B.  A.  Terrett. 

Bre^v    Second  Lieutenants  William  Eustis.  (^   " 
throp,  (     'Kingsbury.  J.  M.  Bowman.  Asbui 
T.  J.  McKe.ui. 

Lieutenant  Jeffersoi. 
oosition  February  4,  }i> 

In  October.  1833,  ■ 
Colonel  Dodge  to  wint* 
where  they  remained  ui 

In  June,  1834,  the  rcu 
ing  which,  although  it  enatu  lU  ot  1 
the  officers  and  men  of  the  comma- ■ 
Colonel  Dodge  writes  to  Lieutenai.. 
report  36  men,  four  of  whom  hav*. 
all  much  jaded,  and  would  be  una'' 
.iw  and  reach  their  point  of  destir 


I 


154 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


a  hard  campaign  on  all ;  we  have  been  for  the  last  fifteen  days  living  almost 
on  meat  alone.  The  state  of  the  health  of  this  detachment  of  the  regiment 
makes  it  absolutely  necessary  that  I  should  arrive  at  Fort  Gibson  as  early 
as  possible,  as  well  as  the  difficulty  of  providing  grain  for  the  horses.  I  am 
well  aware  you  are  placed  in  a  most  unpleasant  situation,  encumbered  as  you 
must  be  with  sick  men,  baggage  and  horses,  and  regret  exceedingly  that  it 
is  not  m  my  power  to  help  you." 

For  the  winter.  Headquarters  with  Companies  A,  C,  D  and  G,  were  sent 
to  Fort  Leavenworth;  Companies  B,  H  and  I,  Colonel  Kearny,  command- 
ing, into  the  Indian  country  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Des  Moines  River;  and  Companies  E,  F  and  K,  Major  Mason 
commanding,  to  Fort  Gibson. 

Throughout  the  summer  of  1835  all  the  companies  of  the  regiment  were 
kept  in  the  field.  The  object  appears  to  have  been  exploration  chiefly,  for 
no  conflicts  with  the  Indians  took  place.  The  regiment  performed  its  duty 
thoroughly,  as  was  shown  by  the  letter  of  commendation  sent  \)y  General 
E.  P.  Gaines,  commanding  West  Department,  to  the  regimental  commander 
upon  receipt  of  his  report  of  operations. 

Many  letters  written  and  orders  issued  about  this  time  are  of  great  inter- 
est and  some  are  very  amusing  from  the  force  of  language  used,  showing 
great  difference  in  military  correspondence  then  and  now  ;  the  court-martial 
orders  are  especially  interesting  on  account  of  the  peculiar  sentences  im- 
posed. 

During  the  year  1836  the  general  disposition  of  the  regiment  remained 
unchanged.  The  companies  were  employed  in  scouting  among  the  Indians, 
especially  along  the  Missouri  frontier,  a  portion  of  the  regiment  going  to 
Nacogdoches,  Texas,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  off  white  trespassers  from 
the  Indian  country,  and  preserving  peace  between  whites  and  Indians  and 
among  the  Indians  themselves;  also  in  building  wagon  roads  and  bridges. 
During  the  winter  the  companies  returned  to  their  stations — Forts  Leaven- 
worth, Gibson  and  Des  Moines. 

Colonel  Dodge  resigned  July  4,  1836,  and  was  appointed  Governor  of 
Wisconsin.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Kearny,  Major  Mason  was  pro- 
moted vice  Kearny,  and  Captain  Clifton  Wharton  vice  Mason. 

The  regiment  was  not  engaged  in  the  Florida  war  of  this  year,  but 
Colonel  Kearny,  being  called  upon  subsequently,  reports,  March  16,  1844; — 
"  The  only  officers  of  the  Regiment  of  Dragoons  who  died  of  wounds  received 
or  diseases  contracted  during  the  late  contest  with  the  Florida  Indians  are 
ist  Lieutenants  J.  F.  Izard  and  T.  B.  Wheelock,"  and  that  no  enlisted  men 
of  the  regiment  served  there. 

The  circumstances  attending  the  death  of  Lieutenant  Izard  are  interest- 
ing. Being  on  his  way  from  the  east  in  January,  1836,  to  join  his  regiment, 
he  heard  at  Memphis  of  Dade's  massacre.  He  at  once  offered  his  services 
to  General  Gaines  as  a  volunteer  for  the  expedition  then  being  organized  in 
New  Orleans  for  Florida,  was  appointed  brigade  major  of  the  light  brigade 
organized  at  Tampa  Bay  composed  of  the  2d  Artillery,  4th  Infantry  and  the 
Louisiana  Volunteers,  and  had  also  the  command  of  the  advanced  guard 
assigned  him  which  he  retained  until  he  was  shot. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALR  Y.  i  5  3 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1S36,  the  light  brigade  left  Fort  King  for 
Ouithlacoochee,  during  the  passage  of  which  stream  an  attack  by  the  Indians 
was  anticipated.  On  the  following  day  the  place  where  General  Clinch  had 
his  battle  of  December  25  was  reached.  Here  a  sharp  skirmish  took  place 
and  some  men  were  lost.  Having  learned  of  a  better  ford  below  it  was  de- 
cided to  take  it.  Izard,  coming  with  his  advanced  guard  to  the  bank  of  the 
river,  posted  his  guard  and  went  down  the  river  alone  to  look  for  the  ford. 
While  wading  in  the  stream  he  was  struck  by  a  bullet  in  the  inner  corner  of 
the  left  eye,  the  ball  passing  out  near  the  right  temple.  He  fell,  but  called 
out  while  falling,  '•  Lie  still,  men,  and  maintain  your  positions."  He  never 
spoke  afterwards  and  died  on  the  5th  of  March, 

First  Lieutenant  T.  B.  Wheelock  left  New  York  for  Florida  with  a  detach- 
ment of  recruits  in  February,  1836.  He  distinguished  himself  with  a  portion 
of  these  recruits  on  the  loth  of  June  at  Fort  Micanopy,  and  died  at  that  post 
on  the  15th  of  that  month  of  a  fever  contracted  during  his  service  in  Florida. 

During  the  year  1S37  the  regiment  was  not  called  upon  for  any  especially 
hard  service.  The  usual  scouting  parties  were  sent  out  from  time  to  time, 
and  there  were  several  changes  of  station,  so  that  in  June  six  companies 
were  at  Leavenworth  and  four  at  Fort  Gibson. 

The  following  extract  from  an  order  issued  by  General  Gaines,  com- 
manding the  Western  Division,  shows  the  high  state  of  discipline  prevailing 
in  the  regiment  at  this  time. 

"The  First  Regiment  of  Light  Dragoons  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  recently 
inspected  by  the  Commanding  General,  was  found  to  be  in  a  state  of  police 
and  discipline  reflecting  the  highest  credit  on  Colonel  Kearny— the  ex- 
emplary commandant,— his  captains  and  other  officers,  non-commissioned 
officers  and  soldiers,  whose  high  health  and  vigilance,  with  the  excellent 
condition  of  the  horses,  affords  conclusive  evidence  of  their  talents,  industry 
and  steady  habits." 

In  March,  1837,  a  regimental  order  designated  the  color  of  the  horses  of 
each  company  as  follows:— A  and  K.  black;  B,  F  and  H,  sorrel;  C,  D,  E 
and  I,  bay ;  and  G,  iron  gray. 

In  October,  1837,  and  again  in  March,  1838,  serious  difficulties  were  re- 
ported between  the  settlers  and  the  Osage  Indians,  and  companies  of  the 
regiment  were  at  once  sent  to  the  disturbed  regions.  On  the  second  occasion 
the  rapidity  of  Colonel  Kearny's  movements  and  the  sudden  appearance  of 
200  dragoons  in  their  midst  appear  to  have  had  a  very  quieting  effect  on 
the  Indians,  for  after  his  return  to  Leavenworth  Colonel  Kearny  reports  no 
further  danger  of  trouble  with  the  Osages. 

In  April,  1839,  the  post  of  Fort  Wayne,  on  the  northwestern  frontier  of 
Arkansas,  was  established  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  Cherokees  in  sub- 
jection, and  by  the  end  of  October  Companies  E,  F,  G  and  K,  were  stationed 
there.  In  this  same  month  Colonel  Kearny,  with  Companies  A,  B,  C,  H  and 
I,  scouting,  visited  the  post,  but  in  November  returned  to  Fort  Leavenworth 
having  marched  about  550  miles. 

Except  that  Companies  A,  C  and  D,  under  Major  Wharton,  were  sent  to 
Fort  Gibson  in  December  for  temporary  duty,  nothing  of  any  moment  oc- 
curred to  the  regiment  during  the  remainder  of  the  year. 


156  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Twice  in  March  and  once  in  September,  1840,  the  regiment  was  called 
upon  to  overawe  the  Indians,  and  the  end  of  that  year  found  the  Head- 
quarters with  Companies  E,  F,  H,  I  and  K,  at  Leavenworth  ;  C,  D  and  G, 
at  Fort  Gibson  ;  A  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  B  at  Fort  Crawford. 

During  the  period  1841-45  there  is  little  of  interest  to  record  regarding 
the  movements  of  the  regiments.  There  was  the  usual  detached  service 
for  companies,  and  changes  between  Leavenworth,  Gibson,  Wayne,  Craw- 
ford and  Fort  Towson — on  the  northeastern  boundary  of  Texas.  The 
records  show  no  engagements  or  excessive  marches,  except  that  in  April, 
1842,  on  account  of  some  disturbance  among  the  Cherokees,  Colonel  Kearny 
marched  his  command  of  five  companies  to  Fort  Gibson  from  Leavenworth, 
and  then  made  a  forced  march  of  57  miles  to  Fort  Wayne  in  one  day.  The 
records  do  not  show  that  these  Indian  disturbances  amounted  to  anything; 
the  Indians  made  no  attacks  on  the  troops  and  but  few  on  the  settlers ;  still 
it  is  fair  to  presume  that  the  activity  of  Colonel  Kearny  and  his  dragoons 
held  them  in  subjection,  and  by  their  timely  arrival  at  points  where  trouble 
was  imminent,  overawed  the  savages  and  prevented  bloody  wars. 

On  May  18,  1845,  Colonel  Kearny  with  Companies  A,  C,  F,  G  and  K, 
left  Leavenworth  for  an  expedition  to  South  Pass  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
The  command  reached  Fort  Laramie  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Platte,  June 
14  ;  marched  to  South  Pass  and  returned  to  Laramie  by  July  13  ;  thence  via 
Bent's  Fort  on  the  Arkansas  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  it  arrived  August 
24,  having  made  a  march  of  2000  miles  in  less  than  100  days.  In  the  order 
issued  to  his  command  after  his  return  from  this  expedition  Colonel 
Kearny  says  :  "  In  the  length  of  the  march,  the  rapidity  of  the  movement 
and  the  unimportant  sacrifices  made,  the  expedition  is  supposed  to  be 
wholly  unprecedented  ;  and  it  is  with  pride  and  pleasure  that  the  Colonel 
ascribes  the  result  to  the  habitual  good  conduct,  efficiency,  and  attention  to 
duty  on  the  part  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  command." 

At  the  end  of  the  year  Companies  C,  F,  G  and  K,  were  at  Leavenworth; 
A  at  Fort  Scott ;  B  at  Fort  Atkinson  ;  D  at  Camp  Boone,  near  Beatties 
Prairie  ;  E  and  H  in  camp  near  Evansville,  Ark. ;  and  I  at  Fort  Des  Moines. 
The  Headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  at  St.  Louis,  where  they  remained 
until  April  23,  1846,  when  they  were  returned  to  Fort  Leavenworth. 

Colonel  Kearny  was  promoted  brigadier  general  June  30,  1846,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Colonel  Mason.  Major  Wharton  was  promoted  vice  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Mason,  and  Captain  Trenor  vice  Wharton. 

Very  soon  after  the  commencement  of  hostilities  between  the  United 
States  and  Mexico,  preparations  were  begun  for  the  invasion  of  Mexican 
territory  at  various  points.  One  expedition  was  to  advance  from  the  Mis- 
souri River  west  to  Mexico,  Santa  Fe  being  its  objective  point.  It  was  im- 
mediately determined,  however,  to  push  on  with  this  column  and  occupy 
Upper  California.  General  Kearny  was  placed  m  command  of  this  "Army 
of  the  West,"  which  consisted  of  Companies  B,  C,  G,  I  and  K,  ist  Dragoons, 
two  companies  of  artillery,  two  of  infantry  and  nine  companies  of  Missouri 
volunteer  cavalry  under  command  of  Colonel  A.  W.  Doniphan,  in  all  about 
1800  men.  This  command  was  concentrated  at  Bent's  Fort  on  the  Arkan- 
sas, from  which  point  it  marched  for  Santa  Fe,  August  i,  1846. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  i  37 

Some  show  of  resistance  to  Kearny's  advance  was  made  by  the  Mexican 
governor  of  New  Mexico,  but  Las  Vegas  was  occupied  on  the  14th,  and 
Santa  Fc  on  the  i8th  of  August  without  a  conflict,  the  Mexicans  retreat- 
ing upon  Kearny's  approach.  Leaving  Colonel  Doniphan  in  command  at 
Santa  Fe,  General  Kearny  took  up  the  march  for  California  September  26, 
and  encamped  about  40  miles  from  San  Diego  December  5.  where  he  was 
met  by  a  small  party  of  volunteers  under  Captain  Gillespie,  sent  out  from 
San  Diego  by  Commodore  Stockton  to  give  information  of  the  enemy,  of 
whom  there  were  supposed  to  be  six  or  seven  hundred  opposed  to  Kearny's 
advance. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  Kearny's  command  met  and  defeated  at  San 
Pasqual,  about  40  miles  from  San  Diego,  a  body  of  Mexicans  under  General 
Andres  Pico.  Kearny  had  at  this  time  about  300  men,  composed  of  Com- 
panies B  and  C,  ist  Dragoons,  and  volunteers.  The  action  was  severe,  the 
1st  Dragoons  losing  three  officers,— Captains  Moore  and  Johnston  and  Lieu- 
tenant Hammond,— and  14  men  killed ;  and  about  all  the  dragoons  were 
wounded,  principally  with  lance  thrusts.  General  Kearny  himself  received 
two  wounds.  Lieutenant  Warren  of  the  Topographical  Engineers,  three  ; 
and  Captain  Gillespie  of  the  volunteers,  three.  Kearny  was  compelled  to 
remam  at  San  Barnardino  until  the  nth  on  account  of  wounds,  but  reached 
and  occupied  San  Diego  December  12. 

General  Wilcox  in  his  History  of  the  Mexican  War  says:  "  At  dawn  of 
day  the  enemy,  already  in  the  saddle,  were  seen  at  San  Pasqual.  Captain 
Johnston  charged  them  with  the  advanced  guard,  followed  and  supported 
by  the  Dragoons,  and  they  gave  way.  Captain  Moore  led  of!  rapidly  in  pur- 
suit accompanied  by  the  Dragoons  (mounted  on  horses),  and  followed, 
though  slowly,  by  those  on  tired  mules.  The  enemy,  well  mounted  and 
superb  horsemen,  after  falling  back  half  a  mile,  halted,  and  seeing  an  inter- 
val between  Captain  Moore  with  the  advance  and  the  Dragoons  coming  to 
his  support,  rallied  their  whole  force  and  charged  with  lances.  Moore  held 
his  ground  for  some  minutes  but  was  forced  back,  when  those  in  the  rear 
coming  up,  the  enemy  were  in  turn  driven  back  and  fled  not  to  rally  again. 
Kearny  occupied  the  field  and  encamped  upon  it. 

"  But  few  of  Moore's  men  escaped  without  wounds.  Captain  Johnston 
was  shot  dead  at  the  commencement  of  the  action  ;  Captain  Moore  was 
lanced  and  killed  just  before  the  final  retreat  of  the  Mexicans;  Lieutenant 
Hammond  was  also  lanced,  surviving  the  wound  but  a  few  minutes;  two 
sergeants,  two  corporals,  and  10  men  of  the  ist  Dragoons,  one  private  of 
Volunteers,  and  a  citizen  engaged  with  the  engineers  were  killed."  * 

General  Kearny  with  a  force  consisting  of  Company  C,  ist  Dragoons, 
(60  dismounted  men)  under  Captain  Turner,  sailors  and  marines  with  a  bat- 
tery of  artillery,  and  California  volunteers,  left  San  Diego  for  Los  Angeles 
December  29.  He  reached  and  occupied  Los  Angeles  January  10,  1S47. 
The  enemy  under  Governor  Flores  was  encountered  at  the  crossing  of  the 
Rio  San  Gabriel  January  8,  and  on  the  plains  of  the  Meza  on  the  9th,  on 


*  In  explanation  of  the  remark  "  mounted  on  horses."  it  may  be  stated  that,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, the  Dragoons  were  mounted  on  tired  mules  which  had  been  ridden  from  Santa  Fc,  more 
than  a  thousand  miles. 


158  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

both  of  which  occasions  he  was  routed  with  some  loss.  The  loss  to  the 
Americans  was  one  soldier  killed,  and  two  officers, — Rowan  of  the  navy  and 
Captain  Gillespie, — and  1 1  privates  wounded.  With  the  loss  of  Los  Angeles 
all  resistance  to  the  occupation  of  this  portion  of  California  ceased. 

General  Kearny  had  left  Companies  G  and  I  at  Albuquerque  under  Cap- 
tain J.  H.  K.  Burgwin.  When  Colonel  Sterling  Price  (the  successor  of 
Colonel  Doniphan  in  command  at  Santa  Fe)  learned  of  the  seizure  and 
murder  at  Fernando  de  Taos  of  Governor  Bent  and  five  others  by  the  Mexi- 
cans (Jan.  20),  he  moved  out  against  them  with  a  force  of  about  350  dis- 
mounted men  and  easily  defeated  them,  Jan.  24,  at  Canada.  Captain 
Burgwin,  with  Company  G,  ist  Dragoons,  also  dismounted,  joined  him  on 
the  28th,  and  the  Mexicans,  numbering  about  500,  were  again  encountered 
on  the  29th  in  a  cafion  leading  to  Embudo,  from  which  position  they  were 
driven  out  by  Burgwin  with  a  force  of  180  men  of  Price's  regiment  and 
Company  G.     He  entered  Embudo  the  same  day. 

On  the  31st,  having  united  his  force,  Price  moved  towards  the  Pueblo 
de  Taos,  which  he  attacked  February  3,  but  on  account  of  its  strength  and 
the  stubborn  resistance  offered,  and  more  especially  for  the  reason  that  the 
ammunition  for  the  artillery  had  not  come  up,  the  attack  failed.  It  was 
renewed  on  the  following  morning  when  Captain  Burgwin,  with  his  com- 
pany of  Dragoons  and  McMillan's  of  Price's  regiment,  charged,  crossed  the 
walls,  and  attacked  the  church,  which,  with  other  large  buildings  within  the 
walls,  was  occupied  by  a  large  force  of  the  enemy  and  was  stubbornly  de- 
fended. While  gallantly  leading  a  small  party  against  the  door  of  the 
church  Burgwnn  received  a  mortal  wound  from  which  he  died  on  the  7th. 
Company  G  sustained  a  loss  in  this  engagement  of  one  officer  and  23  men 
killed.     The  Mexicans  lost  153  killed  and  many  wounded. 

During  the  year  1847  regimental  headquarters  were  still  at  Leavenworth 
and  Companies  A  and  E  were  with  Taylor  in  Mexico.  Company  B  was  re- 
organized at  Jefferson  Barracks  in  May  and  sent  to  Albuquerque,  N.  M., 
being  engaged  while  en  route  with  Comanche  Indians  at  Grand  Prairie, 
Arkansas,  June  26.  losing  five  men  killed  and  six  wounded. 

Company  F  escorted  General  Scott  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico 
and  was  present  at  the  battles  at  and  near  that  city.  From  November  i 
to  December  20  it  was  engaged  on  escort  duty  between  the  city  and  Vera 
Cruz. 

Companies  D  and  K,  as  well  as  F,  saw  service  on  Scott's  line  in  Mexico, 
and  in  1848  the  three  companies  returned  to  the  United  States  and  were 
stationed  at  various  points  on  the  northwestern  frontier. 

During  the  year  1849  the  regiment  lost  three  men  killed  and  two 
wounded  (one  mortally)  in  Indian  skirmishes,  the  particulars  of  which  are 
not  obtainable. 

Brevet  Brigadier  General  Mason,  Colonel  ist  Dragoons,  died  at  Jefferson 
Barracks,  July  25,  1850,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Thomas  L.  Fauntle- 
roy,  promoted  from  the  Second  Dragoons. 

For  the  next  three  years  there  is  no  record  of  any  important  engage- 
ment, march  or  duty,  performed  by  the  regiment ;  in  fact,  very  little  atten- 
tion was  given  to  recording  really  important  fights. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY,  1 59 

On  March  30,  1854.  Lieutenant  J.  W.  Davidson,  with  Company  I  and  16 
men  of  Company  F.  had  a  sharp  fight  with  Apache  Indians  about  16  miles 
south  of  Taos,  in  which  14  men  of  Company  I  and  8  of  E  were  killed,  and 
Lieutenant  Davidson  and  14  men  wounded.  The  Indian  camp  was  sur- 
prised and  captured,  the  Indians  escaping,  but  while  plundering  the 
camp  the  troops  were  in  turn  surprised  by  the  Indians,  who  returned  and 
took  Davidson  at  such  disadvantage  that  the  command  narrowly  escaped 
annihilation. 

Regimental  headquarters  were  transferred  to  Fort  Union,  N.  M..  in 
July.  1S54.  and  throughout  the  following  year  the  companies  in  New  Mex- 
ico were  almost  constantly  on  the  move.  Colonel  Fauntleroy  made  three 
expeditions  against  the  Utahs  and  Apaches,  and  Companies  I  and  K  went 
with  Colonel  Miles  against  the  Mescalero  Apaches.  Meantime  Companies 
C  and  E  took  part  in  the  Rogue  River  war  in  Oregon,  in  which,  at  the  bat- 
tle of  "  Hungry  Hill."  the  troops  were  compelled  to  retire  with  a  loss  of  26 
killed  and  wounded,  after  fighting  a  day  and  a  half. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  established  at  Fort  Tejon,  Cali- 
fornia, in  December,  1856,  with  Companies  H  and  I.  At  this  time  Com- 
panies B,  D,  G  and  K  were  at  Camp  Moore,  N.  M. ;  C  at  Fort  Yamhill, 
Oregon  ;  E  at  Fort  Walla  Walla,  Wash. ;  F  at  San  Diego,  Cal. ;  and  A  en 
route  to  Benicia  Barracks,  California. 

From  this  time  until  the  year  1861  scoutings  and  skirmishes  with  the 
Indians  were  almost  incessant,  and  portions  of  the  regiment  were  always 
found  where  the  fighting  was  going  on.  Four  companies  were  present  with 
Chandler's  expedition  against  the  Navajos  and  Apaches  in  March  and  April, 
1856.  In  1856  two  companies  took  part  in  numerous  Indian  skirmishes  in 
Oregon  and  Washington  ;  one  was  with  Wright's  expedition  to  the  Walla 
Walla  country  in  April,  and  to  the  Yakima  country  in  June  ;  later  in  the 
year  it  was  out  with  Colonel  Steptoe. 

In  May,  1858,  Companies  C,  E  and  H  formed  part  of  Steptoe's  expedi- 
tion northward  to  the  British  line  which,  on  the  17th  of  May,  met  a  force  of 
about  Soo  Spokane  and  other  hostile  Indians  and  was  driven  back. 

In  August  of  the  same  year  Companies  C,  E,  H  and  I  were  with  Wright's 
column,  which  administered  a  severe  thrashing,  September  i,  to  the  Indians 
who  had  fought  Steptoe. 

Company  D  was  in  the  field  in  Arizona  in  185S,  and  E  in  Oregon  in 
1859. 

Colonel  Fauntleroy  resigned  May  13,  i86i,and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel 
B.  S.  Beall.  By  the  Act  of  August  3  of  this  year  the  designation  of  the 
regiment  was  changed  to  "  First  Regiment  of  Cavalry." 

During  the  months  of  November  and  December  the  regiment,  excepting 
Companies  D  and  G,  was  transferred  from  the  Pacific  coast  to  Washington, 
D.  C,  arriving  at  Camp  Sprague,  near  that  city,  by  the  end  of  January, 
1862. 

At  this  time  Companies  D  and  G  were  at  Camp  San  Christoval.  N.  M. 
They  had  abandoned  and  destroyed  Forts  Breckenridge  and  Buchanan  and 
had  taken  station  at  Fort  Craig.  In  January,  1862.  they  were  General 
Canby's  escort.     Company  D  was  engaged  in  a  skirmish  with  rebels  near 


i6o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Fort  Craig,  February  19,  1862,  and  the  two  companies  took  part  in  the  bat 
tie  of  Valverde,  February  21.  Company  D  took  part  in  the  engagements  at 
Pigeon's  Ranch,  March  30;  Albuquerque,  April  25  ;  and  Peralto,  April  27, 
1862. 

In  June,  1863,  the  two  companies  were  broken  up,  the  officers  and  non- 
commissioned officers  being  transferred  to  Carlisle  Barracks,  where  the 
companies  were  reorganized,  joining  the  regiment  at  Camp  Buford,  Md.,  in 
October,  1863. 

Colonel  Beall  was  retired  February  15,  1862,  and  was  succeeded  by  Col- 
onel George  A.  H.  Blake,  Major  Wm.  N.  Grier  of  the  Second  succeeding 
him  as  lieutenant  colonel  of  the  First. 

The  regiment,  now  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Grier,  was  attached 
to  the  2d  Brigade,  Cavalry  Reserve,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  Colonel  Blake 
commanding  the  brigade. 

It  will  be  impossible  to  give  in  detail  the  part  taken  by  the  regiment  in 
all  the  battles  and  engagements  in  which  it  participated  during  the  Rebel- 
lion. Only  the  names  of  battles  are  given,  with  the  casualties  and  such 
short  descriptions  as  may  seem  of  interest. 

At  Williamsburg,  May  4,  1862,  a  portion  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  was  re- 
pulsed by  a  brilliant  charge  of  a  squadron  of  the  regiment  commanded  by 
Captain  B.  F.  Davis.  A  rebel  standard  was  captured;  13  casualties.  At 
Gaines'  Mill,  June  27,  Lieutenant  Robert  Allen  was  dangerously  wounded.' 
casualties,  26.  The  regiment  was  present  at  Malvern  Hill,  July  i  ;  Kelly's 
Ford,  March  17,  1863  (loss  ten  men);  and  Stoneman's  Raid  in  April  and 
May.  At  the  battle  of  Beverly  Ford,  June  9,  1863,  the  gallant  Captain  B.  F. 
Davis  was  killed  while  in  command  of  the  8th  N.  Y.  Cavalry.  At  Upper- 
ville,  June  23,  the  regiment  met  the  "Jeff  Davis  "  Legion  and  the  ist  and 
2d  North  Carolina  regiments  in  a  charge.  The  regiment  suffered  severely, 
Lieutenants  Fisher  and  Moulton  being  wounded  and  captured,  and  51  men 
killed,  wounded  and  missing,  a  large  proportion  of  the  wounded  being  dis- 
abled by  the  sabre. 

At  Gettysburg,  July  i  and  3,  Lieutenant  Trimble  was  wounded,  and  the 
loss  was  15  men.  The  regiment  lost  two  men  at  Williamsport  and  on  July 
6  charged  the  enemy  on  the  pike  road  to  within  half  a  mile  of  Funkstown, 
capturing  an  officer  and  13  men,  and  driving  the  enemy  within  their  lines. 
The  regiment  was  engaged  near  Boonsboro,  July  7,  8  and  9,  losing  14  men. 
At  Brandy  Station,  August  i,  it  repulsed  the  enemy  in  four  charges,  losing 
1 1  men.  With  the  Reserve  Brigade  it  was  then  ordered  to  Washington  to 
remount  and  equip.  Camp  Buford  was  established,  where  the  brigade  re- 
mained about  a  month  when  it  was  again  ordered  to  the  front. 

The  First  Cavalry  was  engaged  at  Manassas  Junction  and  at  Catlett's 
Station,  November  5  ;  Culpeper,  November  8  ;  Stephensburg,  November 
26,  and  Mine  River.  A  cantonment  having  been  established  at  Mitchell's 
Station  the  regiment  was  employed  during  the  winter  doing  picket  duty 
along  the  line  of  the  Rapidan. 

A  reconnoissance  to  the  left  of  the  enemy's  line  was  made,  February  6, 
1864,  by  the  ist  Division,  Cavalry  Corps,  the  First  Cavalry  leading  the  ad- 
vance.    Sharp  skirmishes  took  place  near  the  crossing  of  Robinson  River 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  xCn 

at  Hume's  Ford  on  the  6th  and  yth.  On  the  6th  the  regiment  charged  the 
enemy,  driving  him  from  the  ford  and  capturing  four  prisoners,  and  con- 
tinued the  pursuit  to  within  two  miles  of  Barnett's  Ford  on  the  Rapidan. 
On  the  morning  of  the  7th  the  regiment,  again  in  the  advance,  encountered 
the  enemy  in  force  at  the  ford.  One  squadron, — G  and  M  Companies  under 
Capt.  Fielner,  — made  a  charge  to  gain  possession  of  the  ford,  but  was  met 
by  a  heavy  fire  from  infantry  in  strong  position  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river  and  was  recalled  with  loss  of  two  men  and  six  horses  wounded.  On 
the  27th  General  Custer  started  on  his  raid  to  Charlottesville,  and  on  the 
28th,  the  First  Cavalry  being  in  the  advance,  the  enemy  were  encountered 
in  their  camp  near  Charlottesville  from  which  they  were  driven  and  the 
camp  partially  destroyed.  On  the  return  march  the  Rosanna  bridge  was 
destroyed  by  the  pioneers  of  the  regiment  under  Lieutenant  Ogden.  On 
March  ist,  shortly  after  leaving  Standardsville,  the  enemy  charged  the  5th 
Cavalry,  which  regiment,  supported  by  the  First,  returned  the  charge,  cap- 
turing 25  rebels  and  killing  or  wounding  several  of  them. 

On  General  Sheridan's  taking  command  of  the  Cavalry  Corps  the  First 
Cavalry,  commanded  by  Captain  N.  B.  Sweitzer,  was  attached  to  Merritt's 
Reserve  or  Regular  Brigade,  Torbert's  Division,  and  in  the  preparation  for 
the  Wilderness  campaign  the  regiment  was  employed  in  picketing  the  Rap- 
idan, takmg  part  in  the  battles  of  Todd's  Tavern,  May  7,  and  Spottsyl- 
vania  Court  House,  May  8,  during  the  first  of  which  six  out  of  the  16  officers 
on  duty  with  the  regiment, — Captain  Sumner  and  Lieutenants  Hall,  Hoyer, 
Pennock,  Ward  and  Carr, — were  wounded.  During  the  two  days  fighting 
ten  men  were  killed. 

The  regiment  accompanied  Sheridan  on  his  raid  around  Richmond  and 
took  part  in  the  following  engagements;  Beaver  Dam  Station,  May  10; 
Yellow  Tavern,  May  11:  Meadow  Bridge,  May  12;  Mechanicsville,  May 
12;  Tunstall's  Station,  May  14;  Hawe's  Shop,  May  28;  and  Old  Church, 
May  30. 

At  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  June  i.  Captain  Samuel  McKee  was  mor- 
tally wounded  and  died  on  the  3d.  Lieutenant  Pennock  was  shot  through 
both  eyes,  two  men  were  killed  and  four  wounded.  The  regiment  accom- 
panied General  Sheridan  on  the  Trevillian  raid,  and  was  present  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Trevillian  Station,  June  11  and  12,  on  which  days  it  suffered  severely, 
losing  Lieutenants  Ogden  and  Nichols  killed,  and  Captain  Dunkelberger 
wounded.  Three  men  were  killed  and  29  wounded  or  missing.  The  regi- 
ment was  engaged  in  daily  skirmishing  during  the  return  march  to  White 
House  Landing,  and  was  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  that  point  on  June  17, 
at  the  Chickahominy  River  on  the  iSth,  and  at  the  battle  of  Darby's  Farm, 
June  28.  At  the  battle  of  Deep  Bottom,  July  28,  where  the  Regular  Bri- 
gade, fighting  on  foot,  routed  a  brigade  of  Confederate  cavalry,  a  battle  flag 
was  captured  by  the  First  Cavalry. 

On  July  31,  the  ist  Division  marched  to  City  Point,  embarked  the  next 
day,  and  was  transported  to  Washington  to  assist  in  repelling  the  threat- 
ened attack  of  General  Early.  The  regiment  disembarked  at  Giesboro 
Point  with  its  division,  August  3,  and  went  into  camp  near  Washington. 

On  August  5th  the  movement  to  Harper's  Ferry  was  taken  up,  the  ist 


1 62  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Division  being  ordered  to  the  Shenandoali  Valley  under  Sheridan.  Har- 
pers Ferry  was  reached  on  the  Sth  and  the  division  moved  out  on  the  Hall- 
town  road  and  camped.  General  Sheridan  having  formed  his  cavalry  into  a 
corps  under  General  Torbert,  General  Merritt  succeeded  to  the  command  of 
the  division,  and  Colonel  Alfred  Gibbs  to  that  of  the  brigade. 

On  August  loth  a  reconnoissance  was  made  by  the  Reserve  Brigade  in 
the  direction  of  Winchester,  and  the  enemy's  cavalry  was  engaged  and 
routed.  From  this  day  until  the  close  of  Sheridan's  operations  in  the  valley, 
the  regiment  was  engaged  in  almost  daily  fighting,  and  took  part  in  all  the 
important  battles  except  Fisher's  Hill,  where  it  was  otherwise  employed  as 
will  be  seen  hereafter. 

The  enemy's  cavalry  was  engaged,  August  ii,  and  driven  several  miles 
towards  Newtown,  but  our  cavalry  became  opposed  to  a  heavy  force  of  in- 
fantry and  the  entire  First  Division  was  put  in  on  foot.  The  ist  Cavalry 
charged  across  an  open  plowed  field  and  drove  the  enemy  from  the  timber 
beyond,  but  were  in  turn  repulsed  by  a  heavy  flank  fire  and  compelled  to 
take  refuge  behind  rail  barricades,  which  they  held  until  dark  in  spite  of 
persistent  and  repeated  efforts  of  the  enemy  to  dislodge  them.  Lieutenant 
Harris  was  wounded  in  this  afTair. 

On  August  13,  Lieutenant  J.  S.  Walker,  the  commissary  of  the  regiment 
was  killed  by  Mosby's  guerrillas  near  Charleston,  Va.,  while  going  to  Harper's 
Ferry  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  About  this  time  also  the  regimental 
trains  of  the  Reserve  Brigade  were  captured  and  destroyed  by  Mosby.  These 
trains  contained  the  regimental  and  company  records  and  the  personal 
effects  of  officers.  Several  of  the  wagons  belonging  to  the  regiment  were 
saved  and  with  them  someof  the  records.  From  August  i6th  until  the  20th, 
the  First  Cavalry  was  employed,  together  with  the  whole  of  the  ist  Divis- 
ion, in  the  destruction  of  all  wheat  and  forage,  and  the  seizure  of  all  horses, 
cattle,  sheep  and  hogs,  accessible  in  the  valley. 

The  1st  Division  was  engaged  with  Early's  infantry  near  Charleston  on 
the  2ist,  and  on  the  25th  the  ist  and  3d  Divisions  marched  in  the  direction 
of  Leetown,  near  which  place  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy's  infantry  was  en- 
countered and  defeated  with  the  loss  of  many  prisoners.  On  the  28th  the 
Division  marched  again  in  the  direction  of  Leetown,  the  Reserve  Brigade 
leading,  with  the  First  Cavalry  in  advance.  The  Rebel  cavalry  was  found 
in  force  beyond  Leetown  and  a  severe  fight  followed.  Two  squadrons  of 
the  First  were  deployed  to  the  left  and  right  of  the  pike  and  a  third  held 
in  reserve.  The  deployed  squadrons  were  driven  back  and  the  reserve 
squadron  was  moved  into  the  pike  in  columns  of  fours  and  in  that  forma- 
tion charged  with  the  sabre.  The  enemy's  cavalry,  a  full  brigade,  charged 
with  the  pistol,  and,  just  before  the  two  bodies  met,  slackened  speed  to  de- 
liver their  fire,  when  Hoyer"s  squadron  struck  them  at  full  charging  gaitand 
sent  them  flying  to  the  rear.  Our  loss  was  ten  or  twelve  men  wounded  with 
the  pistol  and  the  gallant  Hoyer  killed.  He  was  shot  through  the  body  while 
leading  the  charge  and  died  in  an  hour.  The  command  of  the  squadron 
then  fell  to  Lieutenant  Moses  Harris,  and  at  about  this  time  Captain  E.  M, 
Baker  succeeded  Captain  Sweitzer  in  command  of  the  regiment. 

From  the  5th  of  September  until  the    19th  the  First   was  employed  on 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  163 

picket  duty  along  the  Opequan  and  in  harassing  the  enemy,— an  arduous 
duty,  with  constant  skirmishing  and  attendant  casualties.  Colonel  C.  R. 
Lowell,  2d  Mass.  Cavalry,  "  The  bravest  of  the  brave,"  now  succeeded  ttj  the 
command  of  the  Reserve  Brigade,  and  the  period  of  his  command  is  de- 
scribed as  the  most  brilliant  in  its  history. 

The  First  took  part  in  the  memorable  charge  of  the  Reserve  Brigade  at 
the  battle  of  Winchester,  September  19,  and,  in  conjunction  with  the  2d 
Cavalry,  captured  two  stands  of  colors  and  some  200  prisoners.  The  cas- 
ualties of  the  regiment  were  37  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  including 
Lieutenant  McGregor  wounded. 

The  battle  of  Fisher's  Hill  was  fought  and  won  September  22,  1864.  On 
this  day  General  Torbert,  having  been  ordered  to  proceed  with  Merritt's  and 
Devin's  Divisions  through  the  Luray  Valley  to  fall  upon  Early's  retreating 
army  at  New  Market,  in  the  event  of  his  defeat  at  Fisher's  Hill,  found  the 
forces  of  the  rebel  General  Wickham  strongly  entrenched  near  Milford. 
Torbert's  failure  to  dislodge  Wickham  and  Sheridan's  disappointment  over 
the  failure  of  his  plan  to  capture  the  whole  of  Early's  army  are  matters  of 
history. 

On  the  morning  of  the  23d  the  ambulance  train  was  attacked  by  some  of 
Mosby's  guerrillas  near  Front  Royal,  who  were  then  chased  by  the  First  and 
Second  Cavalry  and  a  number  killed  and  ten  or  twelve  captured.  Lieuten- 
ant McMasters  of  the  Second  was  cruelly  murdered,  after  capture,  by  the 
guerrillas,  in  retaliation  for  which  several  of  those  captured  were  hung. 

Learning  on  the  23d  of  the  victory  at  Fisher's  Hill,  Torbert  returned 
with  his  command  to  Milford  during  the  night,  and  finding  the  enemy's 
strong  position  abandoned  pushed  on  until  the  enemy's  cavalry  was  encoun- 
tered near  Luray  early  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  and  signally  routed,  nar- 
rowly escaping  destruction.  The  First  Cavalry  took  part  in  this  engage- 
ment, and,  September  28,  in  the  action  at  Waynesboro,  in  which  it  met  with 
a  loss  of  18  killed,  wounded  and  missing. 

General  Sheridan  having  decided  to  withdraw  his  army  to  a  defensible 
position  nearer  to  his  base  of  supplies  in  the  northern  end  of  the  valley, 
commenced  the  retrograde  movement  on  the  6th  of  October.  General  Ros- 
ser  becoming  emboldened  by  Sheridan's  apparent  retreat,  took  the  initia- 
tive and  so  annoyed  Sheridan  that  he  determined  to  punish  him,  and  the 
memorable  battle  of  Tom's  Brook,  or  "  W^oodstock  Races,"  took  place  on 
the  9th,  The  entire  management  of  the  affair  was  given  to  General  Tor- 
bet,  and  how  well  he  redeemed  himself  for  his  failure  in  the  Luray  Valley 
by  the  ignominious  rout  of  Rosser  and  Lomax  is  well  known.  The  ist 
Cavalry  led  the  advance  of  the  Reserve  Brigade  during  the  charge  on  the 
pike  against  Lomax's  cavalry,  from  Tom's  Brook  to  Edinborough — 18  miles. 
The  chase  was  continued  by  the  2d  Brigade  to  Mount  Jackson,  8  miles  fur- 
ther on.  The  First  Cavalry  captured  4  guns,  4  wagons,  and  a  number  of 
prisoners,  with  a  loss  of  two  men  "  missing  in  action."  It  is  related  that 
some  of  the  guns  here  captured  were  quite  new,  and  had  been  marked  "  For 
General  P.  H.  Sheridan,  care  of  Jubal  Early." 

The  First  Cavalry  played  an  important  part  in  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek. 
October  19,  1864.     After  the  surprise  and  defeat  of  Wright  in  the  morning 


i64  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

a  position  was  taken  about  one  mile  north  of  Middletown,  which  was  held 
by  the  divisions  of  Merritt  and  Custer  until  Sheridan  came  up  with  that 
portion  of  his  army  which  he  had  met  flying  to  the  rear,  a  defeated  and  de- 
moralized mob.  The  First  Cavalry  was  formed,  one  squadron  to  the  left, 
the  other  to  the  right,  of  the  Valley  pike,  dismounted,  behind  stone 
walls,  the  third  squadron  being  held  in  reserve.  This  position  was  held 
with  the  greatest  difficulty,  the  advanced  squadron,  commanded  by  Harris, 
being  subjected  to  an  enfilading  fire.  The  personal  example  however,  of  the 
brigade,  regimental,  and  squadron  commanders,  kept  the  men  up  to  their 
places  until  the  return  of  the  Sixth  Corps  when  the  squadrons  were  mounted 
and  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  Early's  beaten  forces,  which  was  continued  on 
the  2ist  and  22d  as  far  as  Mount  Jackson. 

The  regiment  now  returned  to  Middletown  and  during  the  fall  and  win- 
ter was  engaged  in  numerous  skirmishes  and  took  part  in  Merritt's  raid  to 
the  Loudon  Valley  and  Torbert's  raid  to  Gordonsville.  In  December  the 
regiment  was  assigned  to  duty  at  the  headquarters  of  the  Cavalry  Corps  in 
Winchester. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1S65,  General  Sheridan  commenced  his  last 
expedition  through  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  having  for  his  object  the  de- 
struction of  the  Va.  Central  R.  R,  and  the  James  River  Canal,  and  the  cap- 
ture of  Lynchburg.  Sheridan  took  only  the  Cavalry  Corps  and  a  portion 
of  his  artillery.  The  regiment  was  present  with  the  Reserve  Brigade  and 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Waynesboro,  March  2,  where  the  remnant  of 
Early's  army  was  captured.  It  was  also  engaged  in  many  skirmishes  during 
the  march  from  Charlottesville  to  White  House  Landing  while  destroying 
locks  and  the  embankment  of  the  James  River  Canal,  railroads  and  rebel 
supplies,  and  arrived  at  White  House  Landing  March  17,  taking  part  in  the 
engagement  of  that  day. 

On  the  27th  of  March  Captain  Baker  was  relieved  from  command  of 
the  regiment  by  Captain  R.  S.  C.  Lord. 

The  First  Cavalry  was  present  and  took  part  in  all  the  battles  and  daily 
skirmishes  of  the  Cavalry  Corps  until  the  close  of  the  war.  On  March  30th 
it  was  in  the  engagement  on  White  Oak  Road ;  March  31,  at  Dinwiddie 
Court  House;  April  i,  at  Five  Forks.  Here  the  regiment  made  a  brilliant 
charge  on  an  entrenched  position  of  the  enemy,  which  was  carried  and  200 
prisoners  captured.  April  2,  in  the  engagement  near  Southside  R.  R. ; 
April  6,  at  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek;  and  April  9,  at  Appomatox, — the 
surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  After  the  surrender  the  regi- 
ment returned  to  Petersburg  where  it  remained  in  camp  until  April  24, 
when  it  marched  with  the  Cavalry  Corps  towards  North  Carolina  for  the 
proposed  junction  with  Sherman.  On  the  surrender  of  Johnston's  army 
the  Corps  returned  to  Petersburg  and,  the  regiment,  escorting  General 
Sheridan,  left  for  Washington  May  8,  arriving  May  16,  and  taking  part  in 
the  "Great  Review." 

In  the  same  month  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Louisiana,  arriving  at 
New  Orleans  May  31  and  remaining  in  that  city  or  its  immediate  vicinity 
until  December  29  when  it  embarked  for  California  via  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama.    It  took  post  at  the  Presidio   of  San  Francisco   January  22,  Com- 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  163 

panics  A,  G  and  K  going  February  5  to  Drum  Barracks,  where  Companies 
C,  D  and  E,  followed  them  February  17,  Company  L  going  to  Sacramento. 
In  June  of  the  same  year  regimental  headquarters  went  to  Fort  Vancouver, 
W.  T.,  and  the  several  companies  had  been  distributed  through  Oregon, 
Washington  Territory.  Idaho,  California,  Nevada  and  Arizona,  no  two  being 
at  the  same  station. 

Owing  to  the  vast  extent  of  country  guarded  by  the  regiment  its  ser- 
vice for  many  years  following  was  very  arduous.  Scouting  for  Indians  and 
escort  duty  of  various  kinds  were  incessant.  Hardly  a  regimental  return 
fails  to  record  some  expedition  or  report  some  Indian  fight.  It  will  be 
impossible  within  the  limits  to  which  this  sketch  is  confined  to  give  more 
than  their  dates  and  localities.* 

1866. 

Headwaters  Malheur  River,  Ore.,  July  1S-20-22,  Company  I.  Eleven 
Indians  killed  and  many  wounded.  Loss,  one  man  killed.  Near  Camp 
Watson,  Ore.,  September  2.  Company  I.  One  Indian  killed  and  many  wo- 
men, children  and  animals  captured.  Expedition  from  Owhyee  River  in 
September.  Company  M.  Many  Indians  killed.  Loss,  one  wounded. 
Expedition  from  Fort  Bidwell,  Cal.,  October  22-29.  Company  A.  Four- 
teen Indians  killed,  three  women,  four  children,  and  entire  camp  captured. 
Loss,  one  wounded.  Expedition  from  Fort  McDowell,  A.  T.,  September 
22-October  3.  Company  E  and  detachment  of  C.  Fifteen  Indians  killed 
and  10  captured.  Scout  from  Camp  Watson,  Ore..  October  8-24.  Company 
I.  Three  warriors  killed,  and  8,  with  all  the  women,  children,  stock  and 
provisions  captured.  Sierra  Anchas,  November  17.  Company  E.  Six 
warriors  killed  and  5  captured.  Scout  from  Carnp  Watson,  Ore.,  November 
16-24.  Lieutenant  and  ten  men  of  Company  I.  Three  Indians  killed. 
Crook's  expedition  against  Owhyee  River  Indians.  Battle  of  December 
26.  Company  F.  Thirty  warriors  killed.  Loss  of  company,  one  killed 
and  one  wounded.  Scout  from  Camp  Wallen,  A.  T.,  December  9-15.  Part 
of  Company  G.  Three  Apaches  killed.  Scout  from  Camp  Watson,  Ore., 
December  1-7.  Twenty  men  of  Company  I.  Fourteen  Indians  killed  and 
5,  with  28  head  of  stock,  captured. 

1867. 

Scout  from  Fort  McDowell,  January  7-9,  and  again  January  27-31. 
Company  E.  Forks  of  Malheur  River,  Ore.,  January  9.  Company  F. 
Thirty  Indians  and  43  head  of  stock  captured.  Stein's  Mountain,  I.  T., 
January  29.  Company  M.  Band  of  90  warriors  attacked  ;  60  killed  and 
27  captured.  Escort  consisting  of  one  officer  and  21  men  of  Company  E 
attacked  by  Indians  in  Arizona,  February  23.  Loss,  one  man  wounded. 
Scout  from  Camp  Independence,  Cal.,  March  7-13.  Twelve  men  of  Com- 
pany D.  Twelve  warriors  killed  or  wounded.  Dunder  and  Blitzen  Creek, 
Nev.  Horses  and  pack  mules  of  Company  H  stampeded  by  Indians.  The 
company  was  put  afoot.     Scout  from  Camp  Watson,  Ore.,  in   May.     Eleven 


*  It  is  toy  desire  to  publish  a  more  complete  history  of  the  First  Cavalry,  and  I  will  be  only 
too  thankful  to  receive  data,  descriptions  of  engagements,  personal  anecdotes,  etc.  1  can  assure 
contributors  careful  perusal  ot  their  papers  with  proper  entry,  and  that  they  will  J'«/'^'-"']^f"- 
credit  for  any  information  furnished. 


R.  P.  P.  W. 


1 66  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S   ARMY. 

men  of  Company  I.  One  Indian  killed  and  3  captured.  Scout  from  Camp 
Wallen,  A.  T.,  June  9-24.  Company  G.  Three  Indians  killed.  Malheur 
River,  Ore.,  July  7  and  19.  Company  I.  Four  warriors  killed  and  22  cap- 
tured. Silver  River,  Ore.,  September  6  and  16.  Company  A.  Twenty-four 
Indians  killed  and  19  captured.  Loss,  two  men  wounded.  Crook's  expe- 
dition against  hostiles  of  Oregon  and  northern  California,  August  23-Oc- 
tober  5.  Companies  F,  H  and  M.  Company  H  in  fight  at  "  Infernal 
Caverns,"  near  Pitt  River,  September  26  to  28.  Indians  completely  routed. 
Loss  of  company.  Lieutenant  Madigan  and  four  men  killed  and  four  men 
wounded.  Scout  from  Camp  Wallen,  A.  T.,  in  December.  Company  G. 
One  Indian  killed  and  4  captured, 

1868. 
Dunder  and  Blitzen  Creek,  Ore.,  March  14.  Company  H.  Band  of  In- 
dians exterminated.  Lieutenant  Parnell  and  one  man  wounded.  Malheur 
River,  Ore.,  April  5.  Company  F.  Thirty-two  Indians  killed  and  2  cap- 
tured. Skirmish  with  Indians  in  Arizona,  May  i.  One  man  of  Company 
C  wounded.  Scout  from  Camp  Lyon,  I.  T.,  May  26-31.  Eight  men  of 
Company  M.  Thirty-four  Indians  killed.  Scout  from  Camp  Harney,  Ore. 
Fight  on  May  31  in  which  five  Indians  were  killed  and  the  remainder  sur- 
rendered. Loss,  one  man  wounded.  Near  Camp  Reno,  A.  T.,  June  16. 
Four  men  of  Company  E  killed  while  escorting  mail.  Morgan's  Ranch, 
A.  T.,  July  21.  One  man  of  Company  K  killed.  Scout  from  Fort  Reno, 
A.  T.,in  July.     Company  E.     One  Indian  killed  ;  loss,  one  man  wounded. 

1869. 

Scout  from  Camp  Lowell,  January  13.  Company  G.  One  Indian  killed, 
and  one  wounded.  Expedition  against  Arivaypa  Apaches,  February  2. 
Detachm.ents  of  Companies  G  and  K.  Eight  Indians  killed  and  8  captured. 
Expedition  against  Apaches  in  March.  Company  G.  Three  Indian 
camps  of  105  huts  destroyed.  Fight  at  Mount  TurnbuU,  A.  T.,  April  29. 
Companies  G  and  K.     Twenty-eight  Indians  killed  and  8  captured. 

Fight  with  Indians  in  Arizona,  May  11.  Seven  men  of  Company  G. 
One  man  wounded.  Scout  from  Camp  Grant,  May  22.  Company  K.  Four 
Indians  killed.  Fights  on  Rio  Pinto,  June  2  and  4.  Company  E.  Twenty- 
two  Indians  killed  and  4  captured.  Scout  from  Camp  Bowie,  June  30. 
Company  G.  Four  Indians  captured.  Expedition  to  White  Mountains  of 
Arizona,  July  and  August.  Company  L  and  detachment  of  K.  Fifteen 
Indians  killed  and  8  captured.  Pursuit  of  marauders  of  Cochise's  band, 
October  8.  Company  G.  Twelve  Indians  killed  and  stolen  stock  recovered. 
Fight  with  Cochise's  band  in  Chiricahua  Mountains,  October  20.  Company 
G.  Twenty  Indians  killed  and  others  wounded.  One  man  killed  and  i 
wounded.  Skirmish  with  Cochise's  band,  October  31.  Companies  C,  G 
and  L.  Two  Indians  killed.  Scout  from  Camp  McDowell,  A.  T.,  Decem- 
ber 9-1 1.     Twenty  men  of  Company  E.     Entire  band  of  11  Mojave  Apaches 

killed. 

1870. 

Skirmish  with  Cochise's  band,  January  27.  Company  G.  Thirteen 
Indians  killed  and  two  captured.     Attack  on  rancheria  in  Tonto  Valley,  A. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  167 

T.,  May  25.  Company  E.  Twenty-one  Indians  killed  and  12  captured. 
Scout  from  Camp  Grant,  June  1-9.  Company  K.  Thirty-seven  Indians 
killed. 

Skirmish  in  the  Penal  Mountains,  A.  T.,  August  i.  Twenty-five  men  of 
Company  K.  Six  Indians  killed.  Loss,  one  man  killed.  Penal  Mountains, 
October  29.     Company  C.     Four  Indians  killed.     Loss,  two  men  wounded. 

1S71. 

Penal  Mountains,  January  I.  Company  G.  Nine  Indians  killed.  Scout 
from  Camp  Apache,  A.  T.,  February  16-27.  Companies  L  and  M.  Ranch- 
eriaof  San  Carlos  Apaches  attacked,  capturing  horses  and  destroying  food 
and  camp  equipage.  Scout  from  Fort  Whipple,  A.  T.,  September  30.  Com- 
pany A.  Seventeen  warriors  killed.  Fight  at  Bad  Rock  Mountains,  Decem- 
ber II,  1872.  Detachments  from  Companies  L  and  M.  Fourteen  Indians 
killed  and  many  wounded.  Attack  on  Apache  rancheria,  December  13, 
1872.  Detachments  of  Companies  L  and  M.  Eleven  Indians  killed  and  6 
captured.  Scouts  from  Camp  Verde,  A.  T.,  December  23,  1872;  January  4, 
1873;  February  1-16,  1873;  and  February  18;  March  7,  1873.  Company  I. 
Eight  Indians  killed,  3  squaws  and  2  children  captured.  Engagement  with 
Apaches  May  6,  1873.  Company  A.  Four  Indians  killed.  Regimental 
Headquarters  were  transferred  from  Fort  Vancouver  to  Camp  Warner,  Ore., 
in  May,  1870,  and  thence  to  Benicia  Barracks  in  October  of  the  same  year. 
Just  two  months  later, — December  15,  1870,— Colonel  Blake  was  retired 
from  active  service  on  his  own  application,  and  Colonel  A.  C.  Gillem  of  the 
nth  Infantry  was  transferred  to  the  First  Cavalry  in  his  stead. 

The  Modoc  Indians  were  a  small  tribe  living  in  northern  California  near 
Tule  Lake  and  Lost  River.  Through  the  intercession  of  interested  civilians 
orders  were  issued  for  their  removal  to  the  Klamath  Indian  Reservation. 
They  went  on  the  reservation,  but,  on  account  of  ill  treatment  left  it,  and 
the  War  Department  was  then  directed  to  carry  out  the  orders.  The  In- 
dians at  once  commenced  hostilities  and  one  of  the  most  protracted  and 
obstinate  Indian  wars  of  later  years  followed. 

Company  B  left  Fort  Klamath,  Ore.,  November  28,  1872,  for  the  purpose 
of  arresting  "  Captain  Jack"  and  the  leaders  of  his  band  of  Modocs,  and  at 
daylight  on  the  29th  surprised  the  Indians  in  their  camp  near  Lost  River, 
Ore.  They  refused  to  surrender  and  an  engagement  followed  in  which  8 
Indians  were  killed  and  many  wounded,  and  the  camp,  squaws, and  property 
were  captured.  The  company  lost  2  men  killed  and  6  wounded,  2  of  them 
mortally.  The  company  then  went  into  camp  at  Crowley's  Ranch  on  Lost 
River  opposite  the  Indian  camp. 

Company  G  from  Fort  Bid  well  took  station  December  13,  at  Land's 
Ranch.  Tule  Lake,  near  the  Indian  stronghold.  The  Indians  attacked  this 
camp,  December  21,  and  were  repulsed,  but  not  until  2  men  and  5  horses 
had  been  killed.  Company  B  now  joined  Company  G  and  the  two  com- 
panies marched  against  the  Indians,  January  16,  1873,  in  conjunction  with 
General  Wheaton's  column,  with  which  was  also  serving  at  this  time  Com- 
pany F  and  a  detachment  of  Company  H.  The  Indians  attacked  Com- 
panies B  and  G  the  same  afternoon,  but  were  repulsed,  the  companies  losing 


1 68  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

3  men  wounded.  The  general  engagement  took  place  January  17,  and 
lasted  from  7.30  a.  m.  to  9.30  p.  m.,  when  the  troops  retired,  going  finally 
into  camp  at  Applegate's  Ranch,  Clear  Lake,  Ore.  The  regiment  lost  two 
men  killed  and  two  officers, — Captain  Perry  and  Lieutenant  Kyle, — and  8 
men  wounded,  one  mortally. 

The  Indians  attacked  a  wagon  train  January  22,  driving  away  the  escort, 
but  Captain  Bernard,  ist  Cavalry,  came  up  with  reinforcements  and  the 
Indians  were  repulsed,  losing  one  killed  and  many  wounded. 

Company  K  from  Fort  Halleck,  Nev.,  joined  the  battalion  February  18, 
which  now  consisted  of  Companies  B,  F,  G  and  K,  under  Captain  Biddle, 
who  was  soon  succeeded  by  Captain  Bernard.  Colonel  Gillem,  ist  Cavalry 
was  commanding  the  expedition,  and  Company  H  joined  the  column  Feb- 
ruary 10. 

Durmg  the  night  of  April  14  the  companies  of  the  ist  Cavalry  moved 
with  the  rest  of  the  command  to  invest  the  Modoc  stronghold,  and  in  the 
"Second  battle  of  the  Lava  Beds,"  April  15,  16  and  17,  drove  the  Indians 
out  of  their  position  and  into  the  rocks  and  mountains.  The  ist  Cavalry 
lost  2  men  killed  and  2  wounded. 

On  April  26  Companies  B  and  F  went  to  the  scene  of  the  "  Thomas 
massacre  "  and  brought  ofT  a  number  of  the  wounded  and  dead. 

The  same  companies  were  attacked  by  Indians  May  10,  at  Sorass  Lake, 
Cal.,  but  repulsed  them  with  the  loss  of  one  warrior  killed  and  2  wounded. 
The  command  lost  one  killed  and  6  wounded,  2  of  them  mortally. 

On  May  17  Companies  B,  G  and  K,  with  a  battery  (serving  as  cavalry) 
of  the  4th  Artillery,  all  under  Major  John  Green,  came  upon  a  band  of  Mo- 
docs  which  they  drove  five  miles,  killing  one  and  capturing  several  squaws 
and  children.  The  troops  followed  the  trail  and  on  May  22,  70  Indians — 
men,  women  and  children — surrendered.  "  Boston  Charlie  "  was  captured 
May  29,  and  on  the  31st  "  Sconchin,"  "  Scarfaced  Charlie,"  and  27  other 
Indians  surrendered. 

Companies  F  and  H  were  sent  from  Applegate's  Ranch  May  31  to  follow 
up  those  of  the  Modocs  who  had  eluded  Green's  command,  and  found 
them  June  ist,  when  the  whole  party  surrendered.  With  the  capture  of 
*'  Captain  Jack,"  the  Modoc  war  ended,  and  by  the  end  of  June  the  compan- 
ies which  had  been  engaged  in  it  had  returned  to  their  proper  stations. 

The  companies  left  in  Arizona  were  moved  north,  and  by  the  end  of 
October,  1873,  headquarters  with  Companies  A  and  D  were  at  Benicia  Bar- 
racks ;  B  at  Fort  Klamath  ;  C  at  Camp  McDermitt,  Nev. ;  E  at  Fort  Lap- 
wai,  I.  T. :  F,  L  and  M  at  Fort  Walla  Walla,  W.  T.  ;  G  at  Camp  Bidwell, 
Cal. ;  H  and  K  at  Camp  Harney,  Ore. ;  and  I  at  Camp  Halleck,  Nev. 

Colonel  Gillem  died  at  his  residence  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  December  2, 
1875,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Cuvier  Grover,  promoted  from  the  3d 
Cavalry. 

On  June  15,  1877,  Companies  F  and  H,  under  Captain  Perry,  were  or- 
dered to  proceed  to  Camas  Prairie  to  the  assistance  of  the  settlers  of  Mount 
Idaho,  I.  T.,  who  were  threatened  by  the  Nez  Perce  Indians  under  Chief 
Joseph.  Learning  that  the  Indians  were  crossing  Salmon  River  and  could 
be  taken  at  a  disadvantage,  the  march  was  given  that  direction  and  Chief 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  169 

Joseph's  camp  was  found  and  taken  by  surprise,  but  the  Indians  quickly- 
rallied  and  repulsed  the  troops  with  severe  loss,  Lieutenant  E.  W.  Theller, 
2ist  Infantry  (attached),  and  33  men  being  killed  and  two  wounded. 

All  the  companies  of  the  regiment,  except  M  at  Colville  and  A  at  Camp 
Harney  watching  the  Piutes,  were  now  ordered  into  the  field  against  the 
Nez  Perces. 

Companies  E  and  L  joined  General  Howard's  command  June  21,  and  on 
July  I  surprised  and  attacked  the  camp  of  "  Looking  Glass"  on  the  Clear- 
water, I.  T.  The  village  was  entirely  destroyed,  several  Indians  killed  and 
about  a  thousand  ponies  captured.  On  July  2  the  same  command  attempted 
to  form  a  junction  with  Company  F,  which  was  on  its  way  from  Lapwai. 
On  the  3d  the  Indians  ambushed  the  advanced  guard,  consisting  of  Lieu- 
tenant S.  M.  Rains,  ten  men  of  the  battalion  and  two  civilian  scouts,  killing 
them  all,  and  were  then  found  to  be  in  such  force  and  so' strongly  posted 
that  it  was  considered  imprudent  to  attack  them.  The  junction  with  Com- 
pany F  was  effected,  however,  on  July  4,  and  the  same  afternoon  the  In- 
dians attacked,  the  fight  lasting  until  sunset.  The  battalion  (E,  F  and  L) 
joined  General  Howard  at  Grangerville,  July  8.  Company  H  had  joined 
July  2,  and  the  battalion  was  commanded  by  Captain  David  Perry. 

On  the  nth  of  July  General  Howard  crossed  the  Clearwater  with  his 
whole  command  and  moved  down  that  stream  with  Company  H  in  the  ad- 
vance. The  Indian  camp  was  discovered  and  at  once  attacked,  the  fight 
lasting  two  days  and  ending  with  the  retreat  of  the  Indians.  Company  B 
joined  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  fight  on  the  12th.  The  regiment  lost  3 
men  killed  and  4  wounded. 

The  battalion  made  a  reconnoissance  July  18,  on  the  Lo-Lo  trail,  and 
the  Indian  scouts  accompanying  it  were  ambushed  and  met  with  consider- 
able loss.     One  Nez  Perce  was  killed. 

Major  Sanford's  battalion,  consisting  of  Companies  C,  D,  I  and  K.  joined 
General  Howard  on  the  Clearwater,  July  28,  and  the  expedition  across  the 
Lo-Lo  trail  began  on  the  30th.  Companies  B,  C,  I  and  K,  under  Major 
Sanford,  accompanied  it,  and  Companies  D,  E,  G  and  L,  with  other  troops 
under  Major  Green,  constituted  the  "  Reserve  Column  "  which  remained  at 
Camas  Prairie  until  August  5,  when  it  moved  near  to  Mount  Idaho,  and 
established  a  permanent  camp  called  Camp  Howard. 

Companies  F  and  H  were  stationed  at  Fort  Lapwai. 

General  Howard's  trying  and  "  stern  "  march  across  the  Lo-Lo  trail,  and 
the  final  surrender  of  Chief  Joseph  to  General  Miles  at  Bear  Paw  Moun- 
tams  are  matters  of  history.  In  the  Indian  attack  at  Camas  Creek  August 
20,  Companies  B  and  L  were  engaged,  losing  one  man  killed  and  one 
wounded.  At  Judith  Basin  the  battalion  was  detached  from  General  How- 
ard's command  and  directed  to  return,  and  all  the  companies  had  reached 
their  stations  by  the  end  of  November. 

Company  K  and  a  detachment  of  C,  attached  to  General  Sturgis'  com- 
mand, took  part  in  the  engagement  with  the  Nez  Perces  at  Canyon  Creek, 
M.  T.,  September  13,  1877. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Bannock  war  in  May,  1878,  Company  G  was  the 
first  body  of  troops  to  reach  the  scene  of  hostilities,  and  Captain  Bernard 


I/O  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.   S.  ARMY. 

reported  that  the  Indians  numbered  from  300  to  500.  They  were  moving 
towards  Stein's  Mountain,  Ore.  The  whole  of  the  First  Cavalry  was  at  once 
ordered  into  the  field  and  Colonel  Grover  sent  to  Fort  Boise  to  take  charge 
of  operations  there.     Companies  D,  I  and  K.  were  with  him. 

Companies  F  and  L  joined  Company  G  on  the  Owyhee,  June  17,  and  the 
three  companies  reached  Camp  Harney  on  the  21st,  where  they  were  joined 
by  Company  A.  These  four  companies  were  designated  the  "  Left  Column  " 
by  General  Howard. 

On  the  morning  of  June  23  the  Left  Column  struck  the  main  camp  of 
the  hostiles  on  Silver  Creek,  and  drove  the  Indians  out  of  it  and  on  to  a  cut- 
bank,  made  by  the  creek,  which  had  been  prepared  for  defense.  The  action 
lasted  into  the  night  and  in  the  morning  it  was  found  that  the  Indians  had 
gone.  Many  Indians  were  killed  and  the  camp  was  destroyed.  The  bat- 
talion lost  2  killed  and  3  wounded.  Company  K  joined  the  battalion  June 
27,  and  on  the  28Lh  the  cavalry  cut  loose  from  the  foot  troops  and  pushed 
forward  on  the  trail  of  the  Indians.  The  fertile  John  Day  Valley  was  saved 
in  great  part  by  this  vigorous  pursuit,  and  on  July  5th  General  Howard 
overtook  the  command,  arriving  with  it  at  Pilot  Rock  on  the  7th.  Here  ic 
was  joined  by  Companies  E  and  H.  The  Indian  camp  was  located  and  at 
sunrise  on  July  8  Captain  Bernard  moved  his  battalion  to  the  attack. 

The  Indians,  about  300  in  number,  occupied  the  crest  of  the  high  and 
steep  hills  near  Birch  Creek,  and  were  at  once  attacked.  Captain  Bernard 
giving  the  first  example  of  fighting  cavalry  on  foot  without  separating  the 
men  from  the  horses.  All  the  companies,  except  A  with  the  pack  train, 
were  deployed  and  used  in  the  engagement,  and  the  Indians  were  driven 
from  three  successive  positions  and  finally  four  or  five  miles  further  mto 
the  mountains.  Four  men  were  wounded,  one  mortally,  and  probably  20 
horses  were  killed.  The  enemy's  loss  could  not  be  told  ;  their  women,  chil- 
dren and  best  horses  were  sent  off,  seemingly  towards  the  Grande  Ronde, 
before  the  action  began. 

Lieutenant  C.  E.  S.  Wood,  A.  D.  C,  says  :  "  The  entire  fight  was  closely 
watched  by  the  general  commanding,  who  desires  to  express  his  opinion 
that  no  troops  ever  behaved  better  or  in  a  more  soldierly  manner  than  did 
the  officers  and  men  engaged  in  this  encounter."  The  command  camped 
for  the  night  among  the  rough  canons  adjacent  to  the  battle-field. 

Captain  Bernard  was  now  directed  to  take  his  command,  except  Com- 
pany K,  to  Fort  Walla  Walla  to  refit.  Company  K  was  sent  to  join  the 
infantry  column  and  with  it  moved  to  the  Umatilla  Agency,  near  which  the 
hostiles  were  reported  to  be.  Here  the  Indians  made  an  attack  July  13. 
In  the  ensuing  fight  Company  K  held  the  right  of  the  line  and  took  part  in 
the  final  charge  by  which  the  Indians  were  driven  off  the  field  and  for  three 
miles  into  the  hills.  At  the  request  of  the  Indian  Agent  the  command 
moved  back  to  the  agency  that  night,  but  two  days  later  seven  dead  Indians 
were  counted  upon  the  battle-field. 

Companies  A,  E,  F,  G,  H  and  I,  now  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  J.  W. 
Forsyth,  ist  Cavalry,  left  Fort  Walla  Walla  July  13— the  day  of  the  fight  at 
Umatilla  Agency— in  search  of  the  Indians,  who  were  found  to  be  travel- 
ling in  the  direction  of  John  Day  River,   On  the  20th  Forsyth's  scouts  were 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALR  V.  i  ;  i 

ambushed,  which  caused  a  halt  and  deployment  of  the  command,  but  when 
the  line  moved  forward  the  Indians  had  gone.  On  the  22d  the  battalion 
reached  "  Burnt  Meadows."  where  it  was  joined  by  Companies  D  and  I, 
under  Major  Sanford,  and  on  the  27th  it  went  into  camp  at  Malheur  Agency 
to  await  supplies.  The  hostiles  had  now  split  up  into  many  small  parties 
which  were  followed  up  and  nearly  all  ultimately  captured. 

During  the  months  of  September  and  October  the  companies  were  sent 
to  their  permanent  stations,  and  the  return  for  November  30  shows  Compa- 
nies A  and  E  at  Camp  Harney,  Ore. ;  B,  D,  F,  K  and  M,  at  Fort  Walla 
Walla,  W.  T. ;  C  at  Camp  Bidwell.  Cal. ;  G  at  Fort  Boise,  I.  T. ;  H  at  Fort 
Colville,  W.  T. ;  I  at  Camp  Halleck,  Nev..  and  L  at  Fort  Klamath,  Ore. 

In  the  year  1881  Companies  C,  G,  I  and  M  were  sent  to  Arizona,  and  on 
October  2,  Company  G,  with  other  troops,  was  in  action  near  Cedar  Springs 
with  Apaches.  The  hostiles  fought  with  great  boldness  and  desperation  and 
the  fight  lasted  until  9  p.  M.,  when  the  Indians  escaped.  Company  G  had 
two  men  wounded  and   12  horses  killed. 

On  the  4th  of  October  Companies  G  and  I  had  a  running  fight  near 
South  Pass  of  the  Dragoon  Mountains,  in  which  the  hostiles  were  followed 
into  Sonora,  Mexico. 

In  October,  1881,  the  "  Companies  "  began  to  be  designated  "  Troops  " 
on  the  Regimental  Return. 

Troop  G  returned  to  Fort  McDermott,  November  9;  Troop  I  to  Camp 
Halleck,  December  27  ;  Troop  M  to  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco,  January 
20,  1882 ;  and  Troop  C  to  Fort  Bidwell,  April  16. 

In  June,  1884,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  Da- 
cota, after  a  tour  of  nearly  30  years  on  the  Pacific  coast,  during  the  greater 
part  of  which  time  its  stations  were  remote  from  civilization  and  its  duties 
of  a  most  arduous  and  thankless  character. 

Headquarters  and  Troops  D,  G  I,  K  and  M,  went  to  Fort  Custer;  A,  C 
and  F  went  to  Fort  Maginnis ;  E  to  Fort  Ellis;  H  and  L  to  Fort  Assinni- 
boine ;  and  B  to  Fort  Keogh. 

Colonel  Grover  died  at  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  June  5,  1885,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  N.  A.  M.  Dudley,  promoted  from  the  9th  Cavalry. 

Conflict  with  the  "Crows  "  came  m  the  fall  of  1887,  and  on  the  morning 
of  November  4,  Colonel  Dudley  left  Fort  Custer  with  Troops  A,  B,  D,  E,  G 
and  K,  and  Company  B,  3d  Infantry,  with  a  section  of  Hotchkiss  guns,  to 
arrest  "Sword  Bearer"  and  the  Indians  who  had  fired  into  the  agency 
buildings  on  the  night  of  September  30. 

On  the  5th  a  demand  was- made  upon  the  Indians  for  the  surrender  of 
these  men,  and  they  were  given  an  hour  and  a  half  to  comply  with  the  de- 
mand. At  the  end  of  that  time  the  battalion  of  the  ist  Cavalry,  with  Moy- 
lan's  troop  of  the  7th  Cavalry  on  the  right,  moved  out  in  front  of  camp.  At 
the  same  time  a  great  commotion  was  observed  in  the  Indian  camp,  and 
"Sword  Bearer"  and  another  chief  dashed  out  leading  from  120  to  150 
warriors  equipped  for  battle.  The  Indians  charged  but  were  repulsed 
and  fell  back  into  the  timber  along  the  river  where  they  had  dug  many  rifie 
pits  from  which  they  now  kept  up  a  constant  fire.  This  fire  was  returned, 
and  "  Sword  Bearer  "  was  seen  to  fall,  when  all  lighting  quickly  ceased.    All 


172  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  Indians  whose  surrender  had  been  demanded  and  who  had  not  been 
killed  were  at  once  brought  in  and  delivered  to  the  Department  Com- 
mander, who  sent  them  to  Fort  Snelling.  The  cavalry  battalion  returned  to 
Fort  Custer  on  the  13th. 

Colonel  Dudley  was  retired  from  active  service  August  20,  1889,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Colonel  J.  S.  Brisbin,  promoted  from  the  9th  Cavalry.  On 
the  31st  of  December  of  that  year  Headquarters  and  Troops  B,  D,  E,  G  and 
M,  were  at  Fort  Custer  ;  A  and  L  at  Fort  Maginnis  ;  C,  F  and  H  at  Fort  As- 
sinniboine;  I  at  Fort  Leavenworth  ;  and  K  at  Camp  Sheridan,  Wyoming. 

In  April,  1890,  the  Cheyennes  assumed  a  threatening  attitude  and  their 
agent  called  upon  the  commanding  officer  of  Fort  Custer  for  protection,  who 
sent  Major  Carrol  with  Troops  B,  D  and  M  to  the  Tongue  River  Agency 
where  they  established  Camp  Crook.  In  September  a  white  boy  was  mur- 
dered by  "  Head  Chief  "  and  "Young  Mule,"  and  every  attempt  to  arrest 
the  murderers  failed.  On  the  nth  they  sent  word  that  they  would  attack 
the  agency  and  on  the  12th  made  their  appearance  on  a  hill  commanding 
the  agency  buildings  where  they  opened  fire  upon  them.  They  were  soon 
dislodged  and  killed. 

The  regiment  took  part  in  the  operations  against  the  hostile  Sioux  in 
the  winter  of  1890-91,  but  was  not  brought  into  actual  contact  with  them. 

In  December,  1890,  word  having  been  received  that  a  troop  of  cavalry 
was  surrounded  by  hostile  Indians  at  or  near  Cave  Hills,  Montana,  Troop 
A  made  one  of  the  most  remarkable  marches  on  record  in  going  to  its 
relief.  It  marched  186  miles,  95  of  which  were  made  in  25  hours,  and  170 
in  53>^  hours.  The  report  which  caused  such  tremendous  exertion  proved 
to  be  without  foundation. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1891,  Colonel  Brisbin  was  transferred  to  the  8th 
Cavalry  with  Colonel  A.  K.  Arnold  who  had  been  the  lieutenant  colonel  and 
now  became  the  colonel  of  the  First. 

In  1892  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  Arizona,  re- 
lieving the  loth  Cavalry.  Headquarters  and  Troops  C,  E,  F,  H  and  K,  go- 
ing to  Fort  Grant,  A  T. ;  B  and  I  to  Fort  Bayard,  N.  M. ;  D  to  Fort  Apache, 
A.  T. ;  and  G  to  San  Carlos.  Troop  A  was  at  Fort  Meyers,  Va.,  and  was  not 
moved.  Since  its  arrival  in  Arizona  the  regiment  has  not  been  engaged  in 
any  serious  Indian  difficulties,  although  the  several  troops  have  been  kept 
in  practice  in  field  work  by  that  ever  active  and  elusive  "  Kid,"  who  has 
been  responsible  for  more  movements  of  troops  than  any  Indian  ever 
known.* 


*  In  the  preparation  of  this  paper  I  have  confined  myself  almost  entirely  to  the  regimental  rec- 
ords, but  have  received  much  valuable  information  from  General  P.  St.  George  Cooke,  Colonel  A. 
K.  Arnold,  Major  Moses  Harris,  Captain  T.  T.  Knox,  Captain  F.  A.  Edwards,  Lieutenant  A.  L. 
Mills  and  Lieutenant  W.  S.  Scott,  to  all  of  whom  I  am  very  grateful. 

R.  P.  P.  W. 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF   CAVALRY. 
I. 

(1836-65.) 

By  major  ALFRED  E.  BATES,*  Pay  Department. 

REGIMENTS,  like  individuals,  have  characteristics  peculiar  to  them- 
selves. One  is  famous  for  the  smart,  soldierly  appearance  of  its 
officers  and  men  on  all  occasions  and  under  the  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances. You  cannot  tell  how  they  do  it,  but  they  always  seem 
to  be  ready  for  dress  parade  and  inspection.  They  are  known  as  "  The 
Dandy  Regiment,"  or  "  The  Band-box  Brigade,"  an  epithet  which  becomes 
complimentary  because  it  is  associated  with  their  well-earned  reputation  for 
gallantry.  Another  becomes  famous  for  its  marching  qualities  and  for  gen- 
erations maintains  its  reputation  for  measuring  greater  distances  in  less  time 
than  any  other.  Then  in  every  service  there  are  "  The  Slow  and  Heavies." 
who,  somewhat  late  in  getting  into  action,  never  get  out,  as  they  are  alike 
unmoved  by  shot  or  shell  or  joke.  Nor  should  we  omit  the  regiment  with 
the  Milesian  quality  of  never  enjoying  life  save  when  in  a  row  with  some 
one. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  note  here  that  different  branches  of  service 
bring  out  different  traits  of  character.  We  are  accustomed  to  think  of  the 
steady  foot-soldier;  the  scientific  artillerist;  and,  as  for  the  cavalryman, 
perhaps  his  conventional  qualities  are  best  defined  by  Professor  Mahan  in 
his  '•  Outposts  "  when  he  says  :  "  The  Hussar  !  that  epitome  of  military  im- 
pudence of  the  tavern,  who  should  possess  these  qualities,  in  a  sublimated 
form,  on  the  field  of  battle." 

I  am  sure  that  no  one  who  has  served  with  the  cavalry  of  ante-bellum 
days,  can  read  this  definition  of  the  Hussar  without  believing  that  the 
Professor  must  have  known  the  old  2d  Dragoons  when  he  wrote  it.  As 
individuals  and  as  a  regiment,  it  was  that  "  epitome  of  military  impudence  " 
whether  in  the  parlor,  in  the  tavern,  or  on  the  field  of  battle.  Mounted  on 
his  well-groomed  horse,  equipments  in  perfect  order,  sitting  as  if  he  would 
be  out  of  place  anywhere  else,  cap  a  little  on  one  side,  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  and  the  suspicion  of  a  smile  about  his  mouth,  our  Dragoon  reported 

himself  ready  to  go  to ,  or  any  place  you  might  lead  him. 

"  Like  master,  like  man."  And  we  must  go  back  to  the  early  years  of 
the  regiment  if  we  would  find  the  reason  why.  After  the  settlement  of  our 
troubles  with  Great  Britain  in  181 5,  our  little  army  was  reduced  and  re- 
organized so  that  we  had  but  four  regiments  of  artillery  and  seven  of 
infantry  scattered  along  the  sea-board  from  Maine  to   Florida,  along  the 

*See  also—"  From  Everglade  to  Canon,"  by  Gen.  T.  F.  Rodenbough.    New  York,  1875. 
173 


^74 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


Canadian  border  and  the  Great  Lakes,  and  occupying  a  few  scattered  posts 
along  the  western  frontier  which  was  at  that  time  far  to  the  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  The  stream  of  emigration  having  commenced,  the  pioneers 
rushed  to  take  possession  of  the  rich  lands  acquired  from  Spain  in  the 
South,  and  by  the  Louisiana  purchase  in  the  South  and  West.  These  lands 
were  occupied  by  tribes  of  Indians,  who  objected  to  the  intrusion  and  made 
manifest  their  objection  by  killing  the  intruders.  It  was  the  old  trouble- 
begun  with  our  first  settlement  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  and  not  quite  ended 
yet.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  Army  then,  as  it  has  been  ever  since,  to  drive 
back  the  native  and  hold  the  country  for  the  occupation  of  the  white  man  ; 
for  this  purpose  mounted  troops  were  necessary  and,  in  1833,  Congress 
authorized  the  organization  of  the  ist  Dragoons,  and  in  May,  1836,  added 
another  regiment  which  was  called  the  Second  Dragoons.  The  companies 
of  this  regiment  were  organized  in  New  York,  Baltimore  and  St.  Louis,  and 
the  personnel  both  of  officers  and  men  was  representative  of  the  whole 
country. 

Soon  after  the  passage  of  the  act  authorizing  the  organization  of  the 
Second  Dragoons,  the  following  appointments  were  announced  : 


DAVID  E.  TWIGGS. 

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL  MAJOR 

Wharton  Rector.  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy. 


William  Gordon, 


6.  Stinson  H.  Anderson, 


John  Dougherty,  7-  William  W.  Tompkins, 

John  F.  Lane,  8.  Henry  W.  Fowler, 

James  Ashby,  9-  Benjamin  L.  Beall, 


5.  Jonathan  L.  Bean,  10.  Edward  S.  Winder. 

FIRST    LIEUTENANTS  SECOND    LIEUTENANTS 

1.  Thornton  Grimsley,  i-  William  Gilpin, 

2.  Theophilus  Holmes,  2.  William  H.  Ward, 

3.  Horatio  Groome,  3-  George  Forsyth, 

4.  Thomas  S.  Bryant,  4-  Croghan  Ker, 

5.  John  Graham,  5-  John  H.  P.  O'Neale, 

6.  Townshend  Dade,  6.  John  W.  S.  McNeil, 

7.  Erasmus  D.  Bullock,  7-  Zebulon  M.  P.  Maury, 

8.  Marshal  S.  Howe,  8.  Seth  Thornton, 

9.  Charles  Spalding,  9-  Charles  E.  Kingsbury. 
10.  James  W.  Hamilton.  10.  Charles  A.  May. 

Wharton    Rector   declined  the   appointment   of    Lieutenant-Colonel,    and    iMajor 
William  S.  Harney,  Paymaster,  was  promoted  to  the  vacancy. 
First  Lieutenant  Lloyd  J.  Beall  was  announced  as  Adjutant. 

David  E.  Twzggs  ol  Georgia,  the  first  Colonel,  unquestionably  gave  a 
tone  to  the  regiment,  which,  subsequently  accentuated  by  Harney  and 
Cooke,  gave  point  to  the  answer  to  many  a  query,  "  Oh,  that's  a  Second 
Dragoon."  He  was  somewhat  of  a  martinet  but  m  all  things  a  soldier.  The 
key-note  to  his  discipline  was  this  :  on  duty,  no  excuse,  no  relaxation,  no 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OE  CAVALRY.        175 

explanation  for  failure;  off" duty,  anything  for  amusement,  and  especial  en- 
couragement given  to  manly  sports.  The  best  rider,  the  best  jumper,  the 
best  boxer,  the  cleanest  soldier — had  a  claim  for  clemency  from  the  com- 
manding officer  that  often  saved  the  soldier  from  deserved  punishment  for 
excessive  dissipation.  Associated  with  its  first  Colonel  were  some  subor- 
dinate officers  who  also  did  much  to  encourage  this  spirit  in  the  regiment. 
Among  these  none  were  more  prominent  than  Captain  Beall,  familiarly 
known  to  the  army  as  "  Old  Ben  Beall,"  of  whom  at  the  close  of  the  Florida 
War  General  Worth  officially  reported  that  he  "  has  met  the  enemy  in  this 
contest,  oftener,  perhaps,  than  any  other  officer — is  brave  and  generous." 
The  foe  overcome,  the  tedious  trail  retraced,  horses  and  men  cared  for,  and 
where  was  the  man  who  made  social  history  more  racy  or  gave  entertain- 
ment more  varied  than  "  Old  Ben  "  } 

Besides  these  individual  influences  operating  upon  the  newly  organized 
regiment,  there  was  the  kind  of  service  on  which  it  was  engaged.  Immedi- 
ately after  its  organization,  the  assembled  troops  started  on  their  journey 
to  the  Everglades  of  Florida.  There  in  those  deadly  swamps,  surrounded 
by  a  wily  and  often  invisible  foe,  the  "  Second  "  received  its  first  training  in 
endurance.  Theirs  not  the  grand  privilege  of  doing  and  dying  for  their 
country,  with  banners  flying,  bugles  sounding,  and  comrades  cheering,  while 
boot  to  boot  they  rode  upon  the  enemy.  There  was  nought  of  glory  here, 
nor  correspondents  of  pictorial  papers  ready  to  make  them  immortal.  There 
was  but  the  lonely  swamp;  the  small  detachment  guided  by  the  more  or  less 
friendly  savage ;  the  fearful  strain  of  physical  endurance  ;  the  sharp,  short, 
unrecorded  fight ;  the  return,  the  struggle  with,  and  perhaps  death  by 
fever.  The  history  of  one  scout  is  the  history  of  many  until  at  last  the  foe 
is  conquered  or  killed,  and  what  is  left  of  the  Regiment  moves  off  to  other 
fields — no  longer  a  new  regiment,  but  a  proud,  saucy,  devil-may-care  lot  of 
troopers,  thoroughly  cemented  together  by  blows  and  blood  and  ready  to 
give  and  take  wherever  an  enemy  of  their  country  is  found. 

The  result  of  the  service  in  Florida  was  satisfactory  to  the  Government, 
and  cost  the  regiment  two  officers  and  twenty  non-commissioned  officers, 
musicians  and  privates  killed  in  action,  and  five  officers  and  one  hundred 
and  ninety-two  non-commissioned  officers,  musicians  and  privates,  who  died 
from  diseases  incident  to  service.  Among  those  who  at  the  close  of  the 
Florida  War  had  become  prominently  identified  with  the  regiment,  was  the 
late  General  Harney,  its  first  lieutenant-colonel.  He  had  gone  with  it  to 
Florida  and  there,  under  his  direction,  the  regiment  had  done  some  of  its 
most  noteworthy  service,  against  the  Seminoles;  as  it  did  in  after  years  in 
the  West  against  Mexicans  and  the  Indians  of  the  Plains.  General  Harney 
was  a  very  picturesque  soldier.  Standing  something  over  six  feet  in  height, 
he  was  a  veritable  Apollo  in  form,  and  a  giant  in  strength,  excelling  nearly 
all  of  his  contemporaries  in  all  qualities  pertaining  to  physical  manhood. 
As  he  subsequently  succeeded  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  regiment,  perhaps  his 
influence  and  characteristics  were  more  deeply  impressed  upon  it  than  were 
those  of  his  predecessor.  Harney  was  thoroughly  a  dragoon.  He  would 
have  admitted,  doubtless,  that  there  was  a  necessity  for  artillery  and  artil- 
lerymen in  an  army,  and  even  infantry  could  be  employed  to  advantage  in 


176  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

rough  country,  but  it  was  the  "  dragoon  bold  "  who  discovered  the  enemy, 
charged  the  enemy,  captured  or  killed  the  enemy,  and  only  after  the  action 
was  over  and  the  enemy  turned  over  to  the  infantry  guard,  would  he  rest 
from  a  well-earned  victory.  From  Florida  to  Mexico,  with  but  a  little 
breathing  spell  in  Mississippi  and  Texas,  our  brave  dragoons  czxry  their 
fluttering  guidons.  On  the  Rio  Grande  (April  25,  1846)  they  met  for  the 
first  time  a  civilized  foe,  and  as  they  meet  they  dazzle  the  country  with  the 
brilliancy  of  their  deeds.  The  fields  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma 
are  fought,  and  the  names  of  May  and  Graham  and  Sacket  and  others  of 
the  2d  Dragoons  become  familiar  household  words  all  over  the  country. 
The  reputation  gained  upon  those  fields  was  but  the  beginning  of  a  series 
of  successes  with  the  noble  Army  of  Occupation  under  Taylor,  and  after- 
wards under  the  old  hero  Scott,  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico. 

Harney  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  in  Mexico.  Sumner, 
one  of  the  heroes  of  a  later  and  greater  struggle,  won  golden  laurels  for  him- 
self, which  he  was  to  wear  until  in  ripe  old  age  he  died  in  harness.  The 
other  survivors  of  the  Florida  swamps  gave  fresh  examples  of  their  prowess. 
The  captains  and  lieutenants  found  their  names  in  either  General  Order,  list 
of  casualties  or  of  brevets.  Inge  fell  at  Resaca,  Stevens  at  Matamoras, 
Hill  at  Puebla  and  gallant  Seth  Thornton  met  a  soldier's  death  under  the 
walls  of  the  Mexican  capital— marking  in  his  own  person  the  opening  and 
the  closmg  actions  of  the  campaign. 

The  romantic  "  War  with  Mexico"  ended,  the  2d  Dragoons  (1848)  came 
back  to  take  its  place  again  facing  the  Indians.  The  poor  red-skin  devil 
had  been  driven  from  point  to  point,  cheated  in  treaty  after  treaty,  moved 
from  one  reservation  to  another,  until  there  was  no  hostile  element  left  east 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  our  line  of  outposts  extended  from  the  Red 
River  of  the  North  to  Galveston  on  the  Gulf.  East  of  this  line  the  defense- 
less settler  was  coming  on  faster  and  faster,  and  west  of  it  were  thousands 
of  savages  determined  to  dispute  any  farther  aggression  upon  their  terri- 
tory. The  few  rude  posts  called  "  forts,"  located  far  apart  along  this  line 
of  more  than  two  thousand  miles  in  length,  were  garrisoned  by  a  few  regi- 
ments of  troops,  one  of  which  was  the  2d  Dragoons.  Between  1848  and  1861, 
they  rode  back  and  forth  along  this  dreary  route.  To-day  pursuing  the 
swift  Apache  and  Comanche  over  the  hot,  arid,  staked  plains  of  Texas  or 
New  Mexico  ;  then,  as  quickly  as  horses  could  carry  them,  rushing  off  to  the 
frozen  fields  of  Nebraska  to  struggle  through  an  Arctic  winter,  fighting  the 
powerful  Sioux  of  the  North.  Standing  between  hostile  political  camps  of 
their  countrymen  in  Kansas,  they  preserve  the  peace  because  neither  faction 
dare  attack  or  oppose  them,  while  both  sides  are  obliged  to  acknowledge 
their  impartiality  and  patriotism. 

During  these  days  another  great  cavalryman  has  taken  his  place  at  the 
head  of  the  regiment.  Philip  St.  George  Cooke  has  taken  command.  If  in 
the  swamps  of  Florida,  the  fields  of  Mexico  or  the  plains  of  Texas,  there 
has  been  little  time  to  devote  to  the  finer  points  of  drill,  the  defect  is 
remedied  now.  On  the  prairies  of  Kansas,  with  new  mount  and  splendid 
equipment,  Colonel  Cooke  gives  a  new  impetus  to  the  military  detail  of  the 
regiment.     He  cannot  add  to  its  esprit  de  corps.     There  have  grown  upon 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OE  CAVALRY.         177 

it  no  excrescences  for  his  keen  knife  to  lop  ofT,  but  he  can  and  does  give 
them  a  grand  drilling,  the  like  of  which  they  have  never  had  before.  For 
the  first  time  in  many  years,  from  four  to  six  companies  of  the  regiment 
were  together  at  Fort  Riley  in  1856-57,  without  a  war  of  some  kind  to  en- 
gage their  attention.  There  was  no  nonsense  about  the  old  soldier  who  had 
them  in  charge,  and  the  young  officers  joining  there,  learned  lessons  they 
found  invaluable,  and  which  a  few  years  later,  upon  the  fields  of  Virginia, 
enabled  them  to  add  fresh  laurels  to  the  regimental  wreath. 

A  few  short  years  of  pleasant  garrison  life  in  Kansas,  and  (1856)  "  once 
more,  my  men,  into  the  saddle  and  show  the  world  what  you  can  endure  and 
live."  'Tis  the  Mormon,  that  religious  barnacle  upon  the  western  civiliza- 
tion of  the  nineteenth  century  that  demands  your  attention  now.  Secure 
in  the  fastness  of  the  Rockies,  in  the  valley  which  he  has  reclaimed  and 
converted  from  a  wilderness  to  a  garden,  their  prophet,  priest  and  king  de- 
fies the  power  of  the  Government,  and  practically  proclaims  his  independ- 
ence. It  is  unnecessary  for  the  soldiers  to  analyze  too  closely  the  history 
of  the  Mormon  War.  Whether  it  was,  in  whole  or  part,  a  move  in  the  great 
game  of  conspiracy  then  being  played  ;  whether  it  was  a  shrewd  effort  on 
the  part  of  Brigham  Young  to  get  a  market  for  the  agricultural  products  of 
the  Mormons ;  whether  he  actually  supposed  that  his  position  was  strong 
enough  to  enable  him  to  defy  the  Government ;  or  whether  it  was  a  part  of 
all  of  these  causes,  matters  not  to  the  Dragoon.  "  His  not  to  reason  why," 
and  he  did  not  attempt  it. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1857,  the  regiment  started  on  its  march  over- 
land for  Utah.  The  route  was  long  and  weary,  but  that  did  not  matter. 
They  were  used  to  that,  but  when  the  early  snows  fell  upon  them  at  South 
Pass  and  the  mercury  went  down  into  the  bulb  of  the  thermometer  to  keep 
from  freezing,  and  the  starved  horses  laid  down  to  die  on  the  trail,  the 
light-hearted  Dragoon,  like  Mark  Tapley  at  Eden,  began  to  think  there  might 
be  some  credit  in  being  jolly.  Jolly  he  was  not  always,  but  the  survivors  of 
that  terrible  winter  all  testify  to  the  invariable  cheerfulness  and  pluck  of  the 
soldiers ;  on  foot,  half  starved  and  more  than  half  frozen,  they  struggled  on 
as  far  as  Fort  Bridger,  and,  there,  passed  a  winter  of  suffering. 

The  casualties  reported  from  1840  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  were: 
Killed,  4  ofiicers  and  47  men  ;  wounded,  8  officers  and  84  men. 

Then  was  reached  the  climax  in  the  life  and  history  of  the  regiment. 
Those  gallant,  simple-minded  soldiers  were  called  upon  to  meet  a  question 
of  divided  duty.  Heretofore  they  have  ridden  and  fought,  worked  and 
starved  with  but  one  thought,  one  aim — Duty.  Had  you  asked  the  officer  if 
the  cause  was  just,  he  might  have  said,  "  I  do  not  know,  here  are  my  orders." 
Had  you  said  to  the  soldier,  "  You  would  not  fire  on  your  own  people, 
would  you  }  "  he  would  probably  have  answered  with  the  old  artilleryman 
in  Pittsburg  in  '-j-j,  "  I  don't  know  sir,  that  depends  upon  the  Captain." 
Now,  however,  the  Captain  is  troubled.  If  from  the  South,  he  has  been 
taught  to  believe  that  the  Union  is  a  voluntary  compact  on  the  part  of  each 
State,  from  which  it  may  withdraw.  If  this  State  withdraws  or  secedes,  as 
a  citizen  of  the  State  he  will  owe  his  allegiance  to  her  and  not  to  the  Union 
with  which  she  has  severed  her  connection.     On  the  other  hand,  he  has  fol- 


178  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

lowed  the  dear  old  flag  from  Florida  to  Utah,  sprinkling  it  with  his  blood 
■n  many  a  combat,  and  how  can  he  ever  fight  against  it  ?  How  he  hopes  and 
prays  that  his  State  will  not  go  ;  that  he  will  not  be  obliged  to  make  the 
choice.  But  the  time  comes  and  he  must  choose.  As  he  reads  and  re-reads 
the  letters  from  the  dear  ones  at  home,  urging  him  to  come  to  their  protec- 
tion, and  looks  at  his  brothers-in-arms  from  whom  they  want  protection, 
who  will  condemn  him  whichever  way  he  goes  ?  We  have  his  history  for 
years  before  and  we  have  all  known  him  for  years  since.  Little  more  need 
be  said.  On  the  Confederate  side  "  Dick  "  Anderson  and  Hardee  became 
lieutenant-generals;  Pegram,  Sibley,  Robertson,  Geo.  Anderson,  Arm- 
strong, Stuart  and  Field  were  major  generals. 

The  crisis  has  come  and  passed,  and  another  year  (1862)  finds  the  regi- 
ment in  Virginia,  a  grand  old  Virginian  still  its  colonel.  The  vacancies  are 
filled  and  the  regiment  is  ready  once  more  to  enter  the  lists.  In  a  sketch 
like  this  it  is  impossible  to  follow  in  detail  its  history  through  such  a  period 
as  that  from  '61  to  '65.  However,  it  seems  proper  to  take  notice  of  the  per- 
sonnel at  the  commencement  of,  what  an  ancient  dragoon  always  called, 
"  our  late  lamented  circus."  The  regiment  in  1861  was  twenty-five  years 
old,  and  its  officers  had  received  their  training  in  its  school.  Whatever 
they  became  as  soldiers  in  the  great  war,  then  commencing,  they  owed  to 
that  training.  Many  were  detached  from  the  organization  at  the  commence- 
ment of  hostilities.  Cooke  was  made  a  brigadier-general  in  the  regular 
establishment ;  Wood,  Palmer,  Davidson  and  Pleasanton  were  starred  and  as- 
signed to  command  volunteer  troops  ;  while  Buford,  who  was  perhaps  more 
than  any  other  a  typical  2d  Dragoon,  first  commanded  the  Regular  Brigade 
and  afterward  the  First  Cavalry  Division  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  One 
feels  inclined  to  stop  at  this  period,  and  enter  into  detail.  There  is  so  much 
of  brilliancy  in  every  day  life,  from  the  time  when  Hooker  organized  the  cav- 
alry, until  when  our  horsemen  with  characteristic  impudence  hold  the  way 
against  Lee's  retreating  army  at  Appomatox,  that  a  "  sketch"  seems  inap- 
propriate. The  scholars  of  that  2d  Dragoon  school  are  now  operating  on 
the  great  war  theatre,  where  history  is  being  made.  Some  have  gone  far  to 
the  front,  like  Buford,  and  Merritt,  and  Sanders,  but  they  have  at  their  el- 
bows such  lieutenants  as  "  Jake  "  Gordon,  Rodenbough,  Leoser,  Harrison, 
Blanchard  and  Dave  Gordon,  as  well  as  those  splendid  fellows  whose  mili- 
tary cradle  was  a  dragoon  saddle,  like  Ball,  Mix,  Wells,  Spaulding,  Dewees 
and  Quirk,  whose  feats  on  the  field  of  Beverly  Ford,  alone,  should  immor- 
talize them.  While  these  old  soldiers  are  still  with  the  regiment,  there  is 
hardly  an  army  in  the  country  which  has  not  a  brigade,  division  or  corps 
commanded  by  some  one  of  those  detached.  Pleasanton,  Graham,  Buford 
and  Merritt  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  Wood  and  Davidson  in  the  West, 
Palmer  in  North  Carolina,  while  "  Doc  "  Sanders  is  the  hero  of  the  day  at 
Knoxville.  where  he  lost  his  life.  The  regiment  paid  fearfully  for  its  share 
in  the  struggle  for  the  Nation  ;  its  Roll  of  Honor  is  long,  Buford,  Sanders, 
McOueston,  Canfield,  Lawless,  McMasters,  Selden — all  dead  on  the  field  of 
battle.  Others  survived  the  War  and  dropped  ofif  one  by  one,  leaving  but 
few  of  that  gallant  band  remaining.  Of  them,  Harrison — popular,  brave, 
conscientious — is  now  a  citizen  in  that  peaceful  city,  Philadelphia  ;  Roden- 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.         i79 

bough,  who  made  much  history  for  the  regiment  then,  now  uses  the  arm 
left  from  that  glorious  charge  at  the  Opequan,  in  preserving  it ;  and  Leoser. 
"the  cool  captain,"  whose  iron  frame  shows  little  evidence  of  war  wounds 
and  prisons,  is  now  residing  in  New  York.  Space  docs  not  permit  one  to 
follow  individuals  farther.  The  list  of  combats  from  i86r  to  1865  shows 
what  the  regiment  accomplished.  Always  in  front,  under  Pleasanton,  Hu- 
ford  or  Merritt,  with  Stoneman  or  the  brilliant  Sheridan,  from  Bull  Run  to 
the  Appomatox,  there  was  hardly  an  affair  of  any  importance  at  which  it 
was  not  represented.  Its  losses  during  the  War  were  :  Killed,  5  ofTicers 
and  60  men  ;  wounded,  20  officers  and  206  men. 

II. 

(1 866-9 1.) 

By  captain  EDWARD  J.  IMcCLERNAND,  Second  Cavalry. 

How  well  the  work  prior  to  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  was  done,  is  set 
forth  in  the  preceding  pages.  The  period  there  treated  furnishes  the  most 
glorious  pages  in  our  history,  but  the  duty  performed  was  not  more  arduous 
than  that  which  has  since  devolved  uporr  the  regiment. 

The  roster  of  the  officers  has  been  changed  since  the  regiment  partici- 
pated in  those  stirring  campaigns  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  now 
but  one  of  those  gallant  men  remains  with  us — Lieut.-Col.  D.  S.  Gordon, 
who  has  served  continuously  in  the  Second  Cavalry  since  his  appointment 
as  a  second  lieutenant,  April  26,  1861. 

Within  a  month  after  reaching  Leavenworth,  November,  1865,  we  find 
troops  marching  for  the  (then)  frontier  posts  of  Riley,  Kearny,  Hays,  Lyon, 
Harker,  Dodge,  Larned  and  Wallace.  They  found  the  winter  of  1865  and 
'66  one  of  hard  work,  not  so  much  as  soldiers,  as  mechanics  and  laborers, 
for  at  several  of  their  new  stations  it  was  necessary  to  construct  huts  to  pro- 
tect themselves  from  the  severity  of  the  winter.  This  work  was  continued 
into  the  following  summer,  except  when  interrupted  by  scouting  between 
the  Smoky  Hill  and  Arkansas  rivers.  Having  succeeded  in  making  them- 
selves fairly  comfortable,  the  regiment  was  ordered  in  September  to  march 
across  the  country,  and  report  to  its  old  colonel,  then  General,  Philip  St. 
George  Cooke,  commanding  the  Department  of  the  Platte. 

The  several  troops  were  scattered  about  at  Forts  Laramie,  McPherson, 
Phil.  Kearny,  Casper,  Sanders  and  Sedgwick,  and  from  these  stations  main- 
tained an  almost  constant  warfare  with  the  Indians. 

On  December  9,  1866,  Lieutenant  Bingham,  commanding  Troop  C,  met 
his  death  in  a  skirmish  near  Phil.  Kearny,  and  twelve  days  later  27  men  of 
the  same  troop,  with  3  officers  and  49  men  of  the  iSth  Infantry,  were  killed 
in  what  is  known  as  the  "  Phil.  Kearny  Massacre."  Had  the  Indians  re- 
ceived the  chastisement  they  deserved  for  this  bloody  deed,  it  would  have 
been  in  the  end  a  kindness.  Going  unavenged,  it  only  created  in  the  minds 
of  the  Sioux  a  false  idea  of  their  power  which  ultimately  cost  them  dearly. 

Gordon,  with  Troop  D,  did  some  very  hard  scouting  and  escort  duty 
around  Kearny,  for  the  Indians  may  be  said  to  have  held  that  post  and 
C.  F.  Smith  in  a  state  of  siege. 


i8o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

During  the  summer  of  1867  Lieutenant  Kidder,  a  gallant  young  officer, 
and  ten  men  of  Troop  M,  were  killed  while  bearing  dispatches  to  General 
Custer.  A  brief  extract  from  a  report  by  Captain  John  Mix  of  a  scout  made 
by  his  troop, — M,— in  March,  1867,  will  depict  the  almost  insurmountable 
difficulties  under  which  this  struggle  with  the  savages  was  carried  on.  He 
says  : 

"  We  left  the  Republican  March  i,  in  a  cold  wind  and  made  thirty  miles. 
The  next  morning  a  fearful  storm  of  wind  and  snow  was  raging.  It  was 
only  by  the  most  violent  exercise  the  men  could  keep  from  freezing.  To 
add  to  our  difficulties  we  struck  a  snow-drift  which  lasted  all  day,  with 
snow  from  two  to  five  feet  deep.  The  crust  cut  the  horses  cruelly,  and  left 
a  trail  of  blood  behind  us.  We  could  not  see  twenty  feet  in  front  of  us.  At 
3  o'clock  P.  i\i.,  the  men  and  animals  were  unable  to  move  another  mile,  and 
selecting  the  best  shelter  that  the  wind-swept  plain  afforded,  we  camped 
without  forage  for  our  horses,  and  with  one  wagon  tongue,  which  I  had  on 
my  company  wagon,  for  fuel." 

No  one  who  has  not  marched  in  one  of  those  terrible  storms  common  to 
the  northern  plains  can  appreciate  the  suffering  endured  by  Captain  Mix 
and  his  men.  The  Second  did  its  share  of  such  work,  and  Captains  Green, 
Gordon,  Noyes,  Mix,  Dewees,  Thompson,  Wells,  Spaulding,  Egan,  and 
Bates,  and  their  lieutenants,  deserve  credit  for  their  constant  display  of 
those  qualities  so  characteristic  of  the  true  soldier. 

In  the  spring  of  1869  one  battalion  (F,  G,  H  and  L)  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Brackett,  was  transferred  to  Montana,  where  it  remained  for  fifteen 
years  and  came  to  be  known  as  the  "  Montana  Battalion."  During  the  fol- 
lowing January  this  battalion,  commanded  by  Major  E.  M.  Baker,  by  the 
severe  chastisement  it  gave  the  Piegans,  rendered  a  service  to  the  people  of 
the  territory  which  they  have  never  forgotten.  How  well  this  blow  was  de- 
livered, let  the  following  extract  of  an  order  published  by  General  Sheridan 
tell: 

"  The  Lieutenant-General  commanding  this  military  district  takes  pleas- 
ure in  announcing  to  his  command  the  complete  success  of  a  detachment  of 
the  2d  Cavalry  and  13th  Infantry,  under  command  of  Brevet  Colonel  E.  M. 
Baker  of  the  2d  Cavalry,  against  a  band  of  Piegan  Indians  in  Montana. 
These  Indians,  whose  proximity  to  the  British  line  has  furnished  them  an 
easy  and  safe  protection  against  attack,  have  hitherto  murdered  and  stolen 
with  comparative  mipunity.  in  defiance  and  contempt  of  the  authority  of  the 
Government.  After  having  been  repeatedly  warned,  they  have  at  last  re- 
ceived a  carefully  prepared  and  well-merited  blow  in  the  middle  of  winter, 
with  the  thermometer  below  zero,  and  when  experience  had  led  them  to  be- 
lieve they  could  not  be  reached  the  blow  fell.  174  Indians  were  killed,  300 
horses  were  captured,  and  the  village  and  property  of  the  band  totally  de- 
stroyed. The  Lieutenant-General  cannot  commend  too  highly  the  spirit 
and  conduct  of  the  troops  and  their  commander  ;  the  difficulties  and  hard- 
ships they  experienced  in  the  inclemency  of  the  weather;  and  as  one  of  the 
results  of  this  severe  but  necessary  and  well-merited  punishment  of  these 
Indians,  he  congratulates  the  citizens  of  Montana  upon  the  prospect  of  fu- 
ture security." 

The  officers  who  accompanied  Baker  on  his  memorable  march  were 
Captains  Ball,  Thompson  and  Norton,  and  Lieutenants  MacAdams,  Ham- 
ilton, Swigert,  Batchelder  and  Doane.  Colonel  Baker  was  severely  criticised 
by  part  of  the  eastern  press,  but  was  rewarded  by  the  love  of  the  families 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VA  LR  Y.  1 8 1 

immediately  concerned,  whose  knowledge  of  the  situation  constituted  them 
the  better  judges. 

The  following  extracts  from  G.  O.  21,  series  of  1S70,  Department  of  the 
Platte,  show  what  the  troops  of  the  regiment  in  that  Department  were 
doing  : 

"  The  Commanding  General  announces  the  following  creditable  encoun- 
ters of  troops  in  this  Department  with  hostile  Indians,  as  having  taken 
place  during  the  last  month.  To  the  officers  and  soldiers  mentioned  he 
extends  his  acknowledgments  for  personal  gallantry  and  valuable  services. 

"  At  5  o'clock,  A.  m],  on  the  fourth  day  of  May,  1870,  Brevet  Major  D.  S. 
Gordon  with  his  company,*  D,  2d  Cavalry,  near  Atlantic  City,  discovered 
and  charged  a  body  of  Indians  in  possession  of  stolen  stock,  recovering  all 
the  animals,  killing  two  Indians,  wounding  one.  and  dispersing  the  balance. 
Later  in  the  day,  with  ist  Lieutenant  C.  B.  Stambaugh,  2d  Cavalry,  and  ten 
men,  he  encountered  and  fought  for  an  hour  and  a  half  a  party  of  from 
sixty  to  seventy  Indians,  killing  five  and  wounding  several.  His  loss  was 
Lieutenant  Stambaugh  killed,  and  Sergeant  Brown  seriously  wounded." 

The  same  order  speaks  of  a  gallant  action  on  the  part  of  Sergeant 
Patrick  Leonard  and  four  men  of  Troop  C,  who,  while  marching  along  the 
Little  Blue,  Neb.,  were  suddenly  surrounded  and  fired  upon  by  a  party  of 
fifty  Indians.  Private  Hubbard  and  two  horses  were  wounded  at  the  first 
volley,  whereupon  the  sergeant  killed  these  animals  and  formed  a  breast- 
work of  them.  After  a  desperate  struggle,  in  which  the  horses  were  all 
killed,  the  red  devils  were  driven  off  and  Sergeant  Leonard,  taking  a  set- 
tler's family  of  two  women  and  a  child  under  his  charge,  returned  to  the 
settlements.  It  is  such  conduct  as  this,  often  repeated,  that  has  shown 
many  a  hero  among  our  enlisted  men. 

The  survey  for  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  was  commenced  along 
the  Yellowstone  in  the  summer  of  1S71,  and  Ball  and  Tyler,  with  their 
troops, — H  and  L, — were  sent  from  Fort  Ellis  as  an  escort  to  the  surveyors. 
In  the  latter  part  of  November  the  party  started  to  return,  hoping  to  reach 
Ellis  before  winter  set  in,  but  in  this  they  failed.  A  brief  description  of  a 
storm  that  overtook  these  troops  will  serve  to  show  what  the  "  Montana 
Battalion  "  had  to  undergo  in  winter  campaigns. 

One  day  in  the  last  part  of  the  month  the  relief  party  met  the  returning 
escort  a  few  miles  west  of  the  great  bend  of  the  Yellowstone.  It  was  about 
2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  both  commands  started  for  Ellis,  intending 
to  camp  in  a  cottonwood  grove  in  plain  sight  about  fiv  miles  ahead.  After 
marching  about  half-way  a  blizzard  struck  the  command,  driving  the  coarse 
snow,  as  hard  and  cutting  as  grains  of  sand,  into  the  faces  of  the  men. 
Each  officer  was  called  upon  to  take  his  turn  in  leading  the  column,  as  the 
drifting  snow  quickly  closed  the  eyes  of  any  one  peering  into  the  storm. 
The  weather  grew  suddenly  colder,  and  after  two  hours  of  this  struggle  it 
was  learned  that  the  command  had  been  travelling  in  a  circle.  The  sensa- 
tion produced  by  such  a  discovery  can  only  be  appreciated  by  one  who  has 
been  lost  on  the  boundless  prairie  in  the  midst  of  one  of  these  terrible 
storms.  Many  men  became  numb  from  fatigue  and  cold,  and  a  few  threw 
themselves  from  their  saddles  and  had  to  be  lifted  back  and  forced   to  fol- 


'At  this  perio    it  was  customary  to  speak  of  a  troop  as  a  company. 


1 82  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

low.  It  was  impossible  to  care  for  the  pack  mules,  and  all  efforts  to  drive 
these  animals  along  were  abandoned.  Some  men  cried  and  begged  to  be 
allowed  to  lie  down  and  die,  while  others  wandered  from  the  column  and 
were  brought  back  by  those  who  kept  their  heads.  Cries  that  feet,  hands, 
and  parts  of  the  face  were  freezing,  were  heard  on  all  sides.  The  weary 
horses  seemed  unable  to  continue  the  unequal  struggle,  and  were  unmerci- 
fully spurred  to  keep  them  to  their  work.  The  confusion  was  naturally 
great,  and  for  a  time  it  looked  as  if  all  discipline  would  be  lost  and  the  com- 
mand scattered  in  every  direction  over  the  vast  prairie.  There  was  no  hope 
save  in  continuing  the  march,  and  those  who  retained  their  senses  fairly 
drove  the  others  before  them.  After  five  hours  of  this  terrible  battle  with 
the  elements,  the  column  accidentally  stumbled  on  the  very  grove  it  had 
been  seeking.  Only  those  in  front  could  see  the  trees,  but  Trumpeter  Page 
of  Troop  G,  (afterward  killed  under  General  Gibbon  at  the  Big  Hole) 
brave  fellow  that  he  was,  seized  his  trumpet  and  sounded  the  "  rally." 
Never  did  a  call  sound  sweeter  ;  it  meant  life.  The  thermometer  marked 
40°  below  zero,  and  53  men  had  their  extremities  frozen,  many  of  them 
seriously. 

In  the  following  summer  the  same  battalion,  with  four  companies  of  the 
7th  Infantry,  all  under  Major  Baker,  escorted  the  surveyors  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  down  the  Yellowstone.  On  August  13  camp  was  pitched  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river,  and  within  a  slough  fringed  with  trees  and  brush. 
Pickets  had  been  posted  along  the  slough,  and  the  wagons,  perhaps  a  hun- 
dred in  number,  were  parked  in  the  form  of  an  ellipse  into  which  the  mules, 
left  out  to  graze,  might  be  driven  in  case  of  attack.  The  night  was  intensely 
dark,  but  about  three  in  the  morning  the  pickets  discovered  several  Indians 
inside  the  lines  trying  to  turn  the  mules  in  a  convenient  direction  to  start 
them  into  a  run  for  the  hills.  At  first,  due  to  the  darkness,  the  Indians  did 
not  distinguish  the  herders  as  white  men,  and  the  latter  quietly  guided  the 
head  of  the  herd  into  the  corral,  so  that  when  the  rush  came  the  animals 
ran  in  among  the  wagons  and  were  secured.  At  this  time  a  few  shots  were 
exchanged  between  the  guards  and  the  enemy,  and  cries  of  "  Indians,  here 
they  come  ! "  were  heard  as  the  officers  and  men  were  awakened  and  sprang 
to  arms.  At  first  the  confusion  was  very  great  as  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  distinguish  friend  from  foe,  and  many,  even  Thompson,  who  was  officer 
of  the  day,  thought  the  pickets  were  firing  at  an  imaginary  enemy.  This 
belief  was  quickly  dissipated  by  a  volley  from  the  Indians,  and  by  their 
devilish  yells  and  war-whoops.  The  darkness,  however,  prevented  them 
from  taking  full  advantage  of  the  surprise  given  the  troops,  and  their  main 
body  was  sent  flying  from  the  willows  at  the  lower  end  of  camp  by  a  well- 
directed  volley  fired  by  the  infantry.  The  savages,  now  dashing  about  on 
their  ponies  immediately  in  front  of  the  line  formed  by  the  troops,  kept  up 
a  most  unearthly  and  diabolical  screaming.  As  it  grew  lighter  they  were 
driven  to  the  surrounding  bluffs,  and  soon  after  withdrew.  Ball  was  ordered 
out  to  observe  them,  but  only  learned  that  their  retreat  was  down  the  valley. 
Baker's  loss  was  two  killed  and  five  wounded,  while  the  Indians  afterward 
admitted  the  loss  of  eleven  killed  and  wounded,  and  stated  they  had  iioo 
warriors  present,  composed  of  Sioux,  Cheyennes,  and  Arapahoes.     Baker's 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VA LR\ .         183 

number  was  about  400,  and  while  the  small  loss  on  cither  side  was  un- 
doubtedly due  to  darkness,  yet  the  result  obtained  and  the  relative  numbers 
engaged  are  significant  in  showing  that  a  comparatively  small  body  of 
troops  did  defend  themselves  against  a  greatly  superior  force  of  Indians. 
As  the  same  Indians  had  previously  shown  themselves  to  be  formidable 
warriors,  and  repeated  this  evidence  some  four  years  later,  we  may  justly 
infer  that  on  the  occasion  just  described,  the  battalions  of  the  7th  Infantry 
and  2d  Cavalry  proved  themselves  to  be  well  versed  in  the  tactics  of  this 
peculiar  warfare.  The  survey  was  renewed  at  10  o'clock  the  same  morning, 
and  continued  about  40  miles  down  the  valley.  Game,  in  those  days,  was 
very  plentiful  along  the  Yellowstone  and  Musselshell  rivers,  and  a  great 
many  buffalo,  elk  and  deer,  were  seen  and  killed. 

In  March,  1S74,  Colonel  Sm.ith,  14th  Infantry,  with  six  troops  of  the  2d 
and  two  of  the  3d  Cavalry,  and  eight  companies  of  infantry  under  Captain 
Lazelle,  left  Laramie  and  pushed  rapidly  on  to  the  Red  Cloud  Agency,  in- 
tending to  punish  the  Sioux  there  for  their  many  crimes,  and  notably  for 
their  recent  murder  of  Lieutenant  Robinson.  Much  was  expected  of  this 
expedition,  and  had  not  the  "peace  policy"  been  permitted  to  interfere  just 
when  the  blow  was  ready  to  fall,  these  Indians  would  have  received  a  sound 
thrashing,  and  much,  if  not  all.  of  the  trouble  that  afterward  occurred,  might, 
and  probably  would,  have  been  avoided.  As  it  was,  they  were  cowed  into 
a  sullen  submission.  However,  the  Indians  in  the  Department  of  the  Platte 
did  not  entirely  escape  punishment  during  1874,  for  Captain  A.  E.  Bates, 
with  Troop  B,  2d  Cavalry,  and  about  200  Shoshones  under  Lieutenant  Young, 
4th  Infantry,  surprised  a  band  of  Arapahoes  near  Snake  Mountain  early  on 
the  morning  of  July  4,  and  won  a  decided  victory.  Twenty-five  Arapahoes 
are  known  to  have  been  killed,  and  it  is  believed  one  hundred  were  wounded  ; 
200  ponies  also  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors.  The  Indian  allies  behaved 
very  badly,  and  rendered  little,  if  any.  assistance.  This  was  probably  as 
complete  a  victory  as  was  ever  gained  by  a  single  troop  in  the  whole  course 
of  our  Indian  wars.  Lieutenant  Young,  one  of  the  wounded,  and  Lieu- 
tenant F.  U.  Robinson,  of  Bates'  Troop,  were  especially  commended  for 
gallantry. 

The  haughty  spirit  of  the  Sioux,  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes,  was  destined 
to  be  shattered  in  the  years  from  1876  to  1879.  Many  regiments  assisted  in 
this  work,  performed  deeds  of  valor  and  suffered  hardships,  but  it  stands  to 
the  credit  of  the  2d  Cavalry  that  while  it  was  first  to  take  the  field  in  1S76, 
it  was  also  in  at  the  death  in  1879. 

In  February,  1876,  a  number  of  adventurous  spirits,  who  had  entered  the 
Yellowstone  valley  in  search  of  wealth  without  any  definite  idea  of  how  it 
was  to  be  obtained,  found  themselves  besieged  in  a  hastily  built  stockade 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn.  The  battalion  at  Ellis  went  promptly  to 
their  assistance  and  by  a  month's  hard  marching,  in  the  midst  of  snow  and 
cold,  succeeded  in  saving  the  lives  of  these  men.  It  is  believed  this  was  the 
first  movement  made  against  the  Sioux  in  1876,  antedating  as  it  did  by  sev- 
eral weeks  Colonel  Reynolds'  campaign  on  Powder  River,  in  which  Troops 
A.  B.  E,  I  and  K  participated.  Reynolds  struck  the  Indians  under  Chief 
Crazy  Horse  March  17,  and  Egan,  with  Troop  K,  made  a  successful  charge 


i84  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY, 

through  the  village,  which  was  temporarily  held.  Noyes  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing a  large  number  of  ponies,  but  on  the  return  march  of  the  main  com- 
mand these  were  retaken  by  the  enemy. 

Scarcely  had  the  Ellis  battalion  returned  to  its  station  when  it  was  called 
upon  to  join  in  that  memorable  campaign  in  which,  without  winning  a  single 
engagement,  if  we  except  the  rather  indecisive  aflfair  at  Slim  Buttes,  our 
forces  broke  the  backbone  of  the  Indian  resistance  in  the  north.  In  this  de- 
termined eflfort  to  subdue  the  hostiles,  who  were  known  to  camp  along  the 
lower  Yellowstone  and  its  tributaries,  the  Government  sent  troops  from  the 
Platte  under  General  Crook,  and  from  Dakota  under  General  Terry,  in  whose 
column  was  General  Custer  with  the  7th  Cavalry.  With  General  Crook  were 
Troops  A,  B,  D,  E  and  I,  2d  Cavalry,  and  the  officers  of  the  regiment  who 
accompanied  him  on  his  long  and  persistent  pursuit  were  Captains  Noyes. 
Dewees  and  Wells,  and  Lieutenants  Rawolle,  Swigert,  Pearson,  Kingsbury. 
Sibley  and  Huntington.  The  "  Montana  Battalion  "  served  under  General 
Gibbon,  who  commanded  such  of  General  Terry's  troops  as  came  from  the 
west.  This  column,  which  also  included  six  companies  of  the  7th  Infantry, 
left  Ellis  about  the  ist  of  April  and  moved  down  the  Yellowstone  valley.  It 
was  necessary  to  cross  and  recross  the  river  several  times,  and  probably  no 
one  ever  forded  this  stream  without  hoping  he  would  never  be  called  upon 
to  repeat  the  task.  On  one  of  these  occasions  Lieutenant  Schofield's  horse 
lost  his  footing,  and  both  man  and  horse  disappeared  beneath  the  rapidly 
moving  waters.  It  seemed  that  both  must  be  lost,  but  finally  the  horse  re- 
gained his  footing  and  men  rushed  in  to  the  rider's  rescue.  Schofield,  who 
served  against  the  Sioux  for  years,  was  never  nearer  death  than  on  that 
occasion. 

A  courier  overtook  the  command  near  the  Big  Horn  River  with  orders  to 
halt,  as  Crook  and  Custer  would  not  be  able  to  take  the  field  for  several 
weeks ;  whereupon  General  Gibbon  established  a  camp  near  the  mouth  of 
the  river  just  named.  While  lying  here.  Troops  H  and  F,  Ball  and  Roe  com- 
manding, were  ordered  on  a  reconnoissance  through  the  valleys  of  the  Big 
Horn  and  Little  Big  Horn,  with  a  view  to  discovering,  if  possible,  the  where- 
abouts of  the  hostiles.  This  reconnoissance  lasted  a  week,  and  while  the 
Indian  village  was  not  found,  it  proved  to  be  a  very  trying  march.  As  a  pre- 
caution against  surprise,  two  of  the  four  officers  and  one  troop  stood  guard 
day  and  night.  It  so  happened  that  one  of  Ball's  camps  was  made  on  the 
identical  spot  where,  a  few  weeks  later,  Custer  fought  his  last  fight. 

On  June  21,  while  the  battalion  was  lying  in  the  camp  just  mentioned, 
Custer's  long  line  of  cavalry  was  descried  winding  across  the  hills  on  the 
opposite  bank,  and  the  same  day  the  steamboat  Far  Wesi  arrived  with 
General  Terry  and  staff  on  board.  There  were  now  in  the  field  three 
columns,— Crook's,  Custer's  and  Gibbon's.  The  former  had  fought  a  drawn 
battle  with  the  Sioux  a  few  days  before,  a  fact  wholly  unknown  to  General 
Terry's  command,  and  had  fallen  back  to  his  wagons  to  await  reinforce- 
ments. It  had  been  learned  that  the  Indian  trail  led  from  the  Rosebud 
toward  the  Little  Big  Horn  River,  and  General  Custer  was  ordered  to  follow 
it,  while  General  Gibbon  was  to  return  up  the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone  and 
cross  the  river  a  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn,  and  then  push 


THE  SECOND  REGIMEN T  OF  CA  VALRY.        185 

for  the  Little  Big  Horn  to  get  below  the  Indians  on  that  stream,  while 
Custer  struck  them  from  above.  Gibbon  had  the  longest  and  roughest  route. 
Custer  sent  a  battery  of  Gatling  guns  across  to  him  for  fear  they  would  de- 
lay his  march.  The  Department  Commander — General  Terry, — accompanied 
the  Montana  Column.  These  troops  crossed  the  Yellowstone  on  the  24th, 
by  means  of  the  Far  West,  and  the  next  day  moved  a  few  miles  up  TuUock's 
Fork,  then  turned  to  the  right  and  ascended  the  ridge  between  that  stream 
and  the  Big  Horn.  After  a  tiresome  march  the  Big  Horn  was  reached. 
General  Terry  gave  the  cavalry  a  short  rest,  and  then  pushed  on  with  it. 
leaving  the  infantry  to  follow.  The  next  morning,  after  a  short  march, 
Lieutenant  Bradley,  7th  Infantry,  chief  of  scouts,  discovered  on  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  Big  Horn  two  Crow  Indians,  who,  with  others,  had  been  de- 
tached from  Gibbon's  command  as  guides  for  Custer.  These  scouts  repor- 
ted that  Custer  had  been  badly  beaten  the  day  before.  While  halting  here 
the  infantry  came  up,  and  the  united  command  moved  on  and  soon  reached 
the  Little  Big  Horn,  at  which  General  Terry  seemed  much  relieved,  saying, — 
"  Well,  I  have  kept  my  word  with  Custer.  I  promised  him  to  be  here  to- 
day." The  command  halted  for  a  little  time  on  reaching  the  river.  While 
here  a  courier  was  dispatched  to  Custer's  supposed  position,  but  was  driven 
back  by  the  Indians.  The  march  was  resumed  and  continued  twelve  or 
thirteen  miles  up  the  valley,  when,  about  6  o'clock  in  the  evening,  a  few 
Indians  were  seen  hovering  around  the  head  of  the  column  and  several  shots 
were  fired  at  Troop  F,  under  Roe,  which  had  been  thrown  out  to  cover  the 
right  flank.  To  the  left  and  front,  on  the  hills  across  the  river,  were  seen 
objects  supposed  to  be  buffalo  lying  down.  As  twilight  advanced  there  ap- 
peared on  the  right  and  front  what  seemed  to  be  a  long  line  of  cavalry,  but 
night  came  on  before  anything  definite  could  be  learned  of  the  objects  seen, 
or  of  Custer's  fate.  It  was  evident,  however,  he  had  not  won  a  victory. 
About  half  past  eight,  the  infantry  having  marched  between  29  and  30  miles, 
both  battalions  were  ordered  into  camp.  Gibbon's  command,  including  the 
artiller3^  numbered  a  little  over  400  men,  but  it  was  kept  well  in  hand,  and 
was  capable  of  making  an  excellent  fight. 

Making  an  early  start  the  next  morning,  June  27,  the  command  had 
proceeded  but  a  mile  or  two,  when  it  reached  a  large  bottom  containing 
signs  of  having  been  occupied  by  an  extensive  Indian  camp  a  few  hours 
previously.  The  fate  of  Custer  was  now  more  puzzling  than  ever,  but  soon 
a  message  was  received  from  the  chief  of  scouts  saying  he  had  counted  196 
dead  cavalrymen.  The  objects  seen  the  day  before  looking  like  bufTalo 
lying  down,  were  really  dead  comrades  and  their  horses. 

Soon  two  horsemen  were  seen  dashing  down  the  valley.  They  were  offi- 
cers,— Wallace  and  Hare,  if  the  writer's  memory  is  not  at  fault, — sent  by 
Reno  to  tell  of  their  desperate  fight,  and  how  the  Indians  seemed  deter- 
mined upon  their  extermination,  until  Gibbon's  column  appeared  on  the 
bluffs  the  day  before.  "  Where  is  Custer  ?  "  was  then  asked.  They  replied  : 
"The  last  we  saw  of  him  he  was  going  down  that  high  bluff  towards  the 
lower  end  of  the  village.  We  do  not  know  where  he  is  now."  They  were 
told,  "We  have  found  him." 

The  line  of  Reno's  retreat  to  the  hills,  from  his  first  position  in  the  val- 


i86  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ley,  presented  a  sickening  sight,  the  dead  being  horribly  mutilated,  while 
on  the  part  of  the  field  where  Custer  fell  the  mutilation  was  comparatively 
slight. 

The  burial  of  the  dead,  which  was  of  necessity  in  many  instances  more 
of  a  pretense  than  reality,  having  been  accomplished,  the  care  and  trans- 
portation of  the  wounded  demanded  attention.  Hand  litters  were  first 
made  and  their  inefficiency  demonstrated,  when  the  fertile  genius  of  Lieut. 
G.  C.  Doane,  2d  Cavalry,  evolved  a  mule  litter,  and  upon  these  the  wounded 
were  carried  very  comfortably.  These  unfortunates  having  been  finally 
placed  on  a  boat  in  the  Big  Horn,  Gibbon's  command,  increased  by  what 
was  left  of  the  7th  Cavalry,  returned  to  the  north  side  of  the  Yellowstone  to 
await  reinforcements. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  troops  under  Gen.  Crook,  and  see  how  they, 
particularly  those  of  the  2d  Cavalry,  fared  in  this  savage  contest  with  the 
Sioux.  On  June  17,  Crook  found  himself  on  the  Rosebud,  searching  for 
the  village  which  he  felt  confident  was  not  far  off.  About  half  past  eight  in 
the  morning,  while  the  Indian  allies  were  out  scouting  and  the  remainder 
of  the  command  lying  in  the  valley  with  horses  unsaddled,  the  wily  Sioux 
suddenly  appeared,  and  about  the  first  intimation  the  troops  had  of  their 
presence  was  the  panic-stricken  return  of  the  scouts,  immediately  followed 
by  the  enemy's  fire.  The  attack  was  probably  a  surprise,  pure  and  simple, 
but  both  commander  and  men  were  too  experienced  in  Indian  warfare  to 
be  thrown  into  confusion,  and  soon  presented  a  bold  front  to  the  enemy. 
The  Sioux  came  on  with  a  rush,  numbering  perhaps  not  less  than  2500  war- 
riors.* After  the  first  attack  was  repulsed  the  enemy  rallied,  and  skirmish- 
ing continued  for  some  time,  during  which  the  heaviest  loss  fell  on  the  3d 
Cavalry,  of  which  ten  troops  were  present,  and  Captain  Guy  V.  Henry  of 
that  regiment  was  wounded.  As  the  day  wore  on  Gen.  Crook  became  rest- 
ive because  of  the  indecisive  nature  of  the  action,  and  ordered  Mill's 
battalion  of  the  Third,  supported  by  Noyes'  battalion  of  five  troops  of  the 
Second,  to  move  down  the  creek,  through  a  canon,  to  attack  the  village 
supposed  to  be  about  ten  miles  distant.  The  movement  was  being  executed 
when  it  became  necessary  to  recall  these  battalions  to  the  assistance  of  the 
troops  under  Colonel  Royall,  who  was  hard  pressed.  As  the  command  be- 
came once  more  united,  the  Sioux  drew  off  in  the  direction  of  their  village, 
and  the  combat  ended.  Gen.  Crook's  loss,  including  that  of  his  allies,  was 
10  killed  and  35  wounded.  The  Sioux  left  13  dead  on  the  field,  and,  it  is 
believed,  carried  some  off. 

While  lying  in  camp  on  Goose  Creek,  Gen.  Crook  decided  to  send  out  a 
scouting  party  to  locate,  if  possible,  the  Indian  village.  Lieutenant  Sibley 
of  the  2d  Cavalry  was  selected  to  command,  and  given  25  men  picked  from 
the  five  troops  of  the  regiment.  In  his  party  were  also  two  scouts,— Gruard 
and  Fourier,— in  whom  the  general  had  much  confidence,  and  Mr.  Finerty, 
a  correspondent  of  the  Chicago  Tztnes.  This  little  detachment,  well  sup- 
plied with  ammunition,  left  camp  on  the  afternoon  of  July  6,  and  by 
2  o'clock  the  next  morning,  after  having  marched  forty  miles,  halted  a  short 
distance  from  the  Little  Big  Horn.  After  a  brief  rest  Sibley  was  again  in 
*"  War-Path  and  Bivouac."    Finerty. 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.         187 

his  saddle,  advancing  cautiously,  as  the  scouts,  who  were  familiar  with  the 
life  and  camping  grounds  of  the  Sioux,  believed  the  village  was  near  by. 
These  keen-eyed  men  of  the  plains  soon  discovered  a  formidable  war  party, 
whereupon  Sibley  moved  his  little  band  toward  the  mountains,  intending 
to  cross  them  if  possible,  and  hopmg  that  the  Sioux,  who  seldom  took  to 
the  rough  mountam  trails,  would  not  follow.  The  savages,  however,  found 
his  trail  and  pursued  like  bloodhounds.  "  Men,"  said  Sibley,  "  the  Indians 
have  discovered  us,  and  we  will  have  to  do  some  fighting.  If  we  can  make 
an  honorable  escape,  all  together,  we  will  do  it.  If  retreat  should  prove 
impossible,  let  no  man  surrender.  Die  in  your  tracks."  "  All  right,  sir," 
was  the  soldierly  reply.  The  retreat  was  continued  until  some  time  in  the 
afternoon,  and  as  they  had  not  been  overtaken  the  little  band  of  heroes 
began  to  think  they  had  escaped  the  threatened  danger,  but  it  was  just  at 
such  moments  the  wily  Sioux  was  wont  to  pounce  upon  his  prey,  and  sud- 
denly, as  if  coming  out  of  the  ground,  the  enemy  appeared  and  poured  in  a 
ringing  volley.  Hastily  taking  shelter  in  the  edge  of  some  adjacent  woods, 
Sibley  dismounted  his  men,  and  ordering  some  of  them  to  fire  on  the 
Indians  to  check  their  advance,  secured  his  horses  after  several  of  them 
had  been  wounded.  The  trees  and  fallen  timber  made  admirable  breast- 
works, and  behind  these  our  heroes  fought,  and  held  at  bay  many  times 
their  numbers.  The  struggle  seemed  hopeless,  and  but  for  the  strategy 
employed  would  have  proved  so.  As  the  numbers  of  the  enemy  were  con- 
stantly swelled  by  reinforcements,  Sibley  despaired  of  saving  his  horses, 
and  leavmg  them  tied  to  trees  where  they  could  be  seen  indistinctly  by  the 
savages,  he  cautioned  his  men  to  go  to  their  saddle-bags  for  all  their  ammu- 
nition, and,  after  firing  a  couple  of  scattering  volleys,  to  follow  him  on  foot 
into  the  thick  woods  and  among  the  rocks,  where  a  horseman  could  not 
pursue.  How  this  little  band  pressed  on  for  two  days  through  fallen  tim- 
ber, over  rocks  and  across  mountains,  without  food  or  sulTicient  clothing  to 
protect  them  from  the  cold  at  night,  would  make  a  thrilling  story  if  space 
permitted  the  recital.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  a  short  time  after  leaving  their 
horses  they  heard  a  heavy  volley,  followed  by  war-whoops,  and  they  knew 
the  Indians  had  made  their  final  rush  on  the  abandoned  position.  After 
almost  incredible  vigilance  and  marching,  they  reached  Crook's  camp  on 
the  morning  of  July  9,  and  the  oldest  and  most  experienced  officers  in  the 
command  concurred  in  saying  their  escape  from  such  a  perilous  situation 
was  without  parallel  in  the  annals  of  Indian  warfare. 

The  death  of  Capt.  Lewis  Thompson,  who  had  been  an  officer  of  the 
regiment  since  February,  1862,  occurred  in  one  of  General  Gibbon's  camps 
on  the  Yellowstone  during  July.  Thompson  was  a  most  agreeable  compan- 
ion ;  bright,  witty,  well  read,  and  as  a  soldier  brave  to  the  verge  of  rashness. 
He  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and  the  hardships  and 
privations  accompanying  his  confinement  of  fifteen  months  in  Southern 
prisons,  so  shattered  his  health  that  he  never  fully  recovered  it.  Upon 
his  death,  which  was  greatly  regretted  throughout  the  regiment,  the  com- 
mand of  his  Troop,— L,— devolved  upon  Lieut.  S.  T.  Hamilton,  who  had 
been  a  member  of  the  expedition  from  the  start. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July  Terry  sent  three  scouts  to  find  Crook.     They 


1 88  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

returned  in  a  few  days  and  reported  his  location  on  Goose  Creek.  On 
August  8,  Terry's  command,  1 700  strong,  started  up  the  valley  of  the  Rosebud, 
and  two  days  later  met  Crook's  forces  marching  down.  The  latter  officer  had 
25  troops  of  cavalry  and  ten  companies  of  infantry.  Thus  in  the  two  com- 
mands there  were  36  troops  of  cavalry.  However,  rapid  movements  were 
not  the  order  of  the  day,  and  the  united  commands  moved  slowly  over  to 
Tongue  River  and  thence  down  the  Powder  to  its  mouth.  The  distance 
marched  was  120  miles,  and  seven  days  were  consumed  in  making  it.  When 
finished  no  one  knew  where  the  Indians  were.  The  horses  were  under  sad- 
dle the  greater  part  of  the  daylight  of  each  day,  to  average  17  miles  in  24 
hours.  Such  marching  is  most  trying  on  cavalry,  as  it  breaks  the  animals 
down  to  no  purpose.  Much  of  Crook's  cavalry  was  in  bad  condition  when 
he  met  Terry,  although  he  had  been  encamped  for  weeks  in  a  fine  grazing 
country,  but  by  the  time  the  mouth  of  the  Powder  was  reached  many  horses 
in  each  column  were  hors  de  combat. 

When  the  two  commands  united  on  the  Rosebud,  the  "  Montana  Battal- 
ion "  met  the  five  troops  of  the  regiment  under  Noyes,  after  a  separation  of 
seven  years.  How  they  mingled  and  gossiped  can  only  be  appreciated  by 
brother  soldiers  who  have  been  long  separated.  The  writer  recalls  how  Ra- 
wolle,  in  particular,  in  the  quiet  but  decided  manner  peculiar  to  him,  told  of 
their  marches  and  contests. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Powder  the  commands  separated  ;  Gen.  Crook  go- 
ing in  the  direction  of  the  Little  Missouri,  while  Gen.  Terry  crossed  the 
Yellowstone  and  moved  over  toward  the  Big  Dry,  at  the  Dry  Forks  of  the 
Missouri.  These  movements  again  divided  the  battalions  of  the  Second  ; 
the  one  under  Crook  entering  on  that  long  and  wearisome  march,  during 
which  such  battle  was  to  be  had  with  hunger. 

Besides  the  officers  of  the  regiment  previously  mentioned  as  serving  un- 
der Crook,  Lieut.  W.  P.  Clark  joined  that  general  at  Powder  Rivcr,  and  in 
the  skirmish  which  subsequently  took  place  at  Slim  Buttes,  distinguished 
himself,  as  he  always  did  when  opportunity  offered. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1877  the  "Montana  Battalion"  again  took  the 
field,  and  reported  to  Gen.  Miles  at  Tongue  River.  This  officer  attacked 
Lame  Deer's  camp  of  the  Minneconjou  Sioux,  May  7,  on  Little  Muddy 
Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Rosebud.  He  had  with  him  the  battalion  of  the 
Second  under  Ball,  two  companies  of  the  Fifth,  and  five  of  the  22d  In- 
fantry. A  part  of  the  infantry  rode  captured  ponies.  The  village  was  taken 
with  a  rush,  Lieut.  E.  W.  Casey,  22d  Infantry,  and  Lieut.  L.  H.  Jerome,  2d 
Cavalry,  charging  directly  upon  and  through  it.  Both  of  these  officers  were 
mentioned  for  gallantry.  The  Indians  retired  to  the  surrounding  bluffs  and 
made  an  obstinate  resistance,  and  during  this  part  of  the  engagement  Lieut. 
A.  H.  Fuller  of  Tyler's  Troop  (F)  was  wounded.  Among  the  wounded  was 
also  Private  D.  L.  Brainard,  Troop  L,  who  afterward  won  such  distinction 
under  Greely  in  the  north,  and  who  is  now  a  lieutenant  in  the  regiment. 
The  Indians  left  14  dead  on  the  field,  and  500  ponies,  together  with  51 
lodges,  and  their  contents  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors.  Lame  Deer  is 
believed  to  have  fallen  by  the  hand  of  Captain  Wheelan.  After  this  engage- 
ment the  battalion  of  the  Second,  excepting  Troop  L,  was  kept  busy  during 


THE  SECOND  REGIMEN  T  OF  CA  VA  LK  Y.        1 89 

the  summer  and  early  fall  scouting  along  the  Yellowstone,  Tongue,  Powder 
and  Little  Missouri  rivers,  and  that  the  manner  in  which  the  duty  was  per- 
formed was  satisfactory,  the  following  letter,  addressed  to  Captain  Tyler  by 
General  Miles'  adjutant,  will  show  : 

"  In  relieving  the  Battalion  2d  Cavalry,  the  commanding  officer  is 
pleased  to  acknowledge  its  valuable  service  during  the  spring  and  summer 
operations  against  hostile  Indians.  Equally  on  the  most  fatiguing  and  labo- 
rious march  in  pursuit  of  fleeing  Indians,  as  in  action,  you  have  displayed 
those  qualities  most  commendable  to  the  American  soldier,  and  you  will 
please  convey  to  the  olhcers  and  men  of  the  battalion  his  sincere  apprecia- 
tion of  the  same,  and  express  to  them  his  regrets  at  being  obliged  to  part 
with  a  command  whose  faithful  performance  of  all  duties  he  could  so  truly 
rely  upon." 

Chief  Joseph,  of  the  Nez  Perces,  may  properly  be  termed  the  Indian  Xen- 
ophon.  His  long  retreat  in  1877  through  Idaho  and  Montana,  pursued  as 
he  was  by  various  columns  of  troops,  is  worthy  of  record  in  the  annals  of 
war.  General  Howard  followed  him  with  great  persistence,  but  in  vain. 
Norwood  with  his  troop  (L),  brought  him  to  stand  at  Camas  Prairie,  but 
being  greatly  overmatched  in  numbers,  and  not  receiving  the  support  he 
expected,  was  unable  to  detain  the  Indian  chief  long  enough  for  General 
Howard  to  come  up.  The  Troop  made  a  gallant  fight  and  reflected  much 
credit  upon  the  regiment.  Gen.  Gibbon,  with  part  of  the  7th  Infantry, 
dealt  Joseph  a  staggering  blow  on  the  bloody  field  of  the  Big  Hole,  and 
General  Sturgis,  with  some  of  the  7th  Cavalry,  fought  him  on  the  Yellow- 
stone, but  all  in  vain,  for  the  Indian  general  continued  his  headlong  flight, 
and  had  he  not  stopped  to  procure  buffalo  meat  when  the  close  proximity 
of  the  British  line  gave  him  a  feeling  of  security,  his  retreat  would  have 
been  crowned  with  success.  This  halt  enabled  Miles  with  three  troops  of 
the  7th  Cavalry,  several  companies  of  his  own  regiment,  and  Troops  F,  G 
and  H  of  the  Second,  to  strike  the  Nez  Perces  on  Sept.  30  near  the  Bear 
Paw  Mountains,  and,  after  a  desperate  fight  followed  by  a  siege  lasting  until 
Oct.  6,  to  capture  the  greater  part  of  the  tribe.  Thus  it  was  that  twice  in 
this  memorable  campaign  the  Second  Cavalry  was  represented,  and  upon 
two  far  distant  fields.  In  the  latter  engagement  Lieut.  Jerome,  Troop  H, 
was  made  a  prisoner  and  held  for  24  hours,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was 
exchanged  for  Chief  Joseph. 

After  the  engagement  at  the  Bear  Paw,  Tyler's  battalion  was  ordered  as 
an  escort  to  the  American  members  of  the  "  Sitting  Bull  Commission,"  and 
escorted  them  to  the  British  line.  With  this  duty  completed  the  battalion 
returned  to  Fort  Ellis,  having  been  in  the  field  continuously  for  eight 
months,  and  having  marched  about  2500  miles.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  the 
headquarters  of  the  regiment,  and  the  eight  troops  stationed  in  the  Platte, 
were  transferred  to  the  Department  of  Dakota,  and  stationed  at  Custer  and 
Keogh,  with  headquarters  at  the  former  post. 

In  March,  1879,  Innis  N.  Palmer,  who  had  succeeded  T.  J.  Wood  as 
colonel  of  the  regiment  in  June,  1878,  retired,  and  was  followed  by  Colonel 
J.  W.  Davidson.  In  the  summer  of  1879  Gen.  Miles  made  an  expedition 
against  the  northern  Sioux  along  Milk  River.  On  July  17.  Lieut.  W.  P. 
Clark,   with   Troop   C,   under    Hoppin  ;  a  company  of   the   5th    Infantry 


I90  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

(mounted)  under  Borden  ;  and  a  number  of  Indian  scouts,  was  ordered 
forward  as  an  advance  guard.  He  came  unexpectedly  upon  the  hostiles, 
and,  with  his  usual  dash,  rushed  boldly  at  them,  at  the  same  time  sending  a 
courier  back  to  notify  the  main  column.  At  first  the  enemy  gave  way,  but 
soon  rallied  and  surrounded  Clark.  Miles  pushed  rapidly  forward  with  re- 
inforcements, consisting  of  six  troops  of  the  Second,  commanded  by 
Majors  Baker  and  Gordon,  and  several  companies  of  the  5th  Infantry 
mounted  on  ponies.  Rice,  of  the  latter  regiment,  was  present  with  two 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  these,  with  the  broken  hills  which  the  column  had  to 
cross,  somewhat  delayed  the  progress  of  the  main  body  for  a  time,  but  the 
soldiers,  realizing  the  importance  of  the  guns,  would  quickly  pull  them  out 
of  a  ravine,  no  matter  how  deep.  A  second  courier  arrived,  his  pony  pant- 
ing and  covered  with  foam,  bearing  a  message  from  Clark  saying  he  was 
nearly  surrounded  and  asking  for  speedy  help.  The  main  body  had  now 
fortunately  reached  smooth  ground,  and  it  went  forward  at  a  gallop,  with 
Gordon's  battalion  deployed  as  skirmishers,  and  Baker's  and  the  mounted 
infantry  in  column  some  two  hundred  yards  in  rear.  Seeing  Miles  advance 
the  Sioux  gave  way,  but  kept  up  a  running  fight  with  Clark,  who  followed 
close  upon  their  heels.  The  command  presented  a  beautiful  sight  as  it 
galloped  forward  over  the  green  and  gently  rolling  hills,  pursuing  a  swarm 
of  gayly  blanketed  Indians.  This  pursuit  was  kept  up  for  about  fifteen 
miles,  and  no  one  who  witnessed  that  day's  work  will  ever  forget  the  ex- 
citement of  the  chase.  The  artillery  moved  with  the  skirmish  line,  and  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  race  fired  several  shots.  The  enemy  succeeded  in 
reaching  and  crossing  Milk  River,  and  escaped  under  cover  of  the  night. 

In  March,  1880,  the  restive  spirit  of  the  Sioux  induced  some  of  the 
more  venturesome  to  hover  around  Forts  Keogh  and  Custer,  and  gave 
Huggins,  Cook  and  Brett,  with  Troops  C  and  E,  and  a  number  of  Cheyenne 
scouts  under  the  last  named  officer,  an  opportunity  to  distinguish  themselves 
by  making  a  very  rapid  pursuit  from  Tullock's  Fork  to  O'Fallon's  Creek, 
where  they  overtook  the  Indians,  and,  after  a  sharp  fight,  captured  the 
camp,  several  prisoners  and  over  100  ponies,  with  a  loss  to  the  troops  of  only 
one  killed.  Lieut.  Kislingbury,  nth  Infantry,  who  lost  his  life  on  the 
Greely  expedition,  also  accompanied  this  command.  Gen.  Miles  was  so 
favorably  impressed  with  the  energy  and  good  judgment  shown  in  this 
affair,  that  more  than  ten  years  later  he  invited  attention  to  it  a  second  time, 
and  recommended  that  Huggins  and  Brett,  the  only  surviving  officers,  be 
breveted  therefor. 

During  the  next  four  years  the  regiment  was  kept  busy  marching  back 
and  forth  to  overawe  the  Indians,  but  their  haughty  spirit  had  been  hum- 
bled and  they  were  easily  held  in  subjection.  The  last  action  in  Montana 
in  which  any  part  of  the  regiment  participated  was  between  Troop  L,  under 
Norwood,  and  a  band  of  Cree  Indians,  near  Wild  Horse  Lake,  in  which  the 
Indians  were  defeated  with  the  loss  of  several  warriors.  This  was  in  the 
spring  of  1883. 

Thus  we  see  that  in  Montana  the  battles  of  the  Second  commenced  with 
the  terrible  thrashing  given  the  Piegans  in  January,  1870,  and  ended  in 
April,  1883,  near   Wild    Horse   Lake.     In   these  thirteen  years  of  toil  and 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.        191 

strife,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  most  hostile  Indian  country  on  this  continent, 
the  Second  alone  saw  the  beginning  and  end  of  the  conflict.  It  was  seldom 
its  engagements  were  indecisive;  victory  generally  alighted  on  its  guidons, 
defeat  never.  Surely  this  was  not  all  luck.  The  lessons  gathered  in  the 
everglades  of  Florida  and  on  the  plains  before  the  Civil  War,  and  trans- 
mitted from  one  generation  of  officers  to  another,  bore  their  legitimate 
fruit  and  it  was  good. 

In  the  early  summer  of  18S4  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Division 
of  the  Pacific,  with  headquarters  at  Walla  Walla.  Nine  troops  went  to  the 
Department  of  the  Columbia  and  three  into  California.  Before  leaving 
Montana  the  following  letter  was  addressed  to  the  regimental  commander, 
General  John  P.  Hatch,  who  became  colonel  in  1881  : 

Headquarters  Department  of  Dakota, 

Fort  Snelling,  Minn.,  June  16,  1SS4. 
General: — I  cannot  suffer  the  2d  Cavalry  to  leave  this  Department,  for 
another  sphere  of  duty,  without  expressing  to  you  and  to  your  officers  and 
men  my  sense  of  the  value  of  the  services  which  it  has  rendered  while  it 
has  been  under  my  command,  and  my  respect  and  admiration  for  its  char- 
acter. It  is  now  fifteen  years  since  a  portion  of  the  regiment  came  into  this 
Department ;  it  is  seven  years  since  the  whole  of  it  reported  to  me.  Dur- 
ing all  these  years  it  has  been  constantly  called  upon  for  duty  in  the  field, 
often  for  service  in  active  campaigns  against  hostile  Indians  ;  and  in  all  this 
service,  whether  in  field  or  garrison,  it  has  displayed  soldierly  qualities  of 
the  highest  order,  gallantry  m  action,  patience  under  hardship,  subordina- 
tion to  authority,  and  a  quiet,  unassuming  devotion  to  duty  worthy  of  the 
highest  praise,  and  worthy  also  of  the  splendid  history  which  it  had  made 
for  itself  in  the  past. 

I  beg  you  to  accept  for  yourself,  and  for  your  oflftcers  and  men,  my  most 
hearty  good  wishes  for  your  and  their  prosperity  and  happiness,  and  also 
the  expression  of  my  belief  that  no  regiment  in  the  service  has  ever  won  a 
more  honorable  reputation  than  that  which  is  deservedly  borne  by  the 
Second  Cavalry. 

Sincerely  yours, 
(Signed)         Alfred  H.  Terry, 
Brigadier-General,  Commanding. 

The  service  required  of  the  regiment  in  the  Department  of  California  and 
jColumbia  was  simple.  Several  long  marches  were  made,  but  no  serious 
difficulties  arose  with  the  Indians.  During  the  year  18S5,  Lieut.  H.  T. 
Allen,  2d  Cavalry,  made  an  extensive  and  important  exploration  in  Alaska. 
His  report  added  very  materially  to  our  previous  knowledge  of  that  distant 
territory. 

In  May,  1885,  Chief  Joseph  and  his  followers,  who  were  sent  to  the  In- 
dian Territory  after  their  capture,  were  permitted  to  return  to  Washington 
Territory  not  far  from  their  former  home.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Lieut.  Carle- 
ton,  with  Troop  L,  to  escort  these  people  to  the  district  assigned  them.  It 
was  this  troop  that  fought  these  Indians  so  valiantly  at  Camas  Prairie  in 
the  summer  of  1877,  and  now,  eight  years  later,  we  find  it  escorting  them 
as  a  guard  against  their  white  neighbors  who  threatened  them. 

While  enjoying  the  comforts  of  that  charming  station,  the  Presidio  of 
San  Francisco,  Troops  A  and  I^  were,  in  December,  1885.  suddenly  called 
upon  to  depart  for  Arizona  to  assist  in  the  pursuit  of  Geronimo  and  his 


192  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

band.  The  sands  and  cacti  of  that  territory  were  indeed  a  change  from  the 
handsome  roads  and  well  kept  lawns  of  the  Presidio,  but  the  troopers 
and  their  officers,— MacAdams,  Doane,  Robinson  and  Brett,— took  kindly 
to  their  old  life  m  bivouac,  and  rendered  valuable  services  in  the  cam- 
paign against  the  Apache,  in  whose  country  they  remained  about  nine 
months.  In  his  annual  report  the  department  commander.  Gen.  Miles,  in 
speaking  of  a  pursuit  made  by  Lieut.  Brett,  says  that  officer  displayed  great 
energy  and  determination. 

While  in  the  Department  of  the  Columbia  General  N.  B.  Sweitzer,  who 
had  been  a  major  in  the  regiment,  succeeded  General  Hatch  as  colonel,  and 
was  in  turn  followed  by  Colonel  D.  B.  Clendenin. 

In  June,  1890,  the  regiment  exchanged  with  the  4th  Cavalry,  and  took 
station  in  Arizona,  with  the  headquarters  and  two  troops  at  Lowell,  and 
the  other  troops  at  Huachuca,  Bowie,  San  Carlos  and  Whipple  Barracks. 
That  summer  the  order  was  issued  from  the  War  Department  discontinuing 
two  troops  and  two  companies  in  each  regiment  of  cavalry  and  infantry. 
In  this  way  Troops  L  and  M  ceased  to  exist,  except  "  on  paper."  L  has 
since  been  reorganized  as  an  Indian  Troop,  and  let  us  hope  the  day  is  not 
far  distant  when  the  guidon  of  Troop  M  will  again  take  its  place  in  the 
column.  Soon  after  reaching  Arizona  we  find  Fowler,  Winn,  Brainard, 
Sargent,  Nance,  Lewis,  Michie,  and  others,  in  the  field  in  pursuit  of  the 
ubiquitous  Kid  and  his  followers.  Lieut.  Michie,  especially,  performed 
most  arduous  service,  and  was  complimented  therefor  by  the  division 
commander. 

In  January,  1891,  the  headquarters  and  three  troops  were  ordered  to 
Fort  Wingate,  N.  M.,  where  they  now  (February,  1892,)  are,  and  Troop  G,— 
Wheelan's— took  station  at  Fort  Stanton  at  the  same  time.  The  Moqui 
Indians,  who  have  lived  quietly  in  their  pueblos  for  centuries,  were  finally 
so  exasperated  by  having  their  children  taken  away  to  be  sent  to  school, 
that  they  were  on  the  verge  of  open  rebellion  in  June,  1891,  and  threatened 
to  kill  Brett,  who,  with  a  small  detachment,  had  occasion  to  visit  one  of 
their  villages,— Orabi.  This  officer  with  great  good  judgment  managed  to 
extricate  himself  and  men,  and  then  asked  for  reinforcements.  Major 
Jackson,  com mandmg  the  battalion  at  Wingate,  promptly  sent  two  troops 
to  the  rescue,  accompanied  by  Lieut.  Wallace  with  two  Hotchkiss  guns. 
Major  McLellan,  with  two  troops  of  the  loth  Cavalry,  was  also  ordered  out. 
When  this  force  arrived  before  the  village,  the  Moquis  quietly  surrendered. 
With  this  little  affair  the  campaigns  of  the  Second  have,  for  the  present, 
come  to  an  end.  How  long  this  peace  will  last  none  can  say,  but  in  the 
future,  as  it  has  been  in  the  past,  it  is  confidently  believed  the  Second 
Cavalry,— old  Second  Dragoons,— will  be  true  to  its  motto,  "  Toujours prct" 
Since  the  Civil  War  the  regiment  has  lost  three  officers  and  sixty  en- 
listed men  killed  in  action,  with  one  officer  and  thirty-eight  men  wounded. 
Shining  through  the  storms  of  fifty-six  winters,  the  smoke  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seventeen  combats  and  the  dust  of  countless  weary  marches, 
appears  the  glorious  roster  of  those  men  of  the  Second  Cavalry  who  have 
shed  their  blood  or  lost  their  lives  in  service ;  a  grand  aggregate  of  forty- 
eight  commissioned  officers,  and  seven  hundred  and  eight  enlisted  men. 


Major-General 

HENRY     DEARBORN 

Commanding  the  Army,   1S12-1815. 


L^krs,  one 


along  li 

and  th(. 


George  S.   iJurhridgf: 


The  Ciiptains  >*. 
Iker,  Henrv  ('. 


194  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

taking  rank  from  July  7th.  Walker  was  a  Virginian  and  Texas  ranger  who 
had  distinguished  himself  by  carrying  the  message  to  the  beleaguered 
troops  in  Fort  Brown  to  hold  out,  passing  through  the  Mexican  lines  and 
returning. 

The  first  lieutenants  were  Benjamin  S.  Roberts,  Thomas  Ewell,  Andrew 
Porter,  Michael  E.  Van  Buren,  Llewellyn  Jones,  Noah  Newton,  Thomas 
Duncan,  Wm.  W.  Taylor,  Andrew  J.  Lindsay,  John  G.  Walker  and  Spear 
S.  Tipton.  Jones  was  the  first  adjutant.  Tipton  was  captain  of  an  Indiana 
volunteer  company  and  son  of  Senator  Tipton,  who  was  an  ensign  and 
commanded  a  company  at  Tippecanoe  after  all  the  other  officers  had 
fallen,  and  later  married  the  daughter  of  the  dead  captain,  Spear  Spencer. 

The  second  lieutenants  were  Thomas  Claiborne,  Thomas  G.  Rhett, 
Charles  L.  Denman,  Washington  L.  Elliott,  Thomas  Davis,  George  McLane, 
Robert  M.  Morris,  Llewellyn  Raguet,  Francis  S.  K,  Russell,  and  Julian  May. 

The  following  brevet  second  lieutenants  were  assigned  on  the  17th  of 
July ;  Daniel  M.  Frost,  George  W.  Hawkins,  John  P.  Hatch,  Gordon 
Granger,  Dabney  H.  Maury,  Innis  N.  Palmer,  James  Stuart,  Alfred  Gibbs, 
and  George  H.  Gordon. 

Consistent  with  army  administration  by  politicians,  men  of  experience 
or  educated  for  the  profession  were  placed  in  the  lower  grades.  An  old 
army  surgeon  said  that  under  the  Sumner  regime  companies  would  go  to 
drill  with  full  complements  of  officers,  and  return  under  command  of 
brevet  second  lieutenants,  all  the  seniors  having  been  relieved  in  the  order 
of  rank  by  the  stern  old  major  for  inefficiency,  and  for  this  reason  it  was 
chaffed  for  a  time  as  the  "  Kangaroo  Regiment."  Another  who  served  with 
it  later  said,  "  The  officers  were  all  gentlemen,  brave  and  generous  to  a 
fault,  strict  disciplinarians,  and  looked  well  after  the  wants  of  their  men, 
but  the  most  cantankerous  lot  I  ever  met." 

Companies  C  and  F  were  recruited  in  the  mountain  regions  of  Penn- 
sylvania, Maryland,  Virginia,  and  North  Carolina,  with  depot  at  Fort 
McHenry ;  the  others  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
Missouri,  with  the  depot  at  Jef?erson  Barracks  commanded  by  Colonel 
Bonneville,  where  the  regiment  was  organized  in  October,  excepting  Com- 
pany I,  which,  owing  to  the  absence  of  Captain  Ruff,  was  not  formed  until 
the  first  of  the  following  April,  at  New  Orleans. 

There  is  much  evidence  extant  as  to  the  superior  material  of  which  the 
regiment  was  made.  It  was  armed  with  the  hunting  rifle,  persistently  called 
the  "  yawger."  The  barrel  was  too  large  for  the  shank  of  the  bayonet  fur- 
nished, and  the  latter  was  used  for  a  time  with  a  wooden  plug  that  fitted 
into  the  bore,— another  source  of  chaff  for  army  wags.  Company  black- 
smiths eventually  overcame  this  difficulty  by  swelling  the  shanks. 

Notwithstanding  that  the  law  had  presumably  fixed  the  nature  of  the 
service  of  the  regiment,  and  recruiting  officers  had  been  sincere  in  their 
representations,  the  administration  found  no  impediment  in  the  way  of  or- 
dering it  to  Mexico  early  in  November,  a  mandate  greeted  with  cheers 
immediately  after  the  dress-parade  at  which  it  was  read.  Indeed,  Companies 
Cand  F  reached  Point  Isabel,  Texas,  October  5,  thence  went  to  Monterey  and 
later  to  Tampico,  joining  at  Lobos  Island.  Soon  after  horses  and  equipments 


THE  THIRD  REGIMEN 7  OF  CAVALRY.  195 

were  received,  the  regiment  left,  November  and  December,  in  detachments 
of  one  or  two  companies  on  steamers  for  New  Orleans,  all  experiencing 
delay  there  in  getting  transportation  for  Point  Isabel.  The  horses  were 
placed  on  schooners  with  lumber  sheds  erected  for  shelter.  It  was  a  par- 
ticularly stormy  season  and  most  of  them  were  lost  in  the  gales  encoun- 
tered in  crossing  the  Gulf,  while  the  remainder  were  transferred  to  the 
Second  Dragoons,  sadly  in  need  of  them, — another  source  of  chaff,  "dis- 
mounted riflemen."  Disappointing  as  was  this  loss  of  horses,  it  proved  a 
blessing  by  saving  the  regiment  from  being  left  behind  to  escort  trains  for 
Taylor's  army  and  chase  guerrillas  in  the  chaparral,  and  permitting  it  in- 
stead to  participate  in  the  campaign  where  it  won  such  renown. 

Major  Burbridge  left  the  regiment  at  New  Orleans,  and  Major  Sumner 
was  assigned  December  12th,  to  comm-and.  Some  companies  arrived  at 
Point  Isabel  and  went  to  Camp  Page  the  last  of  December,  the  others  in 
January.  In  the  meantime  General  Scott,  arriving,  took  D  and  probably 
another  company  to  Camargo  as  escort.  The  regiment  embarked,  February 
20,  1846,  for  Lobos  Island,  arriving  two  days  later.  Here  it  met  Companies 
C  and  F,  and  was  first  joined  by  Colonel  Smith. 

March  3d  it  sailed,  and  on  the  9th  landed  at  Sacrificios  Island  and 
led  in  the  investment  of  Vera  Cruz,  Private  Timothy  Cunningham  of  Com- 
pany A,  who  was  killed  on  the  nth  by  a  cannon  ball,  being  the  first  of 
the  regiment  to  lose  his  life  in  action  ;  Waller  and  Niell  of  B  being  wounded 
the  same  day. 

Company  C  only  was  mounted  until  I  joined  at  Jalapa,  though  men  from 
others  were  attached  much  of  the  time.  Colonel  Smith  commanded  the 
First  Brigade,  Twiggs'  Division,  and  Major  Sumner  the  regiment.  There 
was  continuous  annoyance  from  the  rear  during  the  siege  and  almost 
daily  skirmishes;  on  the  23d  a  brilliant  affair  at  Puente  del  Medio,  C,  D 
and  E.  Among  the  wounded  of  D  was  Sergeant  Wm.  B.  Lane,  who  rose 
to  be  major  of  the  regiment  and  brevet  colonel,  of  whom  much  might  be 
said,  and  of  his  good  wife  who  has  told  so  charmingly  in  her  little  book. 
"  A  Soldier's  Wife,"  of  female  life  in  the  regiment.  Here  too  "  Benny  " 
Roberts,  commanding  C,  attracted  attention  to  the  superior  material  in  him 
that  was  to  make  an  enviable  record  as  a  mounted  officer. 

The  regiment  started.  April  8th.  from  its  camp  at  Vegara  on  that 
memorable  expedition  of  conquest  of  which  history  recounts  none  more 
daring  in  conception,  nor  brilliant  and  thorough  in  successful  execution. 

Detachments  were  with  Captain  Johnson  in  the  affair  of  the  i2lh,  and 
on  the  15th  Roberts  commanded  the  squadron  reconnoissance  that  found 
the  possible  route  to  turn  the  "  Gibraltar  "  of  Mexico— Cerro  Gordo— which 
proved  its  downfall,  but  only  after  the  fierce  battles  of  the  17th  and  iSth, 
which  cost  the  regiment  in  its  terrific  assaults  the  lives  of  Mason,  Ewell, 
Davis  and  ten  men  ;  and  the  wounding  of  Sumner.  McLane,  Maury.  Gibbs. 
Gordon  and  66  men,  many  of  whom  died.  Company  A  had  an  officer 
(Ewell)  and  two  men  killed,  and  19  men  wounded. 

General  Scott  expressed  his  admiration  of  the  "style  of  execution  "  of  the 
assaults,  and  said  Ewell  fell  sword  in  hand  within  the  works.  In  fact  the 
General  knelt  by  his  side,  took  his  hand,  and  soothed  his  expiring  moments 


196  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  A  AMY. 

with  kind  words  ot  praise.  Mason's  leg  was  swept  away  by  a  cannon  ball. 
Maury  won  a  brevet,  as  did  several  others,  and  a  handsome  sword. 

After  "embarrassing"  their  general  with  prisoners  and  trophies  of  vic- 
tory, they  pursued  the  enemy  to  Encerro,  and  on  the  19th  to  the  Mexican 
Saratoga, — Jalapa.  The  Castle  of  Perote,  "  second  only  to  San  Juan  d'Ulloa," 
fell  at  noon,  the  22d,  and  on  sped  Worth  to  Puebla.  The  supply  departments, 
unequal  to  the  valor  of  our  troops,  cause  vexatious  delays  and  failure  to 
follow  up  further  these  splendid  victories  over  a  demoralized  enemy,  and 
give  time  for  disease  to  make  fearful  inroads  in  the  ranks,  and  the  foe  to 
reorganize  and  fortify  a  naturally  strong  defensive  country,  and  to  swarm 
the  highways  in  desperate,  barbarous,  guerrilla  warfare. 

Ruflf,  with  I,  mounted,  arrives  May  20,  and  also  Walker  with  hundreds 
of  recruits.  The  latter  is  sent  with  C  to  Perote,  and  the  former  on  the  roads ; 
and  Roberts  is  placed  in  command  of  a  battalion  of  "  irregulars,"  all  to  wage 
war  against  the  relentless,  partisan  "  rancheros."  It  was  hard  riding  nearly 
all  the  time,  encounters  almost  daily.  Space  allows  mention  of  but  one 
or  two. 

Near  La  Hoya,  June  20,  thirty  riflemen  engage  and  defeat  500  Mexi- 
cans, eliciting  high  praise  of  Walker  from  Colonel  Wyncoop,  commanding, 
and  in  turn  from  Walker  of  Denman,  Claiborne  and  men. 

July  30,  Ruff's  squadron  defeats  a  largely  superior  force  at  San  Juan  de 
los  Llanos,  killing  40  and  wounding  50;  winning  praise  from  Smith  and 
Scott,  and  brevets  for  Ruff  and  John  G.  Walker.  The  War  Department  has 
given  this  date  wrongly. 

The  rifle  being  clumsy  to  handle  mounted,  necessitated  firing  one  round 
and  then  riding  the  enemy  down  with  the  sabre, — a  custom  that  soon  in- 
fused the  officers  and  men  with  the  conviction  that  they  were  irresistible; 
an  idea  that  is  not  yet  quite  extinct. 

The  regiment  left  Puebla  with  the  advance,  August  7th,  and  reached 
Ayotla  the  nth,  making  a  reconnoissance  of  the  impregnable  fortified 
stronghold.  El  Penon,  on  the  12th  and  13th,  eliciting  again  the  praise  of 
General  Scott.  The  turning  of  Lake  Chalco  making  the  exposed  rear  "the 
post  of  honor,"  the  riflemen  were  assigned  to  it,  stood  off  the  enemy  in 
overwhelming  numbers,  and  when  San  Antonio  thwarted  fiirther  progress 
were  rushed  to  the  front  to  open  the  way  across  the  pedregal  to  Contreras, 
the  19th. 

Here  General  Smith  displayed  generalship  and  won  success  worthy  of 
the  genius  of  Napoleon  ;  and  General  Shields  showed  the  good  sense  and 
moral  courage  of  Logan  at  Nashville,  that  made  him  "  the  hero  of  three 
wars,"  and  senator  from  as  many  states;  winning  a  splendid  victory  over  a 
ten  times  superior  force  partly  fortified,  when  defeat  would  have  been  dire 
disaster  to  the  whole  army.  Yea  more,  he  made  possible  four  sweeping 
victories  in  a  single  day,— August  20,  1847, — the  greatest  field  day  as  yet 
for  our  army. 

Roberts  with  A,  and  Porter  with  F,  open  the  fray  on  the  19th,  but  all 
were  soon  engaged,  and  the  horrible  execution  of  their  rifles  appalls  the  news- 
paper men  and  dertioralizes  the  enemy.  Smith  is  everywhere  and  leads  a 
part  of  the  rifles  to  save  Magruder's  battery.      D  is  thus  split  and  Sergeant 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  197 

Lane  leads  a  segment,  which  is  given  to  Van  Buren  at  night,  to  head  and 
fall  wounded  in  the  day-break  assault.  Alfred  Gibbs  gathers  a  few  madcap 
volunteer  riflemen,  hastily  mounts  them  on  captured  animals  and  sweeps 
with  impetuosity  upon  the  rear  of  the  fleeing  columns  until  paralyzed  with 
captures;  and  the  regiment  rushes  on  to  Churubusco. 

Poor  Ruff  !  Once  placed  in  arrest  for  bringing  on  an  engagement  and 
summoned  before  his  indignant  commander-in-chief,  could  only  explain 
"  'Twas  fight  or  run,  and  I'd  be  '  blanked  '  if  I'd  run."  He  was,  the  20th,  at 
another  "  post  of  honor,"  San  Augustine,  with  I  and  the  no  less  gallant  J.  G. 
Walker,  chafing  over  the  din  and  roar  of  battles,  and  pining  to  be  m  the 
armed  tornado  of  Harney's  dragoons  who  were  careering  among  the  flying 
hordes,  and  under  a  terrific  fire,  rattling  their  sabres  at  the  gates  of  the  Mexican 
capital.  But  they  too  have  their  day.  With  Sumner  at  Molino  del  Rey, 
September  7th,  they  charge  under  a  heavy  fire,  encounter  an  impassable  ra- 
vine which  they  turn,  and  defeat  a  vastly  superior  force  of  "  the  finest  cav- 
alry in  the  world,"  we  are  told.  I's  ranks  are  sadly  decimated,  and  Walker 
carried  to  his  grave  in  1S93  the  marks  of  the  wound  he  caught. 

Neither  Walker's  nor  Van  Buren's  hurt  could  keep  either  from  taking  a 
gallant  part  in  the  fall  of  Chapultepec,  the  struggle  along  the  aqueduct  and 
assault  of  the  garitas,  the  13th  ;  and  triumphant  entry  into  the  city,  the  14th. 
The  newspapers  tell  us  that  when  the  marines  faltered  in  the  assault  of  Cha- 
pultepec through  loss  of  officers,  Morris  of  the  Rifles  reminded  them  that  he 
was  a  son  of  his  naval  father,  and  led  them  on  to  victory. 

Roberts  was  detailed  to  head  and  "Jimmy"  Stuart  to  accompany  the 
Chapultepec  storming  party  from  the  First  Brigade.  General  Twiggs  gave 
the  former  a  flag,  now  in  the  Department  of  State  in  Washington,  saying  he 
wanted  it  to  be  the  first  planted  upon  the  rocky  fortress.  If  not  actually 
"  planted,"  the  request  was  doubly  kept,  for,  turning  from  that  bloody  vic- 
tory it  was  carried  by  Sergeant  Manly  of  F  through  the  stubborn  fight  along 
the  aqueduct,  and  was  one  of  the  first,  if  not  the  first,  on  the  ramparts  of  the 
city  at  the  Belem  garita,  where  Loring  left  an  arm,  and  Backenstos.  Tucker, 
Palmer,  and  even  Walker  again,  of  the  officers  were  wounded. 

And  the  next  day  comes  the  crowning  glory  of  the  war.  Roberts  is  di- 
rected to,  and  Sergeant  Manly  actually  does,  raise  the  same  flag  over  the 
National  Palace,  while  Porter  displays  the  Riflemen's  flag  from  the  balcony. 
General  Scott  riding  by  the  regiment  about  this  time,  halts,  takes  off  his  hat 
and  bowing  low  says :  "  Brave  Rifles  !  Veterans  !  You  have  been  baptized 
in  fire  and  blood  and  have  come  out  steel."  Words  are  cheap,  but  apprecia- 
tion sinks  deep  in  the  hearts  of  soldiers. 

Manly  dies  of  his  wounds  in  a  few  days,  as  indeed  do  many  others. 
Street-fighting  and  assassinations  occur  for  a  time,  and  the  regiment  is  put 
on  provost  duty  in  the  city.  Loring  and  Van  Buren  have  to  go  to  the 
States  with  their  wounds,  but  the  fame  of  the  regiment  precedes  them  and 
the  ladies  of  New  Orleans  present  a  $225  flag  "  To  that  gallant  regiment 
which  from  its  landing  at  Vera  Cruz  to  its  entry  into  the  famed  '  City  of  the 
Montezumas'  has  been  foremost  in  every  battle,  sustaining  by  the  valor  and 
sacrifices  of  its  officers  and  men  the  flag  of  our  beloved  country."  The 
regiment  still  has  the  flag,  and  reveres  its  associations. 


198  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES   U.  S.  ARMY. 

The  Mexican  army  escaping  from  the  city  made  stupendous  efforts  to 
destroy  all  communications,  laid  siege  to  Puebla,  where  several  of  the  regi- 
ment fell,  and  Rhett  won  a  brevet.  Captain  Walker  at  Perote  had  organ- 
ized the  convalescents  into  the  "  diarrhoea  brigade,"  as  it  was  called,  and 
with  "  C  "  was  kept  on  the  jump.  October  9th  he  had  a  fierce  encounter 
at  Huamantla  with  a  much  superior  force,  and  fell  gallantly  with  many 
of  his  men,  eliciting  loud  praise  from  General  Lane  for  his  bravery  and  effi- 
ciency, and  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  death  promoted  Van 
Buren  captain. 

General  Smith  was  governor  of  the  city.  Police  duty,  hard  riding 
after  guerrillas,  and  occasional  encounters,  characterized  the  rest  of  the  ser- 
vice in  Mexico.  Notable  among  the  latter  were  the  fights  at  Metamoras^ 
November  23d;  Galaxara,  the  24th,  1847;  and  Santa  Fe.  January  4,  1848. 
The  regiment  left  Vera  Cruz  on  the  ship  Tyrone,  July  7,  1848,  reaching  New 
Orleans  the  17th  and  leaving  the  same  day  on  the  Aleck  Scott,  arriving  at 
Jefferson  Barracks  the  24th,  having  had  some  men  die  and  others  drowned 
on  the  trip. 

Approximately  the  regiment  lost  in  Mexico  four  officers  and  40  men 
killed  ;  13  officers  and  180  men  wounded,  many  of  the  latter  dying  and  could 
be  properly  rated  as  killed  ;  one  officer  and  202  men  died ;  141  men  were 
discharged  for  disability,  largely  from  wounds;  17  desertions,  many  of  which 
were  undoubtedly  assassinations ;  and  three  men  dishonorably  discharged, 
one  of  whom  was  drummed  out.  This  showing  should  refute  the  averment 
that  strict  discipline  causes  desertions,  and  its  study  will  show  the  superior 
loyalty  of  native  material.  From  the  men  were  promoted  to  be  commis- 
sioned oflftcers  :— Addison,  Bootes,  Coleman,  Davis,  Demerest,  Dryer,  Hand, 
Irvine,  Lane,  Underwood,  Wingate,  and  perhaps  others.  Colonel  John 
Green  was  a  rifleman  in  Mexico,  but  was  promoted  later.  A.  F.  Suter  was 
the  surgeon  until  his  death,  December  17,  1847.  It  was  not  a  chaplain  regi- 
ment. 

The  appointment  as  lieutenant  in  the  regiment  of  the  celebrated  "  Kit  " 
Carson,  in  1847,  was  not  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 

Loring  was  now  the  lieutenant-colonel,  vice  Fremont,  and  as  General 
Smith  was  kept  constantly  away  commanding  divisions  or  departments 
until  his  promotion  to  brigadier  general,  December  30,  1856,  he  com- 
manded the  regiment  till  1861,  from  which  fact  many  think  he  was  the  first 
colonel. 

The  incidents  of  the  long,  weary  march  of  2500  miles  to  Oregon,  begin- 
ning May  10,  1849,  through  a  country  without  roads  and  often  without  wood, 
water  or  grass,  and  compared  to  which  the  loud  boasted  modern  ones  sink 
into  insignificance,  would  more  than  fill  the  limits  of  this  sketch.  Cholera 
raged  in  the  stream  of  emigrants  allured  by  visions  of  gold  to  the  new  Eldo- 
rado in  California,  and  fabulous  stories  were  inflaming  the  minds  and  turn- 
ing the  heads  of  the  soldiers.  Unlimited  wealth  could  be  picked  up  for  the 
trouble  !  The  death  rate  was  appalling.  Excepting  Fort  Kearney  and  the  fur 
trading  station,  Laramie,  there  was  not  a  house  between  Leavenworth  and  the 
Columbia.  On  reaching  the  latter  the  horses  were  too  much  worn  down  to 
march,  and  the  mules  to  haul  loads  over  the  Cascade  Range.     Men  were 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  199 

dismounted  and  the  horses  driven  by  details  at  easy  stages.  An  enormous 
raft  was  constructed  and  the  baggage  put  aboard  to  float  down,  while  the 
command  marched  on  foot.  The  detachment  on  the  raft  let  it  get  into 
the  terrific  current  of  the  rapids,  it  became  unmanageable  and  was  dashed 
to  pieces  against  the  boulders.  All  but  one  were  drowned  and  the  entire 
cargo  was  lost.  It  was  a  sad  plight  in  this  region,  but  not  unmixed,  for  the 
officers'  returns  were  nicely  balanced  to  date,  and  calumny  says  that  for 
yearsafter  things  would  turn  up  lost  on  that  raft. 

Quarters  for  the  winter  were  found  in  Oregon  City,  about  the  only  town 
in  the  region.  Loring  soon  looks  up  a  site  and  locates  Columbia  Barracks, 
now  Fort  Vancouver,  leaves  a  natural  tree  for  a  fine  flagstaff,  and  by  actual 
experiment  places  the  officers'  quarters  so  far  apart  that  a  crying  baby  can- 
not be  heard  in  the  next. 

There  was  hard  work,  much  detached  service,  some  hanging  of  Indians 
by  Governor  Lane,  the  comrade  general  in  Mexico,  and  disagreeable  service, 
but  not  much  fighting. 

In  1 85 1  the  regiment  returned  to  the  States,  the  horses  and  all  the  men 
but  about  seven  non-commissioned  officers  to  each  company  being  trans- 
ferred to  the  First  Dragoons. 

In  April  Lieutenants  Walker  and  Stuart  were  sent  overland  to  California 
with  the  horses  and  some  of  the  men  transferred.  En  route  they  had  a 
fight  on  June  18  with  Rogue  River  Indians,  and  in  the  charge  "Little 
jimmy  "  Stuart,  the  pride  of  the  regiment  and  one  who  had  won  two  brevets 
at  Chapultepec,  was  killed.  Traditions  of  his  brave  and  noble  character 
live  in  the  regiment  to  this  day. 

The  regiment  left  Vancouver  May  8,  and  proceeding  by  water  via  Sa- 
vanna, Havana  and  New  Orleans  reached  Jefferson  Barracks  July  16,  to  re- 
cruit and  organize  for  the  third  time  at  the  same  place  within  five  years. 

Recruits  came  streaming  in  and  the  companies  were  soon  filled,  and  in 
December,  1851,  and  January,  1852,  the  regiment,  except  A  and  K,  was 
transferred  to  Texas.  Then  commenced  over  four  years  of  hard  field 
service  in  this  land  of  cactus,  chaparral  and  magnificent  distances.  The 
Comanche  and  Lapin  Indians  that  had  kept  this  country  terrorized  for 
two  centuries  would  not  yield  their  sway.  Approaching  stealthily  in  great 
numbers,  they  would  scatter  in  numerous  small  parties  and  simultaneously 
attack  many  widely  separate  unsuspecting  localities,  and  from  each  leave  a 
trail  of  blood.  These  outrages  were  generally  committed  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  troops,  but  sometimes,  with  consummate  daring,  under  their  very 
noses.  Captain  Bourke  tells  of  a  later  expedition,  in  which  companies  of 
the  regiment  took  part,  in  over  20,000  words;  Doctor  McKee  of  another  in 
a  little  less  ;  how  hopeless  the  task  here.  The  companies  simply  made 
with  their  trails  a  spider-web  of  the  map  of  that  great  empire  state.  The 
highways  were  so  vexed  with  these  savage  pests  that  everything  had  to  have 
an  escort,  and  even  companies  had  to  march  way  down  to  Corpus  Christi 
to  meet  their  recruits  and  get  their  meagre  supplies  and  clothing. 

We  left  A  and  K  at  Leavenworth.  They  were  kept  constantly  on  the 
move  in  the  country  between  Laramie  and  Leavenworth  until  January. 
1854,  when  they  also  were  transferred  to  Texas,  reaching  Fort  Inge  Feb- 


200  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ruary  27.  Lieutenant  (now  General)  Carr,  one  of  this  command,  was 
wounded  October  3,  this  same  year,  in  an  engagement  with  Mescalero 
Apaches,  way  out  near  Fort  Davis.  Captain  Van  Buren  commanded  and 
Levi  H.  Holden  was  medical  officer  on  the  last  trip  to  Laramie.  Some  40 
men  of  A,  with  Lieutenants  Morris  and  Baker,  were  not  along,  but  were 
an  escort  to  Captain  Gunnison,  Topographical  Engineers,  and  went  to 
southern  Utah,  where  three  men  were  killed,  with  the  captain,  October 
26,  near  Lake  Sevier. 

These  enormous  marches  in  a  season,  on  plains  fare,  though  not  so  hard 
as  scouting,  are  worthy  of  study  by  modern  readers  and  writers  of  magazine 
articles  on  long  marches ;  and  by  those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  work  per- 
formed by  our  army,  and  think  nothing  that  is  not  from  a  foreign  service  is 
of  any  value.  No  nation  has  enjoyed  a  better  practical  school  for  an  army 
than  our  own. 

Before  the  Carr  affair.  Van  Buren  went  out  with  A  from  Inge,  July  4, 
after  a  band  that  had  run  him  in  that  day  from  fishing  in  the  beautiful 
Leona.  He  followed  them  many  days  through  the  almost  impenetrable 
jungle  of  chaparral  along  the  Nueces,  which  he  crossed  and  recrossed  many 
times,  when  on  the  nth  he  struck  them,  and  in  the  charge  had  an 
arrow  put  through  him  from  which  he  died  on  the  20th.  Thus  fell  another 
hero  of  the  Mexican  War,  Jerome  N.  Bonaparte  and  Crosby  joined  in 
1852;  Bowen,  Chambliss,  and  Edson,  1853;  Davant  Wright  and  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart,  1854;  McNally,  Treacy,  Dubois  and  Avercll,  1855;  William  H. 
Jackson  and  Enos,  1856.  All  were  from  West  Point  except  McNally  and 
Treacy  who  came  from  the  ranks. 

In  1856  the  Indian  troubles  in  New  Mexico,  which  then  included  Ari- 
zona, demanded  more  troops,  and  the  regiment  was  ordered  there,  being 
relieved  by  the  Second  (now  Fifth)  Cavalry.  At  Camp  Crawford,  near 
Fort  Fillmore,  orders  were  received  assigning  the  companies  to  Forts 
Craig,  Stanton,  Thorn,  Fillmore,  Bliss  and  Marcy,  and  Las  Lunas,  and 
Cantonment  Burgwin.  Some  of  the  companies  marched  fifteen  hundred 
miles  in  this  change. 

The  enormous  territory  over  which  the  regiment  was  scattered,  the 
predatory  disposition  of  the  Indians,  and  the  entirely  inadequate  force  of 
troops,  kept  the  companies  of  the  regiment  on  the  keen  jump  until  it  left 
for  the  States  to  take  part  in  the  Civil  War.  The  country  from  Denver  to 
Las  Nogales,  and  from  Texas  to  Utah,  was  within  the  sphere  of  its  opera- 
tions, and  it  was  required  to  restrain  and  subdue  hostile  Indians  outnum- 
bering it  fifty  to  one.  It  would  take  a  volume  to  give  any  definite  notion 
of  its  field  work,  or  even  of  the  scouts  and  expeditions  upon  which  the 
enemy  was  met  and  defeated  with  more  or  less  loss  in  killed  and  wounded. 

Captain  Gibbs  came  near  losing  his  life  from  a  dangerous  wound,  March 
9,  1857,  in  the  Mimbres  mountains.  Two  larger  expeditions  were  made  the 
same  year  against  the  Coyotero  and  Gila  Apaches,  each  having  several 
encounters  with  losses.  Colonel  Loring,  with  K  and  detachments  from 
other  companies,  left  Fort  Union,  April  8,  1858,  and  joined  the  Utah  ex- 
pedition, in  which  he  commanded  a  battalion,  marching  past  where  Denver 
now  is  and  old  Fort  Bridger,  returning  to  Union,  September   14th,  direct 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  20 r 

from  Salt  Lake.  In  the  meantime  A,  C,  F,  H  and  I,  were  participating;  in 
the  Navajo  war.  of  which  Colonel  Lane  has  told  us  something,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  General  Averell  will  tell  us  more  in  his  forthcoming  book. 
The  latter  was  wounded  October  9,  and  in  this  chronic  warfare  brave  Cap- 
tain McLane  fell  at  the  head  of  I,  in  an  engagement  at  Cold  Spring,  near 
the  southern  base  of  Black  Rock,  October  13,  i860.  Just  before  the  charge 
he  handed  his  flask  to  a  comrade  whom  he  had  challenged  and  said,  "  Let's 
take  a  drink  ;  it  may  be  our  last  together." 

While  the  companies  were  scattered  at  these  remote  stations  and  camps, 
weeks  behind  the  news  of  current  affairs,  and  one-third  of  our  people  had 
plunged  into  secession  believing  it  right,  another  third  declaring  coercion 
wrong,  and  but  the  other  third  taking  the  stand  that  saved  the  Union,  the 
impotency  of  the  administration  seemingly  acquiescing  in  the  claimed  right 
of  secession;  some  of  the  officers  imbibed  the  epidemic  political  heresy  of 
"State'sRights,"andat  no  little  sacrifice,  cast  their  lots  with  the  seceded  States, 
breaking  close,  tender  and  cherished  ties  of  comradeship,  and  severing  their 
connection  with  a  service  they  revered  and  had  honored.  This  is  no  apol- 
ogy for  disloyalty  to  this  Union,  but  a  statement  of  circumstances  that  his- 
torical fairness  demands.  The  rank  and  file  remained  loyal  to  a  man. 
Those  who  quit  at  this  juncture  were  Loring,  Crittenden,  Lindsay.  Walker, 
Claiborne,  Maury,  Baker,  W.  H.  Jackson,  "Joe"  Wheeler,  McNeill,  Kerr, 
Henry  and  Watts.  The  last  three  had  never  joined  for  duty,  and  were  of 
the  regiment  only  on  paper. 

The  companies  of  the  regiment  operating  against  the  Mescalero 
Apaches  were  particularly  active  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1S61,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  regiment  being  in  the  field  most  of  the  time.  McNally 
with  detachments  of  B  and  F  had  a  stubborn  fight  at  Mesilla,  July  25,  1861, 
with  the  new  enemy  in  rebellion,  sustaining  considerable  loss,  McNally 
being  seriously  wounded.  The  abandonment  of  Fort  Fillmore  at  midnight 
of  the  26th  by  Major  Lynde,  district  and  post  commander,  and  his  surrender 
at  San  Augustin  Springs  the  next  day,  caught  not  only  McNally  but  Gibbs, 
who  had  just  met  them  escorting  a  train.  So  two  officers  and  88  men  of 
B,  F  and  I,  were  made  paroled  prisoners  through  treason,  or  the  enervating 
mental  effects  of  long  blind  obedience  in  intervals  of  peace,  when  officers 
are  charged  with  responsibilities  but  entrusted  with  little  discretionary  au- 
thority.    It  was  mutiny  to  disobey  a  traitor  or  an  imbecile. 

These  paroled  prisoners  were  all  put  in  F  and  sent  to  Fort  Wayne,  Mich- 
igan, to  serve  until  exchanged,  but  they  soon  dwindled  down  to  nothing  by 
discharge,  desertion  and  death.  Many,  however,  turned  up  in  the  ranks 
again.  The  changes  made  Simonson,  colonel ;  Ruff,  lieutenant  colonel, 
and  Roberts  and  Duncan,  majors. 

Notwithstanding  two  more  "  troops,"  as  they  were  now  called,  were 
given  the  regiment,  the  promotion  and  detail  of  officers  so  reduced  their 
number  for  duty,  and  the  lack  of  recruits  the  enlisted  strength,  that  A,  B 
and  H  had  all  their  men  transferred  to  other  troops  in  August,  and  the 
regiment  became  only  a  battalion.     Roberts  was  in  command. 

Late  in  September,  Morris,  with  C,  G  and  K.  engaged  and  defeated  a 
rebel  force  of  Texans  near  Fort  Thorn  ;  E  was  way  out  near  Fort  Wise  cov- 


202  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ering  that  country ;  I  was  drilling  as  a  light  battery,  and  carried  off  the 
honors  at  Val  Verde,  February  21,  1862,  where  McRae  fell  with  many  of  his 
men,— C,  D,  G  and  K  also  participating.  C  and  K  had  an  engagement 
with  Indians  in  Comanche  Canon,  March  3d,  Lieutenant  Wall  among  the 
wounded  ;  and  C  and  E  engaged  the  rebels  at  Apache  Canon  the  26th,  and 
Pigeon's  Ranch  the  28th,  Major  Duncan  being  wounded  at  Apache  Canon. 
G  and  K  struck  the  retreating  rebels  again  near  Albuquerque,  April  9th, 
and  again  near  Peralto  the  15th,  D,  E  and  I  participating,  Morris  in  com- 
mand owing  to  Duncan's  wound. 

From  the  causes  mentioned  the  men  of  D  and  E  were  transferred,  May 
15,  1862,  to  the  four  remaining  troops  which  were  to  constitute  the  regi- 
ment until  the  following  March.  A  rebel  force  demanded  the  surrender  of 
K,  May  21,  but  got  a  fight  and  was  driven  off.  "Jerry"  Russell,  acting 
second  lieutenant,  in  command  of  a  detachment  of  C,  had  a  fight  with 
Indians,  June  18,  in  Canon  Ladrone. 

In  consequence  of  the  retirement  of  Colonel  Simonson,  September  16, 
1861,  Marshall  S.  Howe  was  promoted  colonel  of  the  regiment  under  the 
new  system,  which,  however,  did  not  repeal  the  law  which  made  prom.otion 
lineal  in  the  regiment.  But  appeal  and  protest  were  alike  in  vain.  He 
joined  July  10,  1862,  and  in  September  the  four  troops  were  concentrated  at 
Fort  Union,  and  on  the  30th  started  for  Jefferson  Barracks,  where  they 
arrived  November  23d  after  a  march  of  1280  miles. 

In  December,  1862,  the  four  troops— C,  G,  I  and  K— were  transferred  to 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  they  were  joined  by  B  and  F,  which  had  been  filled 
at  Columbus  and  had  just  joined  after  a  raid  up  the  Tennessee  River.  The 
regiment  was  first  attached  to  the  i6th,  and  then  to  the  15th  Corps,  and  on 
October  8,  1863,  left  Memphis  for  Corinth,  Miss.,  thence  to  Cherokee,  Ala., 
near  which  C,  F,  G  and  I  had  an  engagement  October  21 ;  G  and  K  on  the 
24th.  Leaving  Cherokee  with  Osterhaus'  Division,  the  regiment  had  three 
distinct  engagements  the  same  day,  October  26,  near  Tuscumbia.  Novem- 
ber 13,  it  started  for  Chattanooga  in  advance  of  Sherman's  army,  went  to 
Dercherd  and  returned  to  Fayetteville,  and  then  accompanied  the  column 
to  Bridgeport,  arriving  the  15th,  thence  to  Chattanooga  the  23d  ;  Mission- 
ary Ridge,  26th,  and  Cleveland,  the  30th.  It  went  on  the  expedition  to 
Knoxville,  via  Athens,  Louden  and  Marysville.  Leaving  Knoxville  Decem- 
ber 6,  it  pursued  the  enemy's  trains  over  the  Smoky  Mountains  beyond 
Murphy,  N.  C,  returning  via  Tallisco  Plains,  Charleston,  Cleveland,  Chat- 
tanooga and  Bridgeport  to  Huntsville,  Ala.,  December  29th,  where  it  re- 
mained on  duty  until  March,  1864,  when  it  proceeded  by  rail  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  arriving  at  Camp  Davidson  the  7th,  to  leave  May  20th  on  steamers  for 
Duvall's  Bluffs,  where  it  arrived  the  26th,  left  June  4th  and  reached  Little 
Rock  the  9th. 

Captain  Howland  commanded  the  regiment  from  the  departure  of  Col- 
onel Howe  in  May,  1863,  until  his  return,  July  20,  1865,  all  the  field  offi- 
cers— Stoneman,  Roberts,  Duncan,  Newby  and  Garrard,  as  well  as  the  rank- 
ing captains  being  absent,  most  of  them  as  general  officers  of  volunteers. 

The  duty  in  Arkansas  was  principally  to  prevent  the  organization  of 
commands  and  to  suppress  guerrilla  bands,  escort  trains,  et  cetera.     The 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  CA  FAIRY.  203 

large  territory  covered  necessitated  constant  scouting  in  small  detachments, 
which  involved  hard  riding,  much  risk,  but  no  engagements  of  magnitude 
to  attract  attention,  while  Sheridan  was  winning  glory  for  his  cavalry  with 
probably  no  harder  work. 

The  enemy  would  make  no  stand  without  having  presumably  a  great 
advantage,  and  they  were  superior  to  the  Indians  and  practised  about  the 
same  tactics.  Lieut.  George  Harrington  was  killed  in  action  at  Memphis, 
August  21,  1864.  Captain  Howland,  with  150  men,  was  ambushed  by  a 
much  superior  force  near  Benton.  September  4th,  and  his  command  badly 
demoralized  for  a  time,  but  rallied  to  find  no  enemy.  Though  eleven  men 
were  lost,  this  first  reverse  in  the  history  of  the  regiment  was  treated  with 
some  levity,  and  the  ofBcers  interested  ever  heard  from  their  fellows  of 
"the  Benton  Races." 

November  8,  Lieutenant  Wilson's  picket  station  was  surprised  with  an 
attack  from  these  prowlers  and  lost  some  men  and  horses.  Tarlton  and 
Campbell  with  forty  dismounted  men  had  an  engagement  until  dark, 
January  14,  1865,  with  a  force  in  position  near  Dardanelles,  but  at  daybreak 
found  it  had  vanished.  Though  the  Rebellion  was  on  its  last  legs,  a  party 
attacked  Carroll's  patrol  January  22d,  not  far  from  Little  Rock.  Such  was 
their  persistence  and  daring. 

In  January,  1866,  A,  D.  E,  H,  L  and  M,  were  manned  at  Carlisle  Bar- 
racks and  sent  to  Little  Rock,  where  they  were  mounted  and  stationed  at 
various  posts  in  the  State.  While  E  was  en  route,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansas,  the  28th,  the  boilers  of  the  steamer  M/amz  burst,  killing  13, 
wounding  nine,  and  probably  drowning  12  who  were  missing. 

In  April,  1866,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  New  Mexico  again.  Its 
service  in  the  States  was  probably  the  easiest  it  had  ever  experienced  in  the 
same  period  of  time,  though  during  the  war  it  had  no  doubt  marched  many 
times  the  number  of  miles  marched  by  any  other  regiment. 

The  troops  concentrated  at  Camp  Reynolds  near  Fort  Smith,  and 
marched  from  that  place  in  three  columns  of  four  troops  each,  June  7th, 
8th  and  9th,  making  a  new  route  to  Fort  Union,  which  it  reached  August 
I2th  and  14th.  From  thence  headquarters  and  B  went  to  Fort  Craig,  A  to 
Bascom,  C  to  Wingate,  D  to  Marcy,  E  and  I  to  Sumner,  G  to  Stevens,  H  to 
Stanton,  K  to  Selden,  L  to  Albuquerque,  and  M  to  Bayard,  F  remaining  at 
Union.  Then  commenced  and  continued  until  the  spring  of  1870  constant, 
active  field  work,  usually  with  handfuls  of  men,  escorting  trains  and  survey- 
ing parties,  guarding  highways  and  protecting  flocks  and  people  from  the 
incursions  of,  and  following  up  and  punishing  Comanches,  Kiowas,  Apaches, 
Utes  and  Navajos. 

The  changes  in  the  list  of  officers  were  too  numerous,  and  movements 
of  troops  too  complicated  to  give  them  space,  or  even  a  full  list  of  engage- 
ments. W.  N.  Greer  became  colonel  in  1866,  retiring  in  December,  1870, 
and  giving  place  to  J.  J.  Reynolds.  The  following  engagements  only  can 
be  mentioned:— Alexander  and  G,  with  Utes,  October  3.  1866,  Detach- 
ments of  G  and  I  near  Fort  Sumner,  with  Navajos,  July  9,  1867.  D  with 
Mescaleros,  near  Guadaloupe  Mountains,  October  18;  and  K,  same  date, 
and  again  near  Fort  Sumner,  November  20,  1867.     Detachment  of  G  and  I. 


204  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

under  Adjutant  Monahan  at  Apache  Springs,  in  June,  1868.  Detachment 
of  E  in  Mimbres  Mountains,  October  8th.  The  Canadian  River  expedition 
against  the  Comanches  in  the  winter  of  i  S68-69 ;  and  engagement  on  Christ- 
mas Day  at  Elm  Creek,  I.  T.  Detachment  of  B  from  Bayard  in  May,  1869. 
Detachment  of  K  near  San  Augustin  Springs,  May  7.  F  and  H  with  Mes- 
caleros  in  San  Augustin  Pass,  August  15th.  F,  with  Mescaleros  in  Guada- 
loupe  Mountains  in  November  ;  and  again  Christmas  Day  in  Canon  San- 
guinara,  where  Lieutenant  Yeaton  received  his  death-wound  ;  and  again, 
December  30th,  on  Delaware  Creek.  In  January,  1870,  a  plot  of  the  Utes 
and  Jicarilla  Apaches  at  the  Ute  agency,  Maxwell's  ranch,  to  massacre  the 
officers  and  men  of  A  was  detected  ;  the  Indians  were  surrounded  and  "  Cor- 
ocante"  made  chief  of  the  Utes. 

The  orders  for  the  regiment  to  go  to  Arizona  sent  the  headquarters 
with  D  and  I  to  Fort  Halleck,  Nevada,  marching  via  Denver  to  Cheyenne. 
Troops  B,  E,  F,  H  and  K,  serving  at  the  southern  posts,  assembled  on  the 
Mimbres  for  the  march,  leaving  March  2,  1870.  Captain  Bourke  has  given, 
in  his  "  On  the  Frontier  with  Crook,"  an  account  of  the  march  of  this 
column,  stations  taken  by  dififerent  troops,  and  of  their  busy  work,  no  more 
arduous  than  that  of  the  northern  column,  composed  of  A,  C,  G,  L  and  M. 
The  first  three  left  Fort  Union,  March  8,  picking  up  the  other  two  at,  and 
leaving  Wingate,  April  ist ;  marching  up  one  and  down  another  Rio  Puerco, 
past  Muddy  Springs,  Sunset  Crossing,  Hell  Canon,  Cosnino  Caves,  Bear 
Springs  to  Prescott,  and  thence  to  different  stations,  A,  C  and  G  to  Camp 
Rawlins  where  they  arrived  the  23d, — soon  to  change. 

Indian  signal  smokes  had  been  seen  all  along  the  latter  part  of  the 
march,  and  it  soon  seemed  that  all  the  tribes  had  united  in  one  tremendous 
effort  to  terrorize  and  make  Arizona  uninhabitable  for  the  whites.  Active 
operations  began  at  once,  but  the  troops  were  thinly  scattered  and  inade- 
quate in  numbers.  Wagons  could  not  traverse  this  land  of  volcanic  rocks, 
towering  mountains  and  almost  bottomless  cafions ;  and  there  were  no 
public  pack  trains,  no  reliable  maps,  and  the  Indian  fastnesses  were  inacces- 
sible and  unknown.  Hard  as  was  the  incessant  field  duty  it  was  little  worse 
than  the  equally  bad  fare  and  miserable  life  in  tents,  jacals,  and  dug-outs  of 
the  hot  and  dusty  camps.  So  hard  were  the  officers  worked  that  the  regi- 
mental records  show  but  a  moiety  of  what  transpired, — nothing  of  the 
splendid  work  and  fights  of  the  energetic  Graham  and  some  others.  Gen- 
eral Stoneman  said  in  his  official  report  for  the  part  of  the  year  1870-71  in 
which  he  commanded  the  Department  of  Arizona,  that  of  thirty-odd  ex- 
peditions sent  against  predatory  Indians,  twenty-five  had  engaged  and 
defeated  hostiles.  Yet  so  far  was  this  from  civilization  it  was  hardly  known 
or  noticed  by  the  outside  world. 

Small  as  was  the  force  and  miserably  supplied,  the  expense  of  the  De- 
partment was  appalling  at  Army  and  Division  headquarters,  and  the  man- 
dates for  retrenchments  were  crippling.  The  territorial  press  frothed  at  the 
mouth  and  its  clamor  relieved  General  Stoneman  and  brought  in  May,  1871, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  George  Crook  as  commander,  assigned  on  his  brevet 
rank  as  major  general. 

Regimental   headquarters  reached   Camp  Verde,   April   8,  1871,  from 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  205 

Nevada,  General  Grover  commandinjr;  D  and  I,  McDowell,  during  the 
spring.  In  the  fall  General  Reynolds  was  relieved  from  command  in  Texas, 
and  the  incongruity  of  placing  him  under  General  Crook  took  the  regiment 
to  the  Department  of  the  Platte  in  the  winter  of  1871-72,  marchingto  Yuma, 
transferring  equipage  and  horses  to  the  Fifth  Cavalry,  and  proceeding  by 
water  around  Cape  San  Lucas  to  Benicia,  thence  by  rail  to  Wyoming  and 
western  Nebraska. 

The  engagements  in  Arizona  were  as  follows : — B,  near  San  Carlos,  April 
30,  1870  ;  E,  Chiquito  Creek,  May  25,  East  Fork  of  Verde,  June  15,  and  Rio 
Verde,  next  day  ;  A,  Indian  Springs,  June  24  ;  F,  Pinal  Mountains,  June  25, 
Apache  Mountains,  August  i,  Pinalito  Mountains,  October  6,  and  TurnbuU 
Mountains,  December  14;  H,  Pinal  Mountains  in  December;  Detachments 
of  A,  E  and  G,  night  of  January  "j-Z,  1871  ;  A,  cailon  of  Mazatzal  Mountains, 
January  10;  F, three  in  February  ;  E  and  G  in  Pinal  Mountains  in  February; 
K,  Peloncilla  Mountains  in  March  and  Gila  Mountains  the  25th;  B,  near 
Date  Creek,  April  i  ;  F,  Sierra  Ancha,  April  4,  and  Apache  Mountains  the 
nth  and  12th;  K,  Dragoon  Mountains,  April  16;  F,  Whetstone  Mountains, 
May  5,  and  Guachaca  Mountains,  June  ist  and  loth  ;  A  and  detachments  of 
E  and  G,  two  on  East  Fork  of  the  Verde,  June  8,  and  canon  of  Mazatzal 
Mountains  and  Wild  Rye  Creek,  the  9th ;  M,  a  number  in  the  Sierra  Anchas 
in  June  ;  Detachment  of  K,  Horseshoe  canon,  October  24. 

The  foregoing  by  no  means  complete  list  is  given  place  as  the  incom- 
parable service  of  the  regiment  in  Arizona  has  been  belittled  ;  indeed  its 
splendid  fighting  record  from  the  first  has  been  criticised, — from  reasons  to 
be  surmised.  This  partial  showing  of  the  conspicuous  work  of  F,  shows 
also,  somewhat  the  character  of  its  commander, — Lieutenant  Howard  B. 
Cushing. — who  fell  in  the  affair  of  May  5,  1871.  He  was  a  brother  of  the 
immortal  Cushing  who  blew  up  the  Albermarle,  and  of  the  no  less  gallant 
Alonzo  H.,  who  fell  at  Gettysburg. 

Limits  forbid  an  account  of  the  wanton  massacre  by  Tucson  "  toughs  "  of 
Indian  women  and  children  at  Camp  Grant  in  1871,  over  which  the  local 
press  involved  Lieutenant  Whitman  in  trouble,  honoring  him  with  so  much 
abuse  that  Herbert  H.  Bancroft  dignifies  it  with  a  place  in  his  history.  The 
last  detachment  of  the  regiment  rather  rejoiced  in  shaking  the  hot  Arizona 
dust  from  their  feet  as  they  stepped  on  the  steamers  at  Yuma,  January  11, 
1872. 

In  the  Department  of  the  Platte  the  troops  were  first  stationed  at  Forts 
Sanders,  Russell  and  McPherson,  and  Sidney  Barracks,  which  they  reached 
early  in  March  after  being  snow-bound  in  the  Rockies  en  route.  Active 
work  commenced  before  the  end  of  the  month  and  continued  for  ten  years  ; 
at  first  only  in  summer,  with  stations  on  the  railroad  in  winter,  but  soon  the 
severe  weather  of  that  rigorous  climate  was  no  bar  to  the  field  duty  the 
year  around. 

Besides  protecting  the  frontiers  of  Nebraska,  Kansas  and  Colorado,  the 
regiment  guarded  the  enormous  reservation  of  the  Sioux,  Cheyennes  and 
other  tribes.  The  stations  were  located  between  them,  and  their  rela- 
tives and  allies  in  the  Indian  Territory,  between  whom  there  was  a  constant 
intercourse  by  skulking  and  freebooting  bands  that  gave  much  annoyance 


2o6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

A  at  Sydney,  and  later  E  and  G,  were  between  those  great  tribes  and  the 
buffalo  country, — a  game  which  the  Sioux  believed  to  be  their  God-given  her- 
itage, and  which  they  would  hunt  with  or  without  leave.  The  young  braves 
were  constantly  making  their  raids  upon  the  cattle  herds  and  ranches  of  the 
settlers  and  friendly  tribes. 

These  serious  annoyances  kept  the  regiment  on  the  go  over  the  broad 
barren  expanses  of  country  where  wagons  could  not  be  used.  There  were 
none  of  the  fine  pack-trains  since  introduced,  and  scouting  was  attended 
by  more  dangers  from  cold  and  exposure  than  from  the  Sioux,  though  they 
were  far  better  armed  than  any  Indians  encountered  before.  The  chronic 
state  of  semi-war  was  fatal  from  hardships  and  exposure,  principally,  until 
the  commencement  of  1876,  when  operations  commenced  on  a  scale  so  much 
larger,  that  only  the  most  important  events  can  be  noticed  here. 

General  Crook  took  command  of  the  Department  in  the  spring  of  1875, 
and  for  ten  years  the  service  of  the  regiment  was  connected  with  his.  The 
Sioux  claimed  that  all  the  outrages  were  committed  by  the  northern  Chey- 
ennes  and  Minneconjous,  and  were  charged  up  to  them  by  the  whites.  In  a 
measure  this  was  true,  but  the  Sioux  were  no  angels.  It  was  determined  to 
bring  the  former  down  to  the  Sioux  agency  for  control.  They  would  not 
come  by  invitation  and  it  was  determined  to  make  a  winter  campaign  against 
them.  Five  troops  of  the  regiment,  five  of  the  Second,  and  two  companies 
of  the  Fourth  Infantry,  concentrated  at  Fort  Fetterman,  which  post  it  left, 
March  i,  1876,  under  the  doubled-headed  command  of  Generals  Reynolds 
and  Crook.  The  expedition  furnished  material  for  a  longer  narrative  than  all 
this.  Let  it  answer,  that  after  many  weeks  marching  from  Cheyenne,  past 
the  Big  Horn  Mountains  almost  to  the  Yellowstone,  and  return,  having 
many  night  attacks  by  the  enemy,  on  the  17th  it  attacked  and  destroyed 
Crazy-Horse's  village  of  105  lodges.  Hardly  an  officer  or  man  escaped 
serious  frost  bites  or  frozen  limbs,  and  the  command  was  incumbered  with 
many  sick  and  injured,  without  transportation  for  them  other  than  that 
improvised. 

An  unfortunate  controversy  that  followed  this  really  successful  and 
splendid  victory  perverted  the  facts,  which  may  sometime  be  published  in 
the  interest  of  truthful  history. 

The  campaign  that  followed  in  the  summer  involved  another  return  to 
the  Big  Horn  Country,  and  embraced  the  gallant  feat  of  the  9th  of  June, 
when  Mills'  battallion  plunged  into  and  crossed  the  swollen  Tongue  under 
fire,  and  charged  and  routed  a  large  force  which  had  attacked  the  whole 
command.  Then  the  battle  of  the  Rosebud  on  the  17th,  defeating  the 
united  forces  of  the  Sioux,  which,  one  week  later,  defeated  and  almost  de- 
stroyed General  Custer's  command  on  the  Little  Big  Horn,  which  latter  sad 
event  struck  the  country  with  such  awe  as  to  smother  all  consideration  of 
the  former,  though  it  was  probably  the  greatest  Indian  battle  in  our  history 
— some  1400  soldiers  and  friendly  Indians,  against  some  5000  hostiles.  The 
brunt  of  the  battle  fell  upon  D,  F,  I  and  L,  of  the  Third,  which  lost  some 
ten  killed  and  forty-odd  wounded.  Captain  Henry  among  the  latter. 

Mr.  Finnerty  in  his  "Bivouac  and  Camp  Fire  "  has  given  a  conscien- 
tious, though  not  entirely  correct,  account  of  the  summer  campaign  and 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  207 

large  long-drawn-out  expedition  to  the  Yellowstone  and  return  by  Heart 
River  and  the  Black  Hills,  known  as  the  "Starvation  March,"  where  the 
troops  were  for  many  rainy  days  reduced  to  horse-meat  alone  for  subsist- 
ence in  their  long  muddy  march;  and  the  fight  at  Slim  Buttes,  September 
9.  by  a  battalion  of  the  Third  under  Mills  and  Crawford,  where  Schwatka 
made  his  gallant  charge  through  the  village  of  35  lodges  of  American 
Horse  and  Roman  Nose,  Von  Luettwitz  lost  a  leg  and  many  men  were 
killed  and  wounded. 

The  Mackenzie  expedition  in  the  autumn  of  1876,  and  its  fight  with  Dull 
Knife,  in  which  H  and  K  participated,  has  been  treated  exhaustively  by  the 
Journal.  Omitting  the  numerous  small  encounters  with  Indians  and  road- 
agents,  the  campaigns  that  followed  found  the  regiment,  or  part  of  it,  wher- 
ever there  was  anything  to  be  done,  until  the  Sioux  were  once  more  in 
hand. 

Brief  notice  must  be  taken  of  the  Cheyenne  outbreak  in  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory in  1878,  which  put  all  the  troops  throughout  the  West  upon  the  qui 
vive.  Trains  of  cars  were  held  in  readiness  at  every  station  occupied  by 
troops  along  the  railways,  and  a  battle  was  fought  in  western  Kansas,  where 
Colonel  Lewis  was  killed  ;  but  the  Cheyennes  got  away.  New  troops  were 
switched  on  behind  them  at  every  point  where  their  presence  was  ascer- 
tained, but  they  eluded  every  effort  and  made  their  way  to  the  Sioux  country. 
The  regiment  was  on  an  expedition  to  the  Little  Missouri  country  and 
camped  on  the  Belle  Fourche,  when  it  was  notified  and  ordered  to  push  for 
the  Sioux  agencies,  and  below  them,  to  head  the  renegades  off  ;  which  it 
did  by  forced  marches.  After  floundering  in  the  sand-hills  for  days,  freezing 
from  absence  of  wood  and  suffering  for  water,  B  and  D,  under  Johnson  and 
Thompson,  finally  captured  the  band  October  23d,  and  took  it  into  Camp 
Robinson,  having  a  revolt,  however,  on  Chadron  Creek  which  required  the 
aid  of  other  troops  and  a  part  of  the  Seventh  to  suppress.  The  Indians  de- 
clared they  would  die  to  a  man  before  they  would  return  to  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, and  they  kept  their  word.  Securing  arms  and  ammunition  by  the 
connivance,  no  doubt,  of  friendly  (?)  Indians,  they  revolted  the  night  of 
January  9,  1879,  shot  down  the  sentinels  and  made  their  escape.  The 
troops  during  intensely  cold  weather  had  a  series  of  engagements,  ten  men 
killed  and  five  wounded,  before  the  last  hostile  Cheyenne  was  killed — the 
22d — Captain  Wessells  being  shot  in  the  face  in  the  last  charge. 

In  the  summer  of  1879  the  Utes  murdered  their  agent — Meeker — treated 
his  wife  and  daughter  worse  as  captives,  and  slaughtered  the  agency  em- 
ployes. E  of  the  Third  and  a  troop  of  the  Fifth,  with  some  infantry,  were 
dispatched  to  the  scene  in  all  haste.  In  the.  battle  which  followed,  Septem- 
ber 29th,  Major  Thornburg  was  killed,  and  gallant  old  Captain  Lawson  with 
E  won  proud  laurels  in  averting  outright  disaster.  They  were  complimented 
by  a  resolution  of  the  Wyoming  Legislature,  but  otherwise  received  faint 
praise,  though  the  troop  lost  about  fifty  per  cent,  in  killed  and  wounded, 
and  held  the  camp  until  relieved. 

General  Reynolds  retired  June  25,  1877,  and  was  succeeded  as  colonel 
by  Thomas  C.  Devin,  who  died  April  4.  1878  ;  Washington  L.  Elliott,  who 
retired  March  20,  1879;  Albert G.  Brackett,  retired  February  18,  1891,  to  be 


2o8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

succeeded  by  Albert  P.  Morrow,  who  retired  August  i6,  1892,  promoting 
Anson  Mills,  the  present  colonel. 

The  troops  of  the  regiment  were  scattered  as  usual  at  different  posts 
in  the  Department,  A  and  M'  at  McKinney,  200  miles  from  the  railroad, 
when  the  Warm  Spring  Chiricahuas  broke  out,  at  San  Carlos,  Arizona,  in 
the  spring  of  1882.  And  although  the  regiment  had  served  a  tour  in  Ari- 
zona while  others  nearer  had  not,  it  was  ordered  there  by  telegraph. 
Making  forced  marches  to  the  railway  stations,  some  of  the  troops  getting 
snow-bound  en  route,  they  were  dropped  in  a  few  days'  time  through  thir- 
teen degrees  of  latitude  and  down  some  five  thousand  feet  of  altitude  into 
a  climate  where  they  had  to  gasp  for  breath. 

The  older  officers  found  a  transformation  scene  from  the  Arizona  of 
ten  years  before.  Now  there  were  comfortable  posts  fairly  supplied,  and 
railroads  and  telegraph  lines  that  connected  them  with  the  outer  world. 
The  utter  loneliness  and  painful  stillness  were  gone,  but  the  lofty  moun- 
tains and  yawning  caiions  and  their  old  enemy,  less  savage  and  numerous, 
were  still  there. 

Active  work  commenced  at  once,  with  unacclimated  men  and  horses  that 
were  soon  worn  out,  principally  in  chasing  false  reports  from  the  dis- 
tracted population.  The  hostiles  had  crossed  into  Mexico  before  the  regi- 
ment arrived  (in  May),  but  they  left  their  usual  trail  of  blood  and  thousands 
of  turbulent  Apaches  behind.  The  last  soon  murdered  the  chief  of  Indian 
police  at  San  Carlos  Agency,  committed  other  outrages,  and  broke  for  the 
mountain  fastnesses.  The  major  portion  of  the  regiment  had  a  long  stern 
chase,  and  in  time  participated  in  the  hardest  fought  engagement  on  Ari- 
zona soil, — Chevelon's  Fork,  July  17,  1882, — the  Apaches  receiving  a  lesson 
which  has  kept  that  particular  band  docile  and  manageable  ever  since. 
Twenty  warriors  were  killed,  without  counting  other  casualties.  Among 
our  wounded  were  Lieutenants  Converse  and  Morgan.  A  part  of  the  Sixth 
Cavalry  was  there  and  did  its  full  share,  but  the  Third  made  the  longest 
marches. 

General  Crook  took  command  of  the  Department  soon  after,  and  in  Sep- 
tember placed  Captain  Crawford  in  charge  of  the  Indians.  The  valuable 
service  rendered  by  the  captain,  and  by  Lieutenants  Davis,  West,  Dugan 
and  Gatewood,  in  handling  and  controlling  the  thousands  of  Indians  in 
Arizona,  can  never  be  estimated.  The  theme  properly  treated  would  make 
no  small  acquisition  to  history. 

In  the  spring  of  1883  Captain  Crawford  was  on  the  border  after  Geronimo 
and  band.  The  outrages  committed  by  the  Chiricahaus  from  across  the 
line  were  laid  at  the  door  of  the  reservation  Indians,  and  excited  the  young 
braves  to  skylark,  or  chafe  under  restraint.  Crawford  formulated  a  plan 
which  General  Crook  allowed  him  to  execute.  He  attempted  it  with  his 
scouts,  but  the  protocol  allowed  troops  to  cross  the  boundary  line  only 
while  in  hot  pursuit  of  hostiles.  The  murder  of  Judge  McComas  furnished 
this  plea,  and  the  capture  of  "  Peaches  "  by  Davis,  a  key  to  the  Chiricahua 
stronghold.  General  Crook  rushed  down  with  some  troops  of  the  Third 
and  Sixth,  and  crossed  before  the  order  from  Washington  prohibiting  it 
reached  him, — on  a  slow  horse. 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  209 

Crawford,  Mackey  and  Gatewood,  pushed  ahead  into  the  Apache  fast- 
nesses in  the  Sierra  Madre.  and.  May  !  5.  defeated  them  in  their  very  strong- 
holds. Accounts  of  this  expedition  err  :  General  Crook  learned  of  this  fight 
only  a  day  or  two  after.  The  Chiricahuas  soon  sued  for  peace,  and  Geron- 
imo  came  in  and  surrendered  to  Crawford,  and  all  were  placed  under  the 
immediate  charge  of  Davis. 

To  give  the  Tenth  a  change,  the  Third  was  treated  to  a  genuine  surprise 
in  18S5,  by  an  order  to  go  to  Te.xas.  It  concentrated  at  Bowie  Station, 
April  13,  for  the  march  which  involved  a  thousand  miles  for  some  of  the 
troops,  and  it  may  be  said,  for  the  benefit  of  some  of  the  numerous  writers 
of  magazine  articles  on  marching  cavalry,  that  not  a  public  animal  was  lost 
on  the  trip.  Before  some  of  the  troops  had  reached  their  station,  the 
Chiricahuas  had  taken  advantage  of  the  departure  of  the  troops  whose 
officers  knew  them  individually,  their  traits,  habits,  and  trails,  and  the 
arrival  of  new  troops  with  worn-out  horses,  to  break  out  and  leave  another 
trail  of  blood.  Lieutenant  Davis  had  been  left  with  these  Indians,  and  im- 
mediately after  the  oubreak  Captain  Crawford  was  ordered  back  to  the 
scene  of  the  trouble,  and  the  troops  of  the  regiment  were  ordered  out  to 
patrol  the  upper  Rio  Grande,  to  protect  the  Texas  frontier,  and  to  render 
such  aid  as  possible  to  the  troops  in  Arizona  operating  against  the  wily  foe. 
But  while  performing  this  duty,  trouble  commenced  in  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  these  same  troops  were  hurried  to  the  nearest  railroad  station  and 
embarked  without  further  preparation  for  the  new  field  of  operations,  from 
which  some  of  them  did  not  return  for  nearly  two  years — marching  1500 
miles.  In  the  meantime  the  officers  of  the  regiment  in  Arizona  had  been 
constantly  in  the  field  following  and  fighting  the  hostiles,  and  Captain 
Crawford  had  a  last  hard  fight  with  them  on  January  10,  1886,  at  Nacori  in 
Sonora,  Mexico.  He  captured  their  camp,  baggage,  women  and  children. 
The  bucks  had  escaped  only  with  their  arms  into  the  ravines  at  dark, 
but  had  promised,  through  the  squaws,  to  come  in  next  morning  and  sur- 
render. The  morning  brought  an  attack,  which  was  at  first  supposed  to  be 
by  Geronimo  and  his  warriors,  but  which  proved  a  lawless  band  of  Mexi- 
cans, who  suspended  their  fire  for  a  time,  and  then,  during  the  parley, 
treacherously  fired  a  volley  that  sent  a  bullet  through  the  brain  of  Captain 
Crawford.  But  this  was  soon  avenged  by  a  contest  that  killed  the  com- 
mander and  two  officers,  routing  the  entire  command.  Subsequently  they 
pleaded  a  mistake,  and  Lieutenant  Maus,  accepting  the  excuse  in  good 
faith,  ventured  within  their  lines,  and  gave  them  a  note  conceding  the  sad 
mistake.  Thereupon  he  was  made  a  prisoner  and  held  until  he  gave  some 
pack-mules  as  a  ransom.  Our  Government  subsequently  demanded  recom- 
pense for  the  mules,  but,  notwithstanding  the  second  act  of  treachery,  the 
loss  of  Captain  Crawford,  who  had  given  his  energy  and  health  and  finally 
yielded  his  life  to  the  service,  was  not  sufficient  to  arouse  the  Department 
of  State  to  any  decided  action.  Fort  Crawford  was  named  in  honor  of  the 
noble  captain,  as  were  Ewell,  McLane  and  McRae  for  the  gallant  fellows 
who  fell  before  him.  The  request  to  call  the  post  at  Eagle  Pass  Fort  Yeaton 
did  not  bear  fruit. 

Daring  the  last  tour  in  Texas  the  cavalry  was  degraded  into   mounted 


2IO  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

infantry.  Its  most  onerous  duty  was  the  consumption  of  contractor's  forage 
and  trying  to  keep  cool,  until  the  local  press  gave  Garza  sufficient  notoriety 
to  secure  some  lawless  adherents  who  created  trouble  in  1891-93.  This  was 
known  as  the  "  Tin  Horn  War,"  from  the  sensational  dispatches  furnished 
the  press.  It  involved  much  hard  riding,  however;  several  skirmishes  and 
some  losses,  but  most  of  the  blood  spilt  resulted  from  thorns  of  the  chapar- 
ral. Captain  Hardie,  with  G,  did  much  efl'ective  work  and  carried  off  the 
honors,  where  all  were  working  hard. 

In  the  summer  of  1893  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Fort  Riley  and  posts 
in  Oklahoma  where  it  now  serves,  somewhat  degenerate  in  the  art  of  war 
but  ready  to  respond  to  the  first  trumpet  call  for  warriors,  and  will  feel 
proud  of  any  regiment  in  our  service  that  has  in  the  same  period  marched 
more  miles,  had  more  fighting,  lost  more  officers  and  men  without  disaster, 
or  which  excels  it  in  any  of  the  essentials  of  real  soldiering,  and  will  cheer- 
fully grant  it  the  palm,  and  if  in  a  foreign  service,  will  yield  gracefully  to 
its  claims  to  superior  excellence. 


THE  FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.* 

Compiled  hi  the  office  of  the  Military  Service  Institution. 

IN  the  annual  report  of  the  Secretary  of  War  (the  Hon.  Jefferson  Davis), 
for  the  year  1855,  it  was  stated  that  "The  four  additional  regiments 
authorized  by  the  act  of  March  3,  1855,  have  been  recruited  and  organ- 
ized. Seven  companies  of  the  First  Cavalry  have  recently  returned 
from  an  expedition  into  the  Sioux  country  and  the  regiment  will  winter  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  where  it  will  be  in  position  for  ulterior  operations  in  the 
spring." 

When  the  two  regiments  of  cavalry  were  authorized  to  be  formed  in 
1855  it  was  with  the  understanding  that  all  the  field-officers  and  one-half  of 
the  company  officers  should  be  taken  from  the  army,  while  the  other  half  of 
the  company  officers  should  be  taken  from  civil  life. 

The  military  fitness  of  those  selected  for  the  First  (now  Fourth)  Cavalry 
is  indicated  by  the  high  commands  to  which  many  of  them  rose,  as  follows  : 

Colonel :  Edwin  V.  Sumner  (Major  General  U.  S.  V.  commanding  corps). 

Lieut.  Col.  :  Joseph  E.  Johnston  ( Quartermaster  General  U.  S.  A.  ;  General  C.  S.  A. ). 

Majors:  ^ViIliara  H.  Emory  (Major  General  U.  S.  V.  commanding  corjjs)  ;  John 
Sedgwick  (Major  General  U.  S.  V.  commanding  corps). 

Captains  :  Delos  B.  Sacket  (Inspector  General  U.  S.  A. )  ;  Thomas  J.  Wood  (Major 
General  U.  S.  V.)  ;  George  B.  McClellan  (■Major  General,  commanding  U.  S.  Army  and 
Army  of  Potomac)  ;  Samuel  D.  Sturgis  (Brigadier  General  U.  S.  V.)  ;  William  D.  de 
Saussure  (Colonel  C.  S.  A. ) ;  William  S.  Walker  (Colonel  C.  S.  A. )  ;  George  T.  An- 
derson (Brigadier  General  C.  S.  A. )  ;  Robert  S.  Garnett  (Brigadier  General  C.  S.  .  ., 
killed  in  action). 

First  Liciits.  ;  William  N.  R.  Beale  ( Brigadier  General  C.  S.  A. )  ;  George  H.  Steuart 
(Brigadier  General  C.  S.  A.);  James  Mcintosh  (Brigadier  General  C.  S.  A.,  killed  in 
action)  ;  Robert  Ransom  (Major  General  C.  S.  A.)  ;  Eugene  A.  Carr  (Brigadier  Gen- 
eral U.  S.  A. )  ;  Alfred  Iverson  (Brigadier  General  C.  S.  A.)  ;  Frank  Wheaton  (Briga- 
dier General  U.  S.  A.). 

Second  Lieuts.  :  David  S.  Stanley  ( Major  General  U.  S.  V.  ;  Brigadier  General  U.  S. 
A.);  James  E.  B.  Stuart  (Major  General  C.  S.  A.,  mortally  wounded )  ;  Elmer  Otis 
(Colonel  U.  S.  A. )  ;  James  B.  Mclntyre  (Major  and  Brevet  Colonel  U.  S.  A. ) ;  Eugene 
W.  Crittenden  (Major  U.  S.  A.  )  ;  Albert  B.  Colburn  (Lieut.  Colonel  Staff  U.  S.  A.)  ; 
Francis  L.  Vinton  (Brigadier  General  U.  S.  V. )  ;  George  D.  Bayard  (Brigadier  General 
U.  S.  v.,  killed  in  action)  ;  L.  L.  Lomax  (Major  General  C.  S.  A. )  ;  Joseph  II.  Taylor 
(Lieut.  Colonel  Staff  U.  S.  A.). 

"  In  August,  1855,  the  regiment  which  had  been  organized  at  Jefferson 
Barracks  was  ordered  to  Fort  Leavenworth.  About  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber it  was  engaged  in  an  Indian  expedition  in  which  no  fighting  occurred,  but 
which  kept  the  troops  in  the  field  until  the  fourth  of  November. 

*  The  writer  is  under  obligations  to  Col.  E.  B.  Beaumont,  U.  S  .\  ,  (retired)  for  valuable  in- 
formation. 


212  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

During  the  following  year  the  First  Cavalry  was  engaged  in  the  work  of 
keeping  the  peace  between  the  political  factions  in  Kansas  who  were 
struggling  with  the  delicate  question  of  slavery. 

The  first  important  Indian  affair  in  which  the  new  regiment  participated 
occurred  on  the  North  fork  of  the  Solomon  River,  within  the  limits  of  what 
is  now  Norton  County,  Kansas.  From  a  letter*  written  by  one  of  its  officers 
who  was  there  wounded— afterward  the  famous  cavalryman  Major  General 
J.  E.  B.  Stuart — we  quote  as  follows : 

Camp  on  Solomon'' s  Fork,  July  30,  1857.  Yesterday  after  seventeen  days'  march 
from  Camp  Buchanan,  we  overtook  about  three  hundred  Cheyenne  warriors  drawn  up  in 
line  of  battle,  and  marching  boldly  and  steadily.  We  fronted  into  line  as  soon  as  possible 
(the  six  companies  of  cavalry)  the  infantry  being  too  far  behind  to  take  any  part  in  the 
action,  also  Bayard's  battery,  which  the  colonel  stopped  three  or  four  miles  back  as  unable 
to  keep  up.  It  was  my  intention  and  I  believe  that  of  most  of  the  company  commanders, 
to  o-ive  a  carbine  volley  and  then  charge  with  drawn  pistols,  and  use  the  sahrQas  a.  aeniier 
res  ort ;  but  much  to  my  surprise  the  colonel  ordered  "Draw  sabres  !  Charge  !  "  w'^en 
the  Indians  were  within  gunshot.  We  set  up  a  terrific  yell,  which  scattered  the  Cheyenne  i 
in  disorderly  flight,  and  we  kept  up  the  charge  in  pursuit.  I  led  off  Co.  G  right  after 
their  main  body  ;  but  very  few  of  the  company  horses  were  fleet  enough,  after  the  march, 
beside  my  own  brave  Dan,  to  keep  in  reach  of  the  Indians  movmted  on  fresh  ponies.  My 
part  of  the  chase  led  toward  the  right  and  front,  and  in  that  direction  companies  G,  H 
and  D,  were,  in  a  short  time,  mixed  together  in  the  pursuit,  so  that  Stanley,  Mclntyre, 
Mcintosh,  Lomax  and  myself  were,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  near  each  other,  and 
frequently  side  by  side.  As  long  as  Dan  held  out  I  was  foremost ;  but  after  a  chase  of 
five  miles  he  failed,  and  I  had  to  mount  the  horse  of  a  private.  When  I  overtook  the 
rear  of  the  enemy  I  found  Lomax  in  imminent  danger  from  an  Indian,  who  was  on  foot 
and  in  the  act  of  shooting  him.  I  rushed  to  the  rescue,  and  succeeded  in  wounding  the 
Indian  in  his  thigh.  He  fired  at  me  in  return  with  an  Allen' s  revolver  but  missed.  About 
this  time  I  observed  Stanley  and  Mclntyre  close  by.  The  former  said:  "Wait!  I'll 
fetch  him. ' '  He  dismounted  to  aim  deliberately,  but  in  dismounting  accidentally  discharged 
his  last  load.  Upon  him  the  Indian  now  advanced  with  his  revolver  pointed.  I  could 
not  stand  that ;  but  drawing  my  sabre  rushed  upon  the  monster  and  inflicted  a  severe 
wound  upon  his  head.  A  t  the  same  moment  he  fired  his  last  barrel  within  a  foot  of  me 
the  ball  taking  effect  in  the  centre  of  the  breast,  but,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  glancing  to  the 
left,  lodging  near  my  left  nipple,  but  so  far  inside  that  it  cannot  be  felt.  I  was  able  to 
dismount  and  lie  down,  before  which  the  Indian,  having  discharged  his  last  load,  was 
dispatched  by  Mclntyre  and  a  man  of  Co.  D. 

From  the  fall  of  1857  until  the  summer  of  i860  six  companies  of  the 
First  Cavalry  were  stationed  at  Fort  Riley  under  the  command  of  Major 
John  Sedgwick. 

In  1 861  the  regiment,  like  all  others  of  the  army,  changed  to  a  certain 
extent  the  personnel- of  its  officers.  Some  of  its  most  experienced  soldiers 
resigned  but  their  places  were  taken  by  young  and  ardent  supporters  of  the 
Union  cause  who,  under  the  eyes  of  those  officers  who  remained  in  the 
service  of  the  Government,  rapidly  developed  into  efficient  subalterns. 

The  operations  of  the  regiment  during  the  first  year  of  the  war  were 
desultory  in  their  character.  On  the  i8th  of  March  Lt.  Col.  Emory  com- 
manding was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Fort  Washita  and  establish  his  head- 

*Campaigns  of  Stuart's  Cavalry,  H.  B.  McClellan,  A.  M.,  New  York,  1SS5. 


THE  FO  UR  Til  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VA  LR  Y.       213 

quarters.  April  17  he  was  directed  to  proceed  "with  all  the  troops  in  the 
Indian  country  west  of  Arkansas  to  Fort  Leavenworth  "  and  reached  there 
May  31.  About  the  same  time  Captain  Sturgis  evacuated  Fort  Smith  and 
marched  to  Washita. 

Two  companies  were  ordered  (May  29)  from  Fort  Wise  to  Fort  Kearney 
to  hold  in  checlc  the  Indians  in  that  section  and  Lt.  Col,  Sedgwick  was  sent 
to  Leavenworth.  On  the  22  June,  Gen.  McClellan,  operating  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, applied  for  that  part  of  the  regiment  stationed  at  Fort  Leavenworth. 

Capt.  Colburn  with  Companies  A  and  E  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  and  was  favorably  mentioned  by  the  division  commander.  Col. 
Heintzleman.  Companies  B,  C,  D  and  L  were  at  the  same  timeserving 
under  Major  Sturgis  in  Missouri.  On  the  27th  of  July  a  skirmish  took 
place  near  Forsyth,  Mo.,  in  which  Capt.  Stanley,  ist  Cavalry,  with  his  troop, 
had  the  advance  and  lost  two  men  wounded  and  four  horses  killed  (includ- 
ing his  own,  shot  under  him).  The  same  officer  was  conspicuous  in  an 
aflair  at  Dug  Springs,  Mo.,  Aug.  2  when,  as  part  of  a  detachment  of  troops 
under  Gen.  Lyon,  his  squadron  made  several  charges  cutting  the  enemy's 
line  and  completing  his  discomfiture.  Capt.  Stanley's  loss  was  four  killed 
and  six  wounded  out  of  a  total  engaged  of  forty-two  :  Sergeants  Coates 
and  Sullivan  were  mentioned  for  gallantry. 

In  the  annual  report  of  the  Secretary  of  War  (Dec.  4,  1854),  occurred 
this  paragraph  : 

"  The  cavalry  force  of  our  Amiy  being  all  required  for  active  service  of  the  same  kind, 
there  appears  no  propriety  in  making  a  permanent  distinction  in  the  designation  and  arma- 
ment of  the  several  regiments.  It  is  therefore  proposed  to  place  all  the  regiments  of  cav- 
alry on  the  same  footing  in  these  respects,  and  to  leave  it  in  the  power  of  the  Executive  to 
arm  and  equip  them  in  such  manner  as  may  be  required  by  the  nature  of  the  service  in 
wiiich  they  may  be  employed." 

It  is  worth  noting  that  this  recommendation  of  the  subsequent  Presi- 
dent of  the  Southern  Confederacy  was  not  acted  upon  until  in  the  early 
part  of  President  Lincoln's  administration  when  (Aug.  3,  1861),  an  order 
was  issued  renumbering  the  mounted  force  and  naming  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  the  Fourth  Cavalry. 

At  the  historic  affair  of  Springfield,  Mo.,  known  as  Wilson's  Creek 
(Aug.  10),  where  the  lamented  Lyon  fell,  the  regiment  was  represented  by 
Captain  Carr's  company  and  one  company  under  Lieut.  Canfield,  2d 
Drags.* — serving  in  different  brigades.  In  the  official  reports  Lieut.  Can- 
field  is  honorably  mentioned  ;  the  casualties  consisted  of  one  wounded  and 
three  missing  in  D,  and  four  missing  in  I.  The  small  regular  cavalry  force 
engaged  shared  in  whatever  of  credit  could  be  obtained  from  "  the  mixture 
of  glory,  disgrace  and  disaster,"  reported  by  Major  Schofield  of  Gen. 
Lyon's  Stai?  as  a  prominent  feature  of  this  engagement. 

On  the  rgth  Dec,  1S61,  a  spirited  skirmish,  in  which  B,  C,  D,  (being  part 
of  an  expedition  under  Gen.  Pope  to  cut  Price's  communications)  behaved 
very  gallantly,  occurred  on  the  Blackwater  River,  Mo.  Gen.  Pope  reported 
that  in  attempting  to  carry  a  bridge  held  by  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy : 

*  Afterward  Captain  zd  Cav.    Killed  at  Beverly  Ford,  Va.,  June  9,  1863. 


214  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

' '  The  two  companies  of  the  4th  regular  cavahy  being  in  the  advance  under  the  com- 
mand respectively  of  Lieuts.  Amory  and  Gordon  were  designated  for  that  service  and  were 
supported  by  the  five  companies  of  the  First  Iowa.  Lieut.  Gordon  led  the  charge  in  person 
with  the  utmost  gallantry  and  vigor,  carried  the  bridge  in  fine  style  and  immediately  formed 
his  company  on  the  opposite  side.  He  was  promptly  followed  by  the  other  companies.  The 
force  of  the  enemy  posted  at  the  bridge  retreated  precipitately  over  a  narrow  open  space  into 
the  woods.  The  two  companies  formed  in  line  at  once,  advanced  upon  the  enemy  and  were 
received  with  a  heavy  volley  of  small  arms.  One  man  was  killed  and  eight  wounded  by 
this  discharge,  with  one  exception  all  belonging  to  Co.  D  ;  Lieut.  Gordon  himself  received 
several  balls  through  his  cap."* 

When  McClellan  in  April,  1862,  began  his  Peninsular  Campaign,  two 
companies  (A  and  E)  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry  (4  officers  and  104  men)  under 
Captain  Mclntyre  constituted  his  personal  escort;  the  remainder  of  the 
regiment  being  on  duty  in  the  West.  On  the  27th  August,  Gen.  Mc- 
Clellan reported  that  he  had  loaned  his  "  personal  escort  (a  squadron  4th 
Cav.)  to  Burnside  to  scout  down  the  Rappahannock."  In  October,  1862, 
this  squadron  joined  the  regimental  headquarters  in  Tennessee. 

In  Nov.  1862,  Cos.  F  and  H  were  stationed  at  Fort  Laramie,  Neb. 
At  Pittsburg  Landing  (Shiloh)  Tenn.,  April  6,  1862,  Company  I  was 
present,  losing  one  enlisted  man  and  five  horses  killed  and  five  men 
wounded ;  this  company  (together  with  B,  C,  D,  G,  K)  was  also  present  at 
Corinth,  Miss.,  9-14  May  ;  a  detachment  under  Lieut.  Gordon  took  part  in  an 
affair  near  Farmington,  Miss. ;  no  casualties. 

In  the  organization  of  the  Army  of  the  Mississippi,  April  30, 1862,  Capt. 
E.  W.  Crittenden  commanded  a  part  of  the  regiment,  "  unattached." 

During  the  Stone  River  campaign  (1862-63)  the  regiment  commanded 
by  Capt.  Elmer  Otis  served  under  Gen.  Stanley  who  said  in  his  report  of  the 
operations  near  Murfreesborough  that  "  The  Fourth  U.  S.  Cavalry  behaved 
very  handsomely."  The  casualties  comprised  three  enlisted  men  killed  and 
Capt,  Eli  Long  and  nine  men  wounded  ;  twelve  men  missing.  Capt.  Otis  in 
his  official  report  t  states  that  "  from  prisoners  taken  (of  whom  there  were 
over  one  hundred)  by  the  regiment  I  have  learned  that  the  4th  U.  S.  Cav- 
alry charged  at  this  time  an  entire  brigade  of  cavalry  and  routed  them  to 
such  an  extent  that  they  disappeared  from  the  field  altogether."  Other  de- 
tails are  given  as  follows  : 

<'  Of  the  officers  engaged  it  is  almost  impossible  to  particularize,  they  all  did  so  well. 
Capt.  Eli  Long  led  his  company  with  the  greatest  gallantry  and  was  wounded  by  a  ball 
through  his  left  arm.  Lieuts.  Mauck,  Kelly,  Lee,  and  Healy  could  not  have  done  bet- 
ter. It  was  a  matter  of  surprise  to  me,  considering  the  ground  passed  over  to  find  Dr. 
Comfort  so  soon  on  the  field  with  his  ambulance  caring  for  the  wounded  ;  he  was  in  time 
to  capture  a  prisoner  himself.  First  Sergt.  Martin  Murphy  led  Co.  G  and  commanded  it 
with  great  gallantry.  He  reports  having  counted  eleven  dead  of  the  enemy  on  the  giound 
over  which  his  company  charged.  Sergt.  Major  John  G.  Webster  behaved  gallantly,  taking 
one  lieutenant  mounted  on  a  fine  mare.  First  Sergt.  James  McAlpin  led  Co.  K  after 
Capt.  Long  was  wounded.  First  Sergt.  John  D.  Lan  (B)  captured  a  captain  and  received 
his  sword.    No  one  could  have  acted  more  bravely  than  First  Sergt.  Charles  McMasters.J 


*  See  Lieut.  Amory's  Report,  War  Records  VIII.,  40. 

1-  War  Records  XX.,  part  I.,  648. 

t  Afterward  Lieut.  2d  U.  S.  Cavalry,  killed  at  Front  Roval,  Va.,  in  1864. 


THE  FO  UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.       215 

First  Sergt.  Christian  Ilaefling,  in  clian^e  of  courier  line  near  headquarters,  proceeded  in 
tlie  thickest  of  the  tire  and  recovered  the  effects  of  ( "olonel  tlaresche  on  his  body,  killed  in 
this  day's  fight.      *     * 

"  Private  Snow  (L)  orderly  to  Gen.  Rosecrans  was  ordered,  Jan.  2,  to  pick  up  fif- 
teen stragglers,  take  them  to  the  front  and  turn  them  over  to  some  commissioned  officer. 
Failing  to  find  an  officer  he  put  them  into  line  and  fought  them  himself,  telling  them  the  first 
one  who  attempted  to  run  he  would  shoot.      Private  Snow  reports  they  fought  bravely. ' ' 

At  the  battle  of  Franklin,  April  10,  1863,  the  regiment  under  Capt.  Mc- 
Intyre  greatly  distinguished  itself,  charging  and  capturing  a  battery  of  six 
guns  and  some  three  hundred  prisoners.  A  large  force  of  the  enemy  sub- 
sequently attacked  our  troops  and  after  an  hour's  fight  Mclntyre  was 
obliged  to  abandon  the  guns,  having  spiked  them  and  broken  up  the  car- 
riages. Gen.  Stanley  in  his  report  of  the  battle  said  :  "  From  the  circum- 
stances the  Fourth  Cavalry  did  the  most  gallant  service.  Two  gallant 
officers,  old  soldiers,  were  dangerously  wounded — Lieuts.  Healy  and  Sim- 
son,  the  former  it  is  feared  mortally."  Capt.  Mclntyre  gives  a  full  account"* 
of  this  fight  for  which  there  is  unfortunately  not  space  here. 

The  regiment  was  also  in  action  at  Middleton,  Tenn.,  20  and  23  May,  '63  (B,  D,  E, 
G,  I,  K,  M);  Shelbyville,  Tenn.,  27  and  30  June,  '63  (B,  C,  D,  G,  I,  L,  M);  Ring- 
gold, Ga.,  18  Sept.,  '63  (A,  B,  C,  I,  M)  ;  Chickamauga  Creek,  Ga.,  18  and  25  Sept., 
'63  (B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  I,  L) ;  Okalona,  Miss.,  22  Feb.,  '64  (A,  B,  F,  G,  II,  I,  K,  L, 
M  )  ;  Tallahatchie  River,  Tenn.,  22  Feb.,  '64  (A,  H,  M)  ;  Dallas,  Ga.,  26  and  28 
May,  '64  (A,  B,  C,  E,  F,  I,  M)  and  Lovejoy's  Station,  Ga.,  20  Aug.,  '64. 

In  the  latter  part  of  October,  1864,  the  4th  Cavalry  was  relieved  from 
duty  with  a  brigade  and  ordered  to  Cavalry  Corps  Headquarters.  The 
regiment  was  very  much  reduced  in  strength,  numbering  about  175  men. 
It  marched  to  Nashville  and  took  part  in  that  battle  on  the  14th  and  15th 
of  December  and  in  the  pursuit  of  Hood.  On  the  24th  of  December  a 
portion  of  the  regiment,  led  by  the  brave  Lieut.  Joseph  Hedges,  charged 
into  a  battery  of  three  guns  driving  them  off  the  field  and  finally  capturing 
them  after  a  pursuit  of  a  mile. 

The  Corps  Commander  (Gen.  Wilson)  says  of  this  incident:! 

'«  Late  in  the  evening,  apparently  exhausted  with  a  rapid  marching,  the  enemy  took  up 
a  strong  position  in  the  open  field  about  a  mile  north  of  the  West  Harpeth.  It  was  then 
so  dark  from  fog  and  approaching  night  that  the  men  of  Hatch's  division  who  had  be- 
come somewhat  intermingled  with  the  sullen  and  taciturn  Confederate  stragglers,  began  to 
doubt  that  the  ranks  which  were  now  looming  up  in  their  front  were  really  those  of  the 
enemy' s  rear-guard.  The  momentary  hesitation  caused  by  this  doubt  gave  Forrest  an  op- 
portunity to  straighten  his  lines  and  to  push  his  single  remaining  battery  in  position  so  as 
to  sweep  the  turnpike.  Hatch  on  the  left  and  Knipe  on  the  right  were  at  once  ordered  to 
charge  the  enemy's  flanks,  while  the  Fourth  Regular  Cavalry,  under  Lieut.  Hedges,  was 
directed  straight  against  his  centre.  Seeing  what  was  about  to  burst  upon  him,  the  battery 
commander  opened  with  canister  at  short  range,  but  had  hardly  emptied  his  guns  before 
the  storm  broke  upon  him.  Forrest  did  his  best  to  hold  his  ground,  but  it  was  impossible. 
Hedges  rode  headlong  over  the  battery  and  captured  a  part  of  his  guns.   *  *  * 

' '  Lieut.  Hedges,  outstripping  his  men,  was  captured  three  different  times,  6ut  throw- 

*  War  Records  XXIII.,  part  I,  231. 

+  "  Battles  and  Leaders  of  the  Civil  War." 


2i6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ing  his  hat  away  and  raising  the  cry,   '  The  Yankees  are  coming,  run  for  your  hves,'  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  away. 

Gen.  Wilson's  staff  headed  by  Col.  E.  B.  Beaumont  charged  with  the 
Fourth  Cavalry  in  this  affair. 

It  participated  in  the  campaign  of  Selma  and  in  the  march  to  Macon. 
At  Selma  (April  2,  1865)  it  was  again  distinguished  by  a  mounted  charge 
on  the  enemy's  earthworks.  This  was  repulsed  with  loss,  but  a  second 
charge,  dismounted,  resulted  in  carrying  the  works.  "  The  enemy  rallied 
behind  a  second  line  of  works  where  they  were  charged  by  a  small  mounted 
battalion  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry.  The  charge  was  broken  up  by  a  railroad 
cut  and  some  fences  close  to  the  works.  The  regiment  lost  many  horses  ;  a 
few  men  killed  and  some  wounded.  Lieut.  Webster  was  shot  in  the  arm 
and  Lieut.  O'Connell  had  his  horse  shot  under  him,  and  was  supposed  to  be 
killed.  This  charge  failed  ;  but  the  same  battalion  dismounted  and  sup- 
ported by  the  17th  Indiana  and  3d  Ohio  and  a  section  of  the  Chicago  Board 
of  Trade  Battery  charged  again  and  the  line  was  gallantly  carried.  As  we 
approached  the  works  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  bulky  form  of 
O'Connell  rise  from  behind  his  dead  horse,  where  he  had  been  lying  to 
avoid  the  enemy's  fire.     He  was  bruised  but  unwounded."  * 

About  the  time  of  the  capture  of  Selma,  it  lost  a  dashing  young  officer, 
Lieut.  Elbridge  G.  Roys,  who  while  in  command  of  a  party  of  scouts  was 
surprised  by  Forrest's  body  guard  and  he  and  several  men  were  killed  and 
many  were  wounded. 

After  the  capture  of  Macon,  Georgia,  the  regiment  remained  there  until 
late  in  November  when  it  was  ordered  to  Texas  where  ten  companies  were 
concentrated  at  San  Antonio  and  two  companies  were  sent  to  the  Rio 
Grande.  In  the  fall  of  1866  the  companies  occupied  the  posts  of  Verde, 
Fredericksburg  and  Macon.  In  1867  old  Fort  Chadbourne  was  reoccupied 
by  four  companies  of  the  4th  Cavalry.  In  May,  1873,  it  was  concentrated 
at  Forts  Clark  and  Duncan  and  under  Ranald  S.  Mackenzie  made  a  march 
into  Old  Mexico,  surprising  a  Kickapoo  village  40  miles  in  the  interior, 
near  Rey  Molino.  This  affair  was  the  result  of  an  arrangement,  with  the 
tacit  approval  of  the  authorities  on  both  sides  of  the  Rio  Grande,  to  permit 
troops  in  hot  pursuit  of  Indian  marauders  to  follow  them  across  the  line. 
The  troops  engaged  consisted  of  A,  B,  C,  E,  I,  M,  and  a  detachment  of 
Seminole  scouts  under  Lieut.  Bullitt.  The  Rio  Grande  was  forded  at  night 
and  the  Kickapoo  camp  was  surprised  soon  after  daylight :  the  camp  was 
burned  and  200  horses  and  forty  squaws  and  children  were  captured— the 
heads  of  families  being  absent  on  a  raid. 

In  August,  1874,  eight  companies  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry,  commanded 
by  Captains  McLaughlin,  Beaumont,  Gunther,  Boehm,  Wirt,  Heyl,  left  Fort 
McKavett  and  proceeded  via  Fort  Concho,  Texas,  the  North  Concho  River, 
to  a  point  on  the  First  Fork  of  the  Brazos  close  to  the  Staked  Plains.  Here 
a  supply  camp  was  established  on  September  2  and  left  under  the  command 
of  Col.  Thomas  Anderson  while  the  cavalry  and  an  escort  of  the  8th 
Infantry  for  the  wagon  train  scouted  the  heads  of  the  Brazos,  Pecos  and 
Red  rivers.  On  the  night  of  the  26th  of  September  hostile  Indians  attacked 
the  camp  of  the  2d  battalion  under  Capt.  Beaumont  and  was  driven  off 


THE  FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY 


217 


without  loss  to  the  command,  and  on  the  following  day  an  attempt  to  bring 
hem  into  action  failed.  Col.  Mackenzie  was  present  with  the  battalion,  and 
directed  operations. 

On  September  27  the  command  marched  all  night  and  at  daybreak  sur- 
prised several  small  camps  of  Ouajada  Comanches  in  the  Paladuro  Canon 
of  the  Red  River,  burning  numerous  teepees  and  capturing  over  1600  head 
of  horses  and  mules.  About  midnight  during  the  march,  a  broad  trail  was 
struck  which  was  followed  until  daylight,  when  it  led  into  a  steep  cafion 
some  six  or  seven  hundred  feet  deep.  It  was  necessary  to  dismount  and 
lead  the  horses  as  it  was  impossible  to  ride.  Half  way  down,  a  sleeping 
Indian  was  awakened  by  the  noise  of  the  command,  and  springing  upon  a 
pony  gave  a  piercing  yell  of  alarm  which  was  echoed  at  the  bottom  of  the 
narrow  valley  where  the  Indians  could  be  seen  rushing  out  of  their  lodges 
and  trying  to  throw  some  of  their  efTects  on  their  ponies,  but  they  were  too 
late  to  save  anything.  The  squaws  and  children  rushed  into  the  side  ravines 
among  the  rocks  and  brushes  while  the  companies  led  by  Captains  Beau- 
mont and  Boehm  pushed  rapidly  up  the  canon  expecting  to  meet  a  heavy 
resistance  every  moment.  The  canon  was  almost  choked  with  horses  and 
it  was  difficult  to  get  ahead  of  them,  but  the  two  companies  finally  succeeded 
in  forcing  their  way  through  the  frightened  herd  and  turned  it  back.  Lieut. 
Dorst,  who  had  command  of  the  advance  skirmishers,  drove  the  Indians 
before  him  and  kept  the  way  clear  for  the  two  companies,  and  when  ordered 
to  return  brought  with  him  a  hundred  horses  picked  up  in  a  side  canon. 
Gen.  Mackenzie  ordered  the  command  twice  to  halt,  but  Capt.  Beaumont, 
being  in  advance,  sent  word  back  that  it  was  injudicious  to  halt  when  the 
enemy  were  in  full  flight  and  as  many  horses  would  be  lost.  The  second 
order  to  halt  was  received  when  the  bulk  of  the  horses  had  been  secured. 
Capt.  Boehm  made  his  way  through  the  brush  and  foot  hills  with  remark- 
able rapidity  and  had  his  company  well  in  hand.  The  horses  were  slowly 
driven  down  the  canon,  when  the  foe  commenced  firing  from  the  south 
side  of  the  canon,  but  after  wounding  a  couple  of  horses  and  a  trumpeter 
of  Capt.  Gunther's  troop  were  silenced  by  twenty  men  of  A  troop  led  by 
Lieut.  Dorst,  who  with  great  fatigue  climbed  the  almost  perpendicular 
north  face  of  the  canon  and  opened  fire.  The  lodges  were  burned  con- 
taining large  supplies  of  dried  buflfalo  meat,  robes  and  kettles,  and  the 
horses  and  mules  driven  back  up  the  trail  of  the  plain.  After  a  rest  the 
whole  command  moved  back  to  the  wagon  train  where  it  arrived  at  mid- 
night and,  putting  the  animals  into  the  corral  formed  by  the  wagons,  took 
a  well  earned  sleep.  Next  day  some  twelve  hundred  of  the  animals  v.ere 
shot  as  it  was  impossible  to  hold  them  together  to  drive  two  hundred  miles 
ot  Fort  Griffin,the  nearest  post.  This  band  of  Indians  was  on  foot  and 
rapidly  travelled  to  Fort  Sill,  willing  to  sue  for  peace  at  any  price.  The 
command  remained  in  the  field  until  late  in  December,  and  during  that 
period  visited  heretofore  unknown  districts  of  the  Staked  Plains,  and  upon 
one  occasion  surprised  a  camp  of  Indians,  capturing  a  dozen  squaws  and 
children  and  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  horses.  The  command  proceeded 
to  Fort  Griffin,  arriving  there  December  27,  1S74,  having  been  nine  days  in 
making  a  march  of  only  one  hundred  miles.     The  wagons  had  to  be  pulled 


2i8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

out  of  the  mud  by  dismounted  men.  The  Regiment  took  posts  in  the  In- 
dian Territory  in  1875. 

On  Nov.  25,  1876,  an  expedition  under  Gen,  Mackenzie,  comprising  B 
D,  E,  F  and  M  troops  4th  Cavalry,  while  scouting  on  the  Powder  River  came 
upon  Dull  Knife's  band  of  Cheyennes.  The  commanding  officer's  report  is 
as  follows : 

"  About  12  o'clock  M.  on  the  24th  inst.  while  marching  in  a  southwesterly  direction 
toward  the  Sioux  Pass  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  I  was  met  by  five  of  the  seven  Indian 
scouts  who  had  been  sent  out  the  evening  before  who  reported  that  they  had  discovered 
the  main  camp  of  the  Cheyennes  at  a  point  in  the  mountains  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  distant. 
The  command  was  halted  until  near  sunset  and  then  moved  toward  the  village  intending 
to  reach  it  at  or  before  daylight.  Owing  to  the  nature  of  the  country  which  was  very 
rough,  and  in  some  cases  difficult  to  pass  with  cavalry  the  command  did  not  reach  the  vil- 
lage imtil  about  half  an  hour  after  daylight.  The  surprise  was  however,  almost  if  not 
quite  complete.  The  village,  consisting  of  1 73  lodges  and  their  entire  contents,  was  de- 
stroyed. About  500  ponies  were  taken  and  25  Indians  killed  whose  bodies  fell  into  our 
hands,  but  from  reports  which  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  I  believe  a  much  larger  number 
were  killed.  Our  loss  was  one  officer  and  five  men  killed  and  twenty-five  soldiers  and 
one  Shoshone  Indian  wounded.  Lieut.  McKinney,  4th  Cavalry,  who  was  killed  in  this 
affair,  was  one  of  the  most  gallant  officers  and  honorable  men  that  I  have  ever  known." 

In  March,  1880,  E,  K,  L,  M  and  D  were  at  Fort  Garland,  Colorado,  pre- 
paring for  an  expedition  into  the  Uncompaghre  Ute  country.  On  May  19, 
1880,  the  five  companies  under  Maj.  E.  B.  Beaumont  left  Garland  and  pro- 
ceeded via  Alamoso,  Saquache  for  the  Cochetopa  Pass,  and  crossing  the 
Rocky  Mountains  there  arrived  at  Los  Pinos  Agency  on  the  Uncompaghre 
River  May  31.  Gen.  R.  S.  Mackenzie  commanded  the  expedition  which 
consisted  of  a  battation  of  the  19th  Infantry  and  one  of  the  4th  Cavalry. 
Commissioners  were  present  negotiating  with  Ouray  the  Uncompaghre  Ute 
Chief  for  the  removal  of  his  band  from  that  country  to  a  reservation  on  the 
Green  River.  While  negotiations  were  in  progress  the  4th  Cavalry  scouted 
the  Grand  River  and  Grand  Mesa  country.  In  the  fall  the  troops  returned 
to  their  stations  in  Kansas.  In  May,  1881,  Companies  A,  B,  D,  K  and  L 
returned  to  the  Uncompaghre  country  and  moved  the  Uncompaghre  Utes 
to  their  new  reservation.  The  Apaches  having  broken  out  in  Arizona  Gen. 
Mackenzie  was  ordered  there  with  a  portion  of  his  regiment  which  was 
finally  concentrated  in  posts  in  New  Mexico  with  headquarters  at  Santa  Fe. 
Gen.  Geo.  A.  Forsyth,  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment,  took  post  at  Fort 
Cummings  from  whence  he  scouted  into  Arizona  and  had  a  spirited  fight  in 
the  Stein's  Peak  range.  Lost  Cafion. 

In  June,  1884,  the  4th  Cavalry  was  ordered  to  Arizona  where  the  com- 
panies took  post  at  Huachuca,  Bowie,  Lowell  and  McDowell.  During  '85 
and  '86  several  detachments  of  the  4th  Cavalry  were  in  the  field  operating 
against  the  Chiricahua  Apaches. 

In  May,  1885,  a  party  of  about  fifty  of  the  Chiricahua  Indian  prisoners 
escaped  from  the  White  Mountain  Reserve  in  Arizona,  headed  by  Geronimo 
and  Natchez,  and  entered  upon  a  career  of  murder  and  robbery  unparalleled 
in  the  history  of  Indian  raids.  Gen.  Miles  organized  a  well-equipped  force 
under  Capt.  H.  W.  Lawton,  4th  Cavalry.     This  command  with  great  energy 


THE  FO UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VA LR  Y.        219 

and  persistence  kept  on  the  trail,  overtook  the  band  in  the  mountains,  cap- 
turing nineteen  horses  and  all  the  enemy's  supplies  and  finally,  in  Septem- 
ber, rounded  up  the  hostiles  and  brought  about  their  surrender.  Gen. 
Miles  reported  that  Capt.  Lavvton 

"  In  this  remarkable  pursuit  followed  the  hostiles  from  one  range  of  mountains  to  an- 
other, over  the  highest  peaks,  often  9000  and  10,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  and 
frequently  in  the  depths  of  the  canons  where  the  heat  in  July  and  August  was  of  tropical 
intensity.  A  portion  of  the  command  leading  on  the  trail  were  without  rations  for  five 
days,  three  days  being  the  longest  continuous  period.  They  subsisted  on  two  or  three 
deer  killed  by  the  scouts  and  mule  meat  without  salt. ' ' 

Among  others  entrusted  with  important  duty  was  Captain  Wirt  Davis, 
4th  Cavalry,  who  crossed  into  Mexico  in  July,  making  a  forced  march  in 
pursuit  of  Geronimo.  That  officer  together  with  Lieuts.  Elliott,  Walsh  and 
Benson  were  highly  praised  in  the  annual  report  of  the  Department  Com- 
mander. 

The  operations  of  the  regiment  during  the  year  cover  a  vast  territory. 
Capt.  Hatfield's  troop  returning  from  a  successful  scout,  while  passing 
through  a  deep  and  narrow  canon,  embarrassed  with  captured  property,  was 
attacked  by  the  hostiles  and  a  sharp  fight  ensued.  *'  There  were  several  cases 
of  conspicuous  bravery  displayed  in  this  fight ;  the  action  of  Sergeant  Sam- 
uel H.  Craig  was  most  heroic  and  very  worthy  of  praise.  First  Sergeant 
Samue^l  Adams,  and  Citizen  Packer  George  Bowman  exposed  their  lives  in 
attempting  to  rescue  John  H.  Conradi  of  the  troop,  who  lay  seriously 
wounded  on  the  ground,  but  still  using  his  rifle  to  good  effect.  This  act  of 
bravery  and  heroism  would  have  been  richly  rewarded  had  not  this  unfor- 
tunate soldier  received  a  mortal  wound  as  he  was  being  borne  from  the 
field  by  his  devoted  comrades.  *  " 

The  service  of  the  regiment  during  the  next  three  years  was  uneventful. 
During  the  fall  of  1889  a  camp  of  instruction  was  established  near  Fort 
Grant,  Arizona,  where  twelve  troops  of  cavalry,  four  of  infantry,  and  a  de- 
tachment of  the  hospital  corps  were  assembled  under  Col.  Compton,  and  for 
a  month  were  exercised  in  all  field  manoeuvres.  On  the  night  of  Oct.,  8 
Mexican  desperadoes  fired  upon  a  detachment  of  Troop  I,  while  encamped 
at  Mescal  Springs,  mortally  wounding  two  enlisted  men. 

In  May,  1890,  the  regiment  was  transferred  from  Arizona  to  the  Depart- 
ments of  California  and  Columbia  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
Washington.  In  Oct.  1891,  Troop  C  changed  station  to  Fort  Bidwell,  Cal. 
In  Feb.  1892,  Troops  I  and  K  were  assigned  to  duty  in  the  National 
Yosemite  and  Sequoia  Parks  respectively. 

During  the  forty  years  of  its  official  existence  the  Fourth  Cavalry  has  had 
seven  colonels— men  of  distinction  in  their  profession  :  Edwin  V.  Sumner 
(3  March  '55-16  March  '61),  who  moulded  the  regiment  after  the  old  dragoon 
pattern  and  became  one  of  the  great  generals  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  ; 
Robert  E.  Lee  (16  March  '61-25  April  '61),  afterward  the  famous  Confederate 
chieftain;  John  Sedgwick  (25  April  '61-9  May  '64),  the  able  Union  soldier 
who  gave  up  his  life  at  the  head  of  his  corps  in  the  Wilderness ;  Lawrence 


♦Annual  Report,  1S86,  Gen.  Miles. 


220  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

P.  Graham  (9  May  '64-15  Dec.  '70),  one  of  the  heroes  of  Resacade  la  Palma; 
Ranald  S.  Mackenzie  (15  Dec.  '70-1  Nov.  '82),  the  brilliant  young  cavalry- 
man and  scourge  of  the  border  Indians;  William  B.  Royall  (i  Nov.  '82-10 
Oct.  '87),  scarred  veteran  of  two  wars  and  innumerable  conflicts  with  sava- 
ges ;  and  Charles  E.  Compton  (19  Oct.  1887)  the  present  head  of  the  regi- 
ment—  a  fine  type  of  the  volunteer  and  regular  service. 

Behind  these  leaders  have  ridden,  boot  to  boot,  for  thousands  of  miles 
over  trackless  deserts,  through  dangerous  canons,  up  the  faces  of  frowning 
cliffs  and  across  rivers  broad  and  deep,  dusty  columns  of  fearless  horsemen  ; 
many  have  left  their  bones  bleaching  on  the  burning  sands  of  Texas,  in  the 
glare  of  an  Arizona  sun  or  resting  in  more  or  less  "  hospitable  graves  "  in 
Kansas,  Virginia,  and  Georgia. 

The  deeds  of  these  brave  American  cavaliers  deserve  to  be  chronicled  at 
greater  length  than  is  practicable  here  ;  in  these  peaceful  days  there  is  no 
nobler  professional  task  to  which  one  of  its  younger  officers  can  devote  him- 
self than  to  fully  record  the  achievements  of  the  regiment  to  which  he  has 
the  privilege  and  honor  to  belong. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY. 

By  first  LIEUT.   EliEN  SWIFT,  U.  S.  A. 
Fifth  Cavalry. 

WHEN  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis,  the  war  secretary  in  1855,  had  secured 
the  adoption  of  his  pet  scheme  for  the  organization  of  two  new 
mounted  regiments,  he  set  out  at  once  to  make  them  worthy  of 
his  patronage.  Much  opposition  had  been  encountered  from 
the  class  of  politicians  who  are  inimical  to  a  regular  army,  who  pretended 
to  fear  many  plans  for  conquest  abroad  or  reward  for  favorites  at  home,  so 
that,  among  other  compromises,  about  halt  of  the  new  appointments  were 
made  from  civil  life.  Among  the  officers  of  the  Army,  great  rivalry  existed 
for  the  new  places,  on  account  of  the  prospective  increase  m  rank.  Mr. 
Davis  then  displayed  that  fine  judgment  in  the  selection  of  men,  which  has 
been  said  to  be  the  first  requisite  of  greatness,  and  which  afterwards  enabled 
him  to  place  the  fate  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  in  the  best  hands  from 
the  early  days  of  the  war.  Out  of  twenty  officers  who  joined  our  regiment 
from  the  Regular  Army  in  1855,  those  who  obtained  the  grade  of  general 
officer  in  the  Rebellion  were,  Sidney  Johnston,  Robert  E.  Lee,  Hardee, 
Emory,  George  H.  Thomas,  Van  Dorn,  Kirby  Smith,  Oakes,  Innis  Palmer, 
Stoneman,  "  Shanks  "  Evans,  R.  W.  Johnson,  Field, Gerrard,  Cosby  and  Hood. 
Four  of  them  commanded  great  armies  in  the  field,  and  many  of  the  others 
had  large  independent  commands.  Lowe  was  recommended  by  Grant, 
Thomas  and  Rosecrans,  but  he  was  pursued  to  the  end  by  an  enmity  which 
prevented  his  passing  the  grade  of  colonel.  Van  Camp,  whose  early  promise 
was  as  great  as  the  best,  was  killed  at  the  head  of  a  charge  on  an  Indian 
village.  Among  those  who  entered  from  civil  life,  Chambliss,  Harrison, 
Royall  and  others,  were  worthy  of  high  commands,  but  were  disabled  early 
in  the  war ;  O'Hara  was  the  gifted  author  of  the  "  Bivouac  of  the  Dead  ;  " 
Jenifer  became  a  general  officer  in  the  armies  of  the  South  and  was  the  in- 
ventor of  the  celebrated  saddle  which  bears  his  name.  Later  came  Fitzhugh 
Lee  and  Major,  .soon  to  be  distinguished  Confederate  generals;  and,  in 
the  first  days  of  the  war,  Custer  and  Mcintosh  joined,  fought  themselves 
to  captaincies,  and  were  then  detached  to  volunteer  commands,  where  great 
honors  awaited  them.  Another  of  the  lieutenants  of  1861  was  General 
Richard  Byrnes,  who  was  killed  in  command  of  the  Irish  Brigade  at  Cold 
Harbor. 

The  beginnings  of  the  regiment  were  in  other  ways  worthy  of  its  thor- 
oughbred personnel.  The  very  best  horses  were  obtained,  and  the  result 
was  the  only  really  excellent  mount  that  the  regiment  has  ever  had.  The 
average  price  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  which  would  be  more  than 
equivalent  to  double  that  amount  at  this  time.     The  purchase  was  made 


222  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

mostly  in  Kentucky,  by  officers  designated  by  a  regimental  order,  and  after 
six  years  of  the  hardest  kind  of  service  most  of  these  horses  were  left 
behind  with  deep  sorrow  when  General  Twiggs  surrendered  to  the  State  of 
Texas. 

There  is  not  much  of  interest  to  recall  in  the  way  of  arms  and  equip- 
ment. Several  patterns  of  carbine  were  in  use,  with  Colt's  revolvers  and 
the  inevitable  sabre.  The  carbine  was  discarded  in  the  early  part  of  the 
war,  but  had  to  be  resumed  of  course,  and  is  now,  with  the  revolver, 
replaced  by  a  more  efficient  arm.  The  "beautiful  white  weapon"  has 
remained  unchanged,  and  history  fails  to  record  the  size  of  its  grave-yard, 
even  in  the  hands  of  the  cavaliers  of  the  Fifth.  Changes  in  equipment 
have  not  been  radical,  and  not  all  of  them  have  been  approved  by  the  best 
experience.  For  instance,  what  fate  should  pursue  the  snaffle-rein,  to 
drive  it  out  of  use,  while  we  keep  the  carbine-sling  after  thirty-five  years  } 
There  was  the  close  fitting  jacket,  trimmed  with  yellow  braid  ;  the 
silken  sash ;  the  black  hat,  looped  with  an  eagle  at  the  side,  with  trail- 
ing plumes  of  ostrich  feathers.  Brass  scales  for  the  shoulder,  to  turn  the 
sabre  strokes  of  the  enemy,  were  provided,  but  only  used  for  full  dress. 
There  were  no  boots  or  gauntlets. 

The  first  drills  were  conducted  by  Major  Hardee,  the  author  of  the  tac- 
tics of  that  day,  and  the  early  disciplme  soon  felt  the  master  hands  of  such 
men  as  Johnston,  Lee  and  Thomas,  assisted  by  as  good  a  lot  of  soldiers  as 
ever  spurred  steed  in  fight  or  foray.  There  were  rollicking  times  too,  and 
bouts  where  eager  subs  would  have  drained  the  brimming  Council  Cup  of 
Rothenberg  without  a  sigh.  They  tell  of  many  a  run  after  hounds  or  over 
the  track,  and  of  "  Bumble "  and  "  Eagle "  and  other  famous  racers, 
backed  by  the  the  light  riders  of  the  old  regiment,  who  always  carried  its 
colors  to  the  fore.  And  there  was  once  a  game  in  which  a  certain  lieutenant 
waged  a  thousand  dollars  and  did  not  hold  a  pair.  He  afterwards  led  the 
forlorn  hope  of  an  expiring  cause,  and  the  incident  was  cited  in  solemn 
council,  to  show  that  such  a  man  would  surely  fight  on  the  morrow. 

A  very  poor  ranch,  such  as  you  may  run  across  now  in  some  distant 
sagebrush  Eden  of  the  now  frontier,  built  of  stone  or  logs  chinked  with 
mud,  with  a  clay  floor  and  an  earthen  roof,  formed  a  palatial  residence. 
To  such  a  home  the  ladies  of  the  old  army  followed  their  lords,  and  counted 
themselves  happy  when  it  was  no  worse.  In  those  early  Texas  days  most  of 
the  time  was  passed  under  canvas,  with  a  certainty  of  constant  scouting  and 
a  change  of  station  at  least  once  a  year.  Articles  which  we  regard  as  neces- 
sities, even  ice  and  potatoes,  were  unheard  of  luxuries  at  many  posts,  and 
scurvy  was  a  well-known  word  in  hospital  records.  The  houses  of  the  few 
married  men  formed  charming  social  resorts  which  helped  to  keep  alive 
the  graces  and  refinements  of  civilization.  Many  a  jolly  party  met  within 
the  narrow  quarters,  and  the  Thanksgiving  turkey  was  none  the  less  enjoyed 
when  the  guests  had  to  sit  on  the  family  beds  in  order  to  arrange  themselves 
at  table.  General  Johnston's  quarters  at  Fort  Mason  consisted  of  one 
small  room  for  himself  and  family. 

The  early  service  was  well  calculated  to  test  the  metal  of  officers  and 
men.     In  the  preceding  year  General  Scott  had  reported  that,  in  Texas, 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  223 

Indian  hostilitcs  had  been  more  destructive  than  at  other  points.  Long  be- 
fore the  regiment  left,  the  hostiles  had  been  driven  far  into  the  mterior.  and 
they  had  been  harried  in  their  own  hunting  grounds  and  villages.  Called  to 
patrol  a  frontier  extending  from  the  Red  River  in  the  north,  to  Fort  Mcin- 
tosh on  the  Rio  Grande,  it  scouted  far  into  New  Mexico,  fought  in  Indian 
Territory,  and  defeated  Mexican  or  Indian  marauders  in  old  Mexico.  Forty 
well  contested  engagements  were  fought  with  Lipan,  Apache,  Kiowa  or 
Comanche  Indians,  and  with  Mexican  guerillas.  All  who  know  how  hard  it 
is  to  catch  an  Indian  on  the  war-path,  will  appreciate  the  hard  riding,  the 
winter  cold,  the  summer  thirst,  the  quarries  trailed  but  never  flushed,  the 
wakeful  nights,  the  heavy  days,  involved  in  that  brief  record.  There  was  no 
disaster. 

The  most  successful  engagements  were  fought  by  an  expedition  to  the 
Wichita  Mountains  in  the  winter  of  1858-59,  under  Major  Earl  Van  Dorn. 
In  the  two  combats  of  this  command  over  a  hundred  warriors  were  left  dead 
on  the  field  ;  the  villages  and  ponies  were  captured.  Van  Camp,  already 
distinguished  in  several  engagements,  was  killed  at  the  head  of  his  troop. 
Van  Dorn,  Kirby  Smith  and  Fitzhugh  Lee,  were  wounded  ;  six  enlisted  men 
were  killed,  and  twenty  wounded.  One  of  Van  Dorn's  wounds  was  at  first 
supposed  to  be  mortal ;  he  was  shot  at  close  range  by  an  arrow  which  went 
entirely  through  his  body. 

On  the  first  occasion  four  troops,  after  a  forced  march  of  ninety  miles  in 
thirty-six  hours,  came  upon  Buflfalo  Hump's  Comanche  camp,  consisting 
of  a  hundred  and  twenty  lodges,  and  between  four  and  five  hundred  Indians. 
It  was  a  little  after  daylight,  and  a  complete  surprise.  The  cavalry  was 
formed  in  line  of  troops,  in  columns  of  twos,  guide  right,  and  so  they  dashed 
into  the  village,  which  lay  among  some  rough  ravines  well  filled  wnth  thick 
reeds  and  underbrush.  The  Indians  rallied  and  fought  desperately  hand 
to  hand.  It  was  several  hours  before  they  were  completely  disloc'ged  and 
then  they  fled,  followed  by  the  troops.  On  the  second  occasion,  after  much 
ineffectual  scouting,  a  part  of  the  same  band  was  attacked  again  some 
months  after,  with  like  result.  For  these  and  other  actions  high  praise  was 
given.    The  pride  of  the  Comanches  was  broken. 

During  the  great  Rebellion  the  regiment  was  engaged  before  the  first  de- 
feat, and  after  the  last  triumph  of  the  Federal  forces.  At  Bull  Run  a  bat- 
talion was  with  the  last  organized  troops  who  opposed  the  Confederates ; 
it  served  as  rear-guard  to  Centerville  and  bivouacked  on  the  ground  where 
it  lay  before  the  battle.  It  helped  to  stop  the  last  advance  of  Lee's  army, 
and  it  had  killed  and  wounded  at  Appomatox  on  April  9,  1865.  There  were 
one  hundred  and  twenty-live  battles  and  minor  actions  in  which  loss  in 
killed,  wounded  and  missing,  was  suffered  by  one  or  the  other  combatant. 
The  cavalry  received  little  encouragement  in  the  early  part  of  the  war. 
It  suffered  from  the  well-known  ignorance,  in  high  places,  of  the  fit  manage- 
ment and  proper  use  of  the  arm.  The  war  was  nearly  half  over  when 
Mr.  Lincoln  asked  General  McClellan  "  what  the  horses  did  to  fatigue  any- 
thing," and  about  the  same  time  the  celebrated  remark  about  "dead  cavalry- 
men "  was  attributed  to  General  Hooker,  but  never  made.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  the  Fifth  Cavalry  performed  some  of  its  best  service  in  those  days,  when 


224  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  arm  was  outnumbered  and  overworked.  The  brilliant  dash  at  Fairfax, 
the  capture  of  two  companies  of  unbroken  infantry  by  Harrison's  troop  at 
Hanover  Court  House,  Custer  at  New  Bridge,  Mcintosh  at  Sycamore  Church, 
aflforded  a  few  of  the  examples  of  successful  use  of  efficient  cavalry  in  those 
early  days.  With  battle  records  far  exceeding  that  of  the  infantry,  it  was 
not  called  upon  to  suffer  the  terrible  losses  of  foot  troops  in  single  engage- 
ments. The  opportunities  for  mounted  action  were  few.  When  dismounted, 
it  was  not  its  duty  to  fight  desperately  in  attack  or  defense.  But  while  the 
infantry  had  its  season  of  rest  the  cavalry  was  constantly  exposed,  and  suf- 
fered a  large  percentage  of  loss  in  almost  daily  fighting  and  scouting. 
Many  were  captured  as  a  matter  of  course,  from  the  isolated  nature  of  its 
duties,  but  capture  meant  neither  defeat  nor  dishonor;  it  generally  showed 
that  the  trooper  had  ventured  and  risked  too  much. 

A  regular  regiment,  during  the  war,  was  under  many  disadvantages.  Its 
field-officers,  and  many  others,  were  commanding  volunteers  and  serving  on 
important  duty  elsewhere.  The  Fifth  Cavalry,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
months,  was  commanded  by  captains  and  lieutenants.  The  command  of 
the  regiment  changed  thirty-four  times,  and,  curiously  enough,  it  frequently 
served  under  men  who  had  been  in  its  ranks  not  very  long  before.  It  was 
often  difficult  to  get  one  officer  to  a  squadron.  Casualties  among  general 
officers  and  those  on  detached  service  were  slight,  so  that  promotion  was 
comparatively  slow.  In  the  matter  of  recruits,  as  the  States,  and  many  of 
the  towns  and  counties,  offered  large  bounties,  the  volunteer  regiments 
were  more  easily  kept  up  to  their  standard.  There  were  ladies'  aid  societies, 
congressmen  and  newspapers,  always  watching  the  home  organizations, 
mindful  of  their  comfort,  caring  fortheir  wounded,  and  praisingtheir  deeds. 
The  regulars  were  deprived  of  these  advantages. 

There  was  many  a  tough  tussle  of  outposts  and  advance  and  rear  guards, 
where  the  cost  was  not  counted  and  the  road  unexplored.  As  Private 
Mulvaney  w^ould  have  stated  the  case,  the  word  was  "  hit  first  and  frequent." 
The  roster  was  greatly  changed  by  the  war.  In  place  of  the  fire-eating 
Southerners  and  hard-riding  Northerners  of  a  few  years  before,  we  find  that 
all  the  junior  officers  were  now  promotions  from  the  ranks,  the  best  of  the 
sergeants  and  privates  who  had  learned  their  trade  so  well  in  the  good 
school  of  border  war.  There  were  English,  Irish,  Germans  and  Americans 
among  them,  and  they  were  a  brave,  stiff-backed  set,  who  got  all  the  law 
and  the  prophets  out  of  the  blue  book  and  the  tactics.  They  kept  up  much  of 
the  old  style  and  rigidity  of  discipline  and  formed  an  excellent  model  for  the 
volunteer  cavalry. 

At  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill  on  June  27,  1862,  the  regiment  performed 
its  most  distinguished  service.  On  that  day,  it  will  be  remembered,  the 
Confederate  Army,  reinforced  by  the  corps  of  Stonewall  Jackson  from 
Northern  Virginia,  made  four  desperate  attacks  upon  the  Federal  left  under 
Fitz  John  Porter,  who  was  occupying  an  open  plateau,  with  temporary  in- 
trenchments,  east  of  Powhite  creek,  his  left  protected  by  the  marshes  of 
the  Chickahominy  bottom.  The  sluggish  creek  flowed  through  deep  banks, 
concealed  by  heavy  timber  ;  the  high  ground  of  the  plateau  was  free  of  ob- 
stacles and  suitable  for  cavalry  over  a  strip  varying  from  four  hundred  to 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  225 

one  thousand  yards  in  width  ;  and  in  the  breaks  of  the  plateau,  in  rear  of 
the  extreme  left  of  our  line,  were  massed  the  weak  cavalry  brigades  of  Philip 
St.  George  Cooke.  In  front  of  the  cavalry,  the  batteries  of  the  reserve 
artillery  were  stationed. 

It  was  after  seven  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  ;  the  sun  had  sunk  below  the 
horizon,  the  heavy  smoke  of  battle  was  hanging  thicker  over  the  field,  and 
the  last  attack  of  the  enemy  had  been  made  and  won.  Only  the  cavalry 
and  a  part  of  the  artillery  remained  on  this  part  of  the  field.  A  brigade  of 
Texans,  broken  by  their  long  advance,  under  the  lead  of  the  hardest  fighter 
in  all  the  Southern  armies,  came  running  on  with  wild  yells,  and  they  were 
a  hundred  yards  from  the  guns.  It  was  then  that  the  cavalry  commander 
ordered  Captain  Charles  J.  Whiting,  with  his  regiment,  to  the  charge.  No 
one  had  blundered  ;  it  was  the  supreme  moment  for  cavalry,  the  oppor- 
tunity that  comes  so  seldom  on  the  modern  field  of  war,  the  test  of  disci- 
pline, hardihood,  and  nerve.  Right  well  was  the  task  performed.  The  two 
hundred  and  twenty  troopers  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry  struck  Longstreet's  vet- 
erans square  in  the  face.  Whiting,  his  horse  killed  under  him,  fell  stunned, 
at  the  feet  of  the  Fourth  Texas  Infantry.  Chambliss  was  torn  almost  to 
pieces  with  six  wounds.  Sweet  was  killed.  Only  one  of  the  other  officers 
was  unwounded.  In  all,  the  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  was  fifty- 
eight,  and  twenty-four  horses  were  known  to  have  been  killed.  Unsup- 
ported and  almost  without  officers,  the  troopers  were  stopped  by  the  woods 
of  the  creek  bottom,  returned,  reformed,  and  were  soon  after  opposed  to 
the  enemy  in  covering  the  retreat  of  the  Federal  Army.  Two  days  later 
the  same  troops  were  engaged  at  Savage  Station.  The  guns  which  were  in 
condition  to  retire  were  saved.  The  facts  of  that  charge  speak  for  them- 
selves. No  action  was  ever  more  worthy  a  poet's  genius  ;  no  cavalry  charge 
was  ever  ridden  better  or  against  more  hopeless  odds  of  numbers.  In  other 
lands  every  survivor  of  Balaklava  has  been  pensioned  and  decorated.  The 
German  nation  will  always  delight  over  the  record  of  its  cavalry  at  Vion- 
ville  and  Mars-la-Tour,  and  the  great  Chancellor  was  never  so  proud  as 
when  he  embraced  the  sons  who  rode  in  the  ranks  on  that  day.  The  memory 
of  the  sacrifice  of  French  cavalry  at  Sedan  is  still  a  balm  for  many  wounds. 
But  while  Cardigan,  Bredow  and  Gallifet,  each  in  his  own  land,  received  every 
honor,  it  is  strange  to  relate  that  Whiting  was  dismissed  for  alleged  dis- 
loyalty a  few  months  after  Gaines'  Mill,  reinstated  after  the  war,  and  mus- 
tered out  of  service  at  the  consolidation  in  1870.  The  action  of  the  cavalry 
received  the  censure  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  and  was  made  the  reason 
for  the  removal  of  General  Cooke  from  command.  It  is  not  worth  while  to 
argue  tne  points  of  the  controversy.  The  curious  searcher  after  facts  will 
find  them  in  the  abundant  writings  of  both  Federals  and  Confederates, 

This  battle  gave  a  strange  instance  of  the  fortune  of  war.  Hood  had 
served  as  a  lieutenant  under  Whiting  in  the  regiment  before  the  war.  Now, 
at  the  head  of  a  Confederate  brigade,  he  received  the  charge  of  his  former 
comrades.  After  the  fight,  finding  Chambliss  so  desperately  wounded  on 
the  field,  he  saw  that  his  old  friend  had  every  care  and  attention.  Such  en- 
counters were  frequent.  It  was  Fitzhugh  Lee's  own  regiment  of  Virginia 
cavalry  that  overwhelmed  Royall's  outpost  at  Old  Church,  captured  part  of 


226  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

his  old  troop  and  wounded  a  couple  of  officers.  The  Rebellion  records 
show  that  Confederate  commanders  took  some  pride  in  reporting  to  the 
Commander-in-Chief  that  they  had  encountered  his  old  regiment. 

Several  years  of  reconstruction  duty,  in  small  detachments,  over  almost 
every  Southern  State,  varied  by  an  occasional  scrap  with  guerillas,  and  much 
destruction  of  moon-shine  whiskey,  were  followed,  in  the  fall  of  1868,  by 
orders  to  the  frontier  of  Nebraska  and  Kansas.  The  rapid  settlement  of 
these  States  following  the  war,  and  the  energetic  construction  of  the  Pacific 
railroads,  had  rallied  the  savages  of  the  plains  to  the  defense  of  their  hunt- 
ing grounds.  What  the  Comanches  had  been  to  Texas,  these  Cheyennes 
and  Sioux  are  in  the  north.  They  are  without  fear,  without  faith,  and  with- 
out mercy,  and  warriors  from  immemorial  tradition.  Killing  and  stealing 
form  alike  their  best  ideas  of  earthly  honor  or  of  heavenly  bliss.  In  their  fight 
against  the  whites  they  have  ever  displayed  a  superb  courage,  which  attracts 
our  admiration  but  does  not  command  our  sympathy.  It  is  folly  to  suppose 
that  contact  with  white  people  has  made  them  any  more  inhuman  in  their 
tastes  than  they  have  been  for  ages  past. 

A  quick  concentration  united  most  of  the  regiment  under  General 
Eugene  A.  Carr,  the  senior  major,  in  western  Kansas.  Then  for  over  a 
year  there  was  scurrying  over  trails  hot  and  cold,  along  the  frontier  from 
the  Canadian  River  in  Texas  to  the  Niobrara  in  Nebraska.  The  hostiles 
were  often  encountered,  with  varying  success,  and  they  were  given  one 
crushmg  defeat.  They  frequently  attacked  the  troops,  and  no  man's  picket- 
pin  was  safe  from  their  raids.  The  most  terrible  marauder  of  the  lot  was 
Tall  Bull  of  the  Cheyennes,  and  with  him  were  joined  the  Sioux  of  Pawnee 
Killer  and  Whistler.  Against  them  the  efforts  of  the  troops  were  mainly 
directed.  In  July,  1869,  General  Carr  finally  succeeded  in  locating  these 
bands  and  determining  the  general  direction  in  which  they  were  travelling. 
He  then  marched  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  four  days,  passed  around 
the  hostile  flank,  and  by  a  rapid  countermarch  approached  their  village  at 
Summit  Springs,  Colorado,  from  an  unexpected  direction.  As  the  troops 
moved  out  of  a  ravine,  formed  somewhat  as  they  were  at  the  Wichita  vil- 
lage, the  eighty-four  lodges  of  the  enemy  could  be  seen  twelve  hundred 
yards  away,  and  herds  of  horses  peacefully  cropping  the  grass  of  the  slopes 
beyond.  The  charge  was  sounded  and  away  they  went  like  devils  of  dust 
over  the  dry  open  plain.  The  attack  was  so  sudden,  so  terrible  and  so  un- 
expected that  the  Indians  had  no  time  for  defense.  Their  camp  and 
ponies  and  many  of  the  women  and  children  were  captured.  Tall  Bull  and 
sixty  of  his  warriors  were  killed.  In  the  village  lay  the  body  of  Mrs. 
Alderdice,  a  white  woman  captured  in  the  Kansas  settlements  some  months 
before.  The  squaws  had  found  time  in  the  hurry  of  their  flight,  to  beat 
out  her  brains  with  rocks,  and  to  strangle  her  babe  who  lay  near  by.  Not 
far  off  was  Mrs.  Weichel,  another  white  woman,  shot  through  the  body, 
but  still  living.  These  poor  creatures  who  had  seen  their  husbands  butch- 
ered, their  homes  destroyed  and  themselves  subjected  to  every  human 
misery,  were  now  struck  down  while  the  shouts  of  their  deliverers  were 
ringing  in  their  ears.  Mrs.  Weichel  finally  recovered  and  married  the  hos- 
pital steward  of  the  expedition,  who  had  tended  her  through  her  sufferings. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  227 

In  these  campaigns  William  F.  Cody  acted  as  chief  guide  and  scout, 
and  first  distinguished  himself.  For  this  battle  the  regiment  received  the 
congratulations  of  the  various  military  commanders  and  the  thanks  of  the 
Legislature  of  Nebraska.  It  ended  Indian  terrorism  in  two  States  for  many 
years.  The  regiment  occupied  stations  in  Wyoming  and  Nebraska,  and, 
after  more  scouting  and  some  fighting,  was  ordered  to  distant  service  be- 
yond the  great  divide. 

And  now  the  scene  changes  swiftly  over  rail  and  water,  from  high  rolling 
prairie,  of  buffalo  grass,  cactus,  sage  bush,  where  the  bufifalo,  antelope  and 
prairie  dog  have  their  home,  to  Arizona.  There  a  high  plateau  and  a  low 
plain  had  been  jammed  together  in  some  monstrous  battle  of  nature  an  j 
left  a  ragged  mass  of  mountain  and  canon  in  wild  confusion.  There  is  no 
rougher  bit  of  country  on  the  continent.  Here  the  Apache  made  his  den, 
centuries  ago,  and  from  here  he  raided  the  more  peaceful  peoples  of  upland 
and  lowland,  far  and  near.  Secure  in  a  stronghold  that  seemed  impregna- 
ble, he  turned  his  hand  against  every  other  living  thing  and  grew  more  and 
more  like  an  animal  in  his  wants  and  desires.  The  presence  of  a  few  troops 
had  encouraged  small  settlements,  but  outside  the  half  dozen  large  towns 
and  a  few  posts  no  man's  life  or  property  was  safe.  The  rascality  of  the 
savages  was  encouraged  by  the  attempts  of  philanthropists  to  make  a  peace- 
ful solution  of  the  problem,  while  the  godless  Apache  laughed  at  the  fool  of 
a  white  man,  fattened  his  squaws  and  pappooses  at  the  agencies  and  sought 
pastime  in  getting  drunk  on  tizwin,  and  killing  greasers  or  white  men  and 
stealing  their  stock.  So  things  went  on  from  the  days  of  Cortez,  and  the 
Lord  only  knows  how  long  before,  until  General  George  Crook,  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  infantry,  went  to  command  the  Department  of  Arizona.  He  ob- 
tained permission  to  compel  the  Indians  to  stay  on  their  reserves,  and, 
when  they  left,  to  follow  and  kill  them.  To  do  this,  troops  were  put  at  the 
agencies,  the  Indians  were  counted  at  stated  times  and  they  were  hired  to 
track  and  pursue  each  other.  The  Fifth  Cavalry  arrived  in  time  and  was 
so  disposed  as  to  be  the  general's  most  important  instrument  in  accomplish- 
ing his  work.  In  September,  1872,  he  reported  a  list  of  fifty-four  outrages 
committed  in  a  year,  not  by  any  means  a  complete  list,  but  only  such  as  he 
was  willing  to  vouch  for.  One  of  these  affairs  alTords  a  fair  sample  of 
the  lot.  Lieutenant-  Reid  T.  Stewart,  while  travelling  on  a  buck-board 
with  a  soldier  driver  was  ambushed  in  Davidson's  Canon  and  Killed.  The 
driver  was  pursued,  captured  and  tortured  to  death  with  lances  and  knives, 
— a  fate  which  Stewart  himself  probably  escaped  by  being  killed  at  the  first 
fire. 

Shortly  after  this  affair  General  Crook's  campaign  commenced  in 
earnest.  Bodies  of  troops  swept  over  the  infested  district  as  with  a 
broom.  Major  Mason  with  three  troops  jumped  four  rancherias  at  Muchos 
Canons  in  the  Santa  Maria  mountains  and  killed  forty  warriors.  Major 
Brown  with  three  troops,  struck  the  chief  Apache  stronghold  at  the  caves  in 
Salt  River  Canon  and  killed  fifty-seven  warriors.  Troop  "  A  "  with  another 
command  fought  two  engagements  at  Turrit  Mountain,  where  thirty-six 
y  bucks  were  slain.  Lieutenant  Michler  with  "  K  "  Troop  corralled  a  war  party 
on  Tonto  Creek  and  killed   seventeen  warriors.     There  were  many  smaller 


228  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

engagements  and  on  the  7th  of  April,  the  department  commander  announced 
the  first  peace  to  the  Territory  of  Arizona.  Twenty-live  hundred  hostiles 
returned  to  their  reserves,  not  conceahng  their  hatred  of  the  whites,  but 
confessing  their  terror  of  the  troops.  The  real  force  of  Apache  resistance 
was  indeed  broken  but  there  were  many  bands  of  defiant  renegades  to  be 
punished.  In  May,  Lieutenant  Almy  lost  his  life  at  San  Carlos  as  a  result 
of  an  extensive  conspiracy  there,  and  probably  two-thirds  of  the  fighting  and 
scouting  was  yet  to  come.  In  October,  General  Crook  was  promoted  a 
brigadier-general  for  his  services  in  these  campaigns.  Unfortunately  the 
Chiricahuas  were  exempt  from  his  jurisdiction  just  as  their  turn  came  to 
receive  their  lesson,  and  thus  the  bloody  wars  of  some  years  afterwards  were 
not  prevented.  Out  of  ninety-seven  affairs  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry  in  Arizona 
there  are  only  at  my  hand  official  statements  of  losses  on  thirty-three 
occasions :  In  these  there  were  five  hundred  and  ninety-nme  Indian  war- 
riors killed,  and  many  hundred  captured,  and  of  necessity  these  figures  could 
only  give  the  minimum  loss  sustamed.  These  results  were  reached  by  the 
hardest  kind  of  work.  "  The  officers  and  men  worked  day  and  night,  and 
with  our  Indian  allies,  would  crawl  upon  their  hands  and  knees  for  long 
distances  over  terrible  canons  and  precipices  where  the  slightest  miss-step 
would  have  resulted  in  instant  death,  in  order  that  when  daylight  came  they 
might  attack  their  enemy  and  secure  the  advantage  of  surprise  so  indispen- 
sable in  this  kind  of  warfare.  In  alm.ost  every  instance  they  did  this  with 
most  complete  success,  almost  invariably  surprising  the  Indians  and  never 
giving  them  a  chance  to  rally.  There  is  hardly  a  space  of  ten  miles  square, 
in  the  country  operated  over,  that  has  not  some  terrible  lava-bed,  or  preci- 
pitous caiion  with  fortified  caves,  which  the  Indians  could  have  held  against 
all  odds  and  with  terrible  loss  of  life  had  the  enemy  been  approached  in  day- 
light, and  assailed  when  they  were  on  the  alert." 

General  Schofield  thanked  the  troops  officially  for  their  "  extraordinary 
service,"  and  General  William  T.  Sherman  said  that  "  the  services  of  the 
Fifth  Cavalry  in  Arizona  were  unequalled  by  that  of  any  cavalry  regiment 
during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion." 

Then  came  the  overland  march  to  Kansas  in  1875,  and  brief  service 
there,  which  though  fairly  active,  afforded  no  prospect  of  any  serious  work, 
until  the  great  Sioux  warm  the  north  assumed  alarming  proportions.  Early 
in  1876  it  became  evident  that  the  troops  in  the  field  were  not  strong  enough 
to  cope  with  the  hostiles.  In  the  light  of  subsequent  events  this  may  have 
been  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  troops  of  two  departments  were  in  the  field 
under  two  generals  instead  of  one.  At  any  rate  the  regiment  soon  found 
itself,  still  led  by  General  Carr,  moved  rapidly  to  the  north,  to  serve  again 
in  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  which  it  had  left  such  a  short  time  before. 

Gen.  William  H.  Emory  had  just  been  retired,  and  on  the  first  day  of 
July,  on  the  South  Cheyenne  River,  the  regiment  hailed  its  new  colonel. 
Gen.  Wesley  Merritt,  its  former  brigade  and  division  commander  in  famous 
Virginia  days.  Then  up  and  away  to  the  fight  on  the  War  Bonnet,  and  the 
chase  of  the  surprised  Cheyennes  into  their  agency,  and  the  hurried  march 
to  join  Crook's  command  on  Goose  Creek.  No  need  to  tell  again  of  such 
recent  and  oft-told  events  as  those  which  follow, — of  the  meet  on  the  Rose- 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY,  229 

bud,  Custer's  trail,  the  fight  at  Slim  Buttes,  the  "  mud  march,"  "  six  months 
without  a  dime,"  rations  of  Indian  pony  and  putrid  dried  buffalo.  In  the 
year  most  of  the  troops  marched  over  two  thousand  miles  ;  ninety-three  of 
our  horses  died  of  exhaustion  and  starvation  between  Heart  River  and  the 
Belle  Fourche  during  one  week  in  September.  General  Crook's  tired  bat- 
talions reached  civilization  again,  after  many  privations,  and  although  they 
did  not  destroy  the  enemy,  they  caused  him  to  break  and  scatter,  so  that  he 
never  again  made  a  formidable  resistance.  Gordon's  battalion  returned  dur- 
ing the  winter  from  the  fight  with  Cheyennes  at  Bates  Creek,  and  soon 
Sitting  Bull  was  across  the  border,  Crazy  Horse  was  dead,  and  Dull  Knife's 
hard  fighting  band  was  destroyed.  General  Crook  had  secured  peace  for 
his  Department. 

Short  work  of  tailor  and  barber,  with  drills,  feed  and  grooming,  soon 
made  another  smart  regiment.  Several  active  seasons  followed,  with  sum- 
mers and  winters  in  Idaho  after  Bannocks;  in  the  Sand  Hills  of  Nebraska 
after  Cheyennes  ;  on  the  Stinking  Water  trying  to  hit  a  last  blow  at  the  Nez 
Perce's;  along  the  flanks  of  the  Big  Horns,  patrolling  the  old  hunting 
grounds  of  the  Sioux  ;  at  Omaha  and  Chicago  during  the  railway  riots. 
These  occupations,  mingled  with  well  remembered  days  of  song  and  dance 
at  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  took  up  the  time  until  the  winter  of  1879. 

One  frosty  morning  of  October,  news  came  that  Major  Thornburgh's 
command,  consisting  mostly  of  our  own  people,  had  been  roughly  handled 
by  Utes  in  Colorado.  It  takes  little  time  to  put  well-equipped  troops  in  the 
field,  so  in  a  few  hours  a  command  of  cavalry  and  infantry  had  made  the 
journey  by  rail,  and  were  at  Rawlins,  Wyoming,  with  all  details  complete, 
ready  to  push  on  to  the  relief  of  the  besieged  troops  and  the  agency  beyond. 

The  Utes  were  a  powerful  tribe,  divided  among  several  agencies  in  Col- 
orado and  Utah.  They  had  been  at  peace  with  the  whites  for  many  years, 
but  were  known  to  be  proud  and  warlike.  If  the  entire  nation  had  joined 
in  this  uprising,  and  gathered  recruits,  as  Indians  always  do,  among  the  am- 
bitious youth  of  all  other  tribes,  there  was  prospect  of  some  heavy  work.  A 
month  later  over  three  thousand  men  were  in  the  field  against  these  Indians. 
The  first  troops  that  gathered  at  Rawlins,  consisted  of  four  troops  of  cavalry 
and  several  companies  of  infantry, — in  all  about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
men — while  the  besieged  force  amounted  to  nearly  half  that  number.  To 
have  waited  under  such  circumstances,  until  more  of  the  hurrymg  troops 
had  arrived,  would  have  been  fairly  prudent,  and  justified  by  all  recent  ex- 
perience. On  the  other  hand  was  the  pressing  danger  of  the  troops  on 
Milk  Creek,  with  one-third  of  their  number  killed  and  wounded,  and  tne 
only  surgeon  wounded.  No  doubts  disturbed  the  serene  mind  of  the  officer 
in  command.  With  entire  singleness  of  purpose,  and  no  thought  except  for 
the  immediate  danger  of  the  besieged  troops,  he  gathered  together  such 
force  as  he  could,  packed  his  infantry  in  some  country  wagons,  and  plunged 
into  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  odd  miles  of  mountain  and  wilderness  that 
lay  between  the  railroad  and  the  scene  of  the  recent  disaster.  The  march 
was  made  in  two  days  and  a  part  of  a  third,  and  considering  circumstances 
of  time,  distance,  and  good  condition  of  men  and  horses  at  the  end,  it  was 
a  remarkable  instance  of  the  forced  march  of  a  well-conducted  command. 


230  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S,  ARMY. 

It  was  an  exciting  ride,  the  last  night  particularly,  as  we  forged  on  through 
the  mountains,  expecting  every  moment  to  find  our  slaughtered  comrades 
or  to  hear  the  crack  of  the  rifles  of  Utes  in  our  way.  Now  the  road  ran 
along  the  edge  of  a  precipice  whose  black  shadows  concealed  many  hundred 
feet  of  chasm,  where  some  of  the  huddling  pack-mules  slipped  and  were 
never  seen  again  ;  it  widens  out  a  little  where  naked  bodies  of  dead  team- 
sters are  shining  in  the  moonlight;  two  brothers  met  there,  one  riding 
with  our  advance,  the  other  lying  in  the  trail,  with  one  stiff  arm  raised  as  if 
to  grasp  your  horse's  bridle  as  he  jumped  aside.  Then  on  until  mountains 
are  past,  and  the  guide  tells  us  each  moment  that  we  are  near  the  spot. 
That  guide's  indecision  is  exasperating,  but  at  last  we  get  there.  There  is 
a  challenge  and  a  bugle  call,  and  General  Merritt  and  his  headquarter  party 
ride  for  the  rifle-pits  at  a  dead  run.  Small  time  for  hand-shakings  then,  for 
although  the  Indians  have  made  no  attack,  the  morning  sun  soon  rises  and 
shows  them  about  a  mile  away,  massing  as  if  to  defend  the  entrance  to 
Yellow  Jacket  Pass,  where  they  had  driven  Thornburgh  back  before.  There 
was  skirmishing  in  the  morning  and  the  Indians  hurried  away,  leaving  the 
troops  to  find  their  dead  and  care  for  the  wounded.  The  agency  was  a  short 
march  beyond  ;  on  the  road  were  more  swollen  and  distorted  bodies  of  dead 
civilians,  and  seven  more  at  the  agency,  with  pigs  and  fowls  and  carrion 
birds  feeding  on  their  flesh.  The  Indians  showed  their  contempt  of  Meeker's 
ideas  about  planting  corn,  by  driving  a  wooden  peg  down  his  throat,  ap- 
parently while  he  was  alive,  and  by  dragging  him,  with  a  chain  around  his 
neck,  up  and  down  in  front  of  his  house.     The  women  were  carried  away. 

After  all  this,  and  the  massacre  of  some  more  of  our  own  people,  it  may 
well  be  believed  that  the  command  was  in  a  frame  of  mind  to  start  on  a  Ute 
hunting  trip,  and  submitted  with  bad  grace  to  the  suspension  of  hostilities 
ordered  at  the  request  of  the  Interior  Department.  The  troops  went  back 
to  White  River,  and  dug  holes  in  the  ground  and  lay  there,  until  Ute  Jack, 
wearing  poor  old  Cherry's  spike-tailed  coat,  with  Colorao  and  Johnson,  and 
their  precious  gang,  went  to  Washington  and  talked  pleasantly  of  how  they 
had  ravished  the  women  and  butchered  the  men,  and  the  Ute  war  of  1879 
was  ended. 

That  was  the  last  Indian  campaign,  although  there  have  been  several  big 
scares,  notably  in  Indian  Territory,  in  1885,  when  the  Cheyennes  became 
excited  over  the  murder  of  an  Indian  by  a  white  man,  and  were  quieted  by 
the  good  management  of  General  Sheridan. 

The  season  of  rest  from  Indian  wars  afforded  opportunity  for  instruction 
of  larger  bodies  of  troops  than  are  ordinarily  collected  in  our  country.  In 
the  fall  of  1888,  Colonel  James  F.  Wade  organized  a  camp  of  instruction  for 
the  regiment  at  Camp  Rockwell,  and  again  in  1889  at  Camp  Schofield  the 
same  plan  was  pursued  on  a  larger  scale.  Two  regiments  of  cavalry,  three 
batteries  of  light  artillery,  and  sufficient  infantry  to  represent  a  brigade,  in  a 
hypothetical  military  situation,  went  into  camp  upon  Chilocco  Creek  in  the 
Cherokee  Strip.  The  formations  for  attacks  and  defense,  the  dispositions 
for  security  and  information,  and  the  operations  of  hostile  contact,  were 
practised  in  accord  with  proper  military  principles.  After  about  three 
weeks  of  most  instructive  work  the  troops  departed  for  their  posts. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  231 

Here  and  there  the  record  shows  a  feat  of  surpassing  valor,  as  when  First 
Sergeant  John  W.  Spangler  killed  six  Indians  in  a  single  encounter.  He 
won  the  honorable  mention  of  his  department  commander,  and  died  a  cap- 
tain of  cavalry.  Another  hero,  less  fortunate,  because  he  fought  on  the 
.vrong  side,  was  a  nameless  Comanche  Indian.  To  cover  the  flight  of  his 
squaws  and  pappooses  and  friends,  he  dismounted  in  the  way  of  the  charg- 
ing troops,  and  like  Horatius  of  old  he  held  them  at  bay.  He  wounded 
Major  George  H.  Thomas  and  five  enlisted  men,  one  mortally,  before  he 
fell,  pierced  by  a  score  of  wounds.  Perhaps  his  conquered  race  may  keep 
his  memory  still  in  song  and  story,  but  the  annals  of  the  victor  do  not  even 
give  his  name.  Brief  mention  only  may  be  made  of  the  way  John  B.  Hood 
showed  the  stuflf  he  was  made  of,  in  the  very  first  revolver  charge  fighting 
four  times  his  number  of  savages,  and  killing  more  of  them  than  he  had 
men  in  his  command  ;  how  Harrison,  with  thirty  men,  charged  a  brigade 
of  cavalry  to  save  his  pickets  ;  how  the  Greys  went  through  Fairfax. 

Not  all  of  war  is  made  up  of  death  and  suffering  ;  where  the  good  sol- 
dier rides  there  are  acts  of  mercy  found,  and  deeds  worthy  of  any  day  of 
chivalry.  We  might  tell  the  story  of  a  trooper  who  once  saved  an  Indian 
baby  from  the  wild  destruction  of  an  Apache  rancheria  by  Indian  allies, 
shared  his  blanket  at  night  with  the  mewling  little  savage,  and  carried  it 
many  hard  miles  by  day  until  he  could  turn  it  over  to  its  own  tribe.  Again, 
did  Ash  ride  out  and  draw  the  fire  of  a  brigade  so  that  he  might  tell  a 
straight  story  of  their  numbers  ?  That  was  war  too,  but  the  delighted  yells 
of  the  enemy  when  each  man  of  them  had  fired  and  missed  gave  a  dash  of 
kindness  to  war's  grim  visage  after  all.  Or  again,  when  a  village  was  taken, 
rich  wMth  plunder  of  the  wide  border,  did  not  the  soft-hearted  cavalrymen 
get  together  nine  hundred  dollars  that  were  found  there,  and  give  them  to 
the  wretched  white  woman  whom  the  Indians  had  left  for  dead  } 

The  history  of  our  regiment  is  the  plain  story  of  an  average  cavalry  reg- 
iment in  our  army  for  thirty-five  years.  It  has  wandered  much,  and  in 
many  scenes  of  civil  strife,  riot,  and  border  war  its  guidons  have  been  found. 
Its  graves  mark  the  spots  where  civilization  has  advanced  and  where  dis- 
union has  been  made  impossible.  No  argument,  save  its  simple  record,  is 
needed  to  expose  the  fallacy  of  the  speeches  of  Senators  Houston,  Benton, 
Doolittle  and  others,  which  contain  a  fair  sample  of  the  views  of  the  enemies 
of  the  Regulai  Army. 

Recent  years  have  been  years  of  peace,  but  the  regiment's  arms  have  not 
been  "  rusted  in  a  vile  repose."  Least  glorious  and  most  disagreeable  of  all 
its  duty  has  been  that  of  enforcing  the  laws  in  the  Indian  country,  guarding 
an  empire  of  land  against  our  poor  and  needy  citizens  who  have  ever  tres- 
passed on  that  forbidden  ground.  This  duty  has  been  gently  and  well  per- 
formed. The  soldier  is  nowhere  more  respected  than  in  the  land  of  home- 
seekers  and  boomers.  To  him  all  men  have  turned  in  days  of  disorganiza- 
tion and  danger,  and  on  the  opening  of  Oklahoma,  where  much  corruption 
vv^as  supposed  to  exist,  no  scandal  attached  to  the  United  States  troops. 
Perhaps  this  fact  may  deserve  a  place  beside  more  gaudy  laurels  won  zX 
Wichita  Village,  at  Gaines'  Mill,  or  at  Summit  Springs. 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY. 

By  Captain  WILLIAM  H.  CARTER,  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry. 

THE  Sixth  Regiment  of  Cavalry  was  organized  as  the  Third  Cavalry, 
under  the  President's  proclamation  of  May  3,  1861  ;  and  the  proc- 
lamation was  confirmed  by  Act  of  Congress,  July  29,  1861.  It  was 
provided  that  its  officers  should  take  rank  from  May  14,  1861. 

The  headquarters  were  ordered  established  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  the 
following  officers  were  appointed  to  constitute  the  commissioned  force  of 
the  new  regiment : 

Colonel  David  Hunter,  Lieutenant-Colonel  William  H.  Emory,  Majors 
D.  H.  Rucker  and  E.  H.  Wright. 

Captains  I.  N.  Moore,  A.  V.  Kautz,  A.  W.  Evans,  Wm.  S.  Abert,  D. 
McM.  Gregg,  J.  H.  Taylor,  J.  I.  Gregg,  John  Savage,  G.  C.  Cram,  C.  R. 
Lowell,  J.  S.  Brisbin,  and  H.  B.  Hayes. 

First  Lieutenants  J.  K.  Mizner,  W.  W.  Averill,  H.  M.  Enos,  L  W.  Claflin, 
S.  H.  Brown,  B.  T.  Hutchins,  H.  T.  McLean,  Tattnall  Paulding,  Frederick 
Dodge,  J.  B.  Johnson,  J.  F.  Wade,  M.  H.  Leavenworth. 

Second  Lieutenants  J.  W.  Spangler,  Peter  McGrath,  Hugh  McOuade, 
and  C.  B.  McLellan. 

Major  Rucker  having  declined,  Major  J.  H.  Carleton  was  appointed 
second  major,  to  date  from  September  7,  and  Major  L.  A.  Williams  was  on 
the  same  date  appointed  the  junior  major.  Captain  Moore  having  declined. 
Captain  William  P.  Sanders  was  appointed. 

The  designation  of  the  regiment  was  changed  to  "  Sixth  Cavalry,"  Aug- 
ust 10,  1861,  the  Mounted  Rifles  becoming  the  Third  Cavalry. 

The  regiment  was  recruited  principally  in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and 
western  New  York,  under  the  supervision  of  Lieut.-Col.  Emory,  and  on 
October  12,  1861,  Companies  B,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K  having  been  or- 
ganized, the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  camp  of  instruction  east  of 
the  Capitol  at  Washington.  The  organization  of  Company  A  was  com- 
pleted October  15;  a  sufficient  number  of  recruits  arrived  during  the  month 
to  complete  the  organization  of  Company  M  ;  and  on  the  ist  of  November 
the  band  of  fifteen  members  joined,  and  the  instruction  of  the  regiment 
was  begun.  Company  C  was  organized  December  23,  1861,  thus  completing 
the  organization  of  all  but  one  company,  and  on  December  31  the  regiment 
was  ready  for  the  field  with  34  officers  and  950  men. 

Winter  quarters  were  abandoned  on  March  10,  1862,  when  the  regiment 
crossed  Long  Bridge  and  marched  to  Fairfax  C.  H.,  where  it  was  assigned 
to  General  P.  St.  G.  Cooke's  command,  and  after  making  a  reconnoissance 
to  Centreville,  Manassas  and  Bull  Run,  was  embarked  March  27,  at  Alex- 
andria, for  P'ort  Monroe,  which  it  reached  on  the  30th. 

232 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.         233 

The  regiment,  except  one  squadron,  was  equipped  with  sabres  and  pistols 
as  light  cavalry,  and  marched  in  advance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to 
the  position  before  Yorktown,  where  it  remained  until  the  evacuation. 

The  regiment  participated  in  the  Peninsula  campaign  as  part  of  General 
Stoneman's  command.  It  opened  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Wil- 
liamsburg, after  pursuing  the  en ;my  through  Yorktown.  Here  it  under- 
took a  feat  of  arms  seldom  or  never  attempted  by  cavalry,  mounted,  and 
which  was  probably  brought  about  by  a  misconception  of  orders,  or  faulty 
information  regarding  the  garrison  and  works  attacked.  The  daring 
counter-charge  of  Captain  Sanders  was  the  salvation  of  the  rear  of  the 
command.  The  following  extract  is  taken  from  the  report  of  the  regi- 
mental commander  : 

"  I  was  ordered  to  make  a  detour  through  the  woods  and  take  a  battery  on  the 
enemy's  extreme  left  flank.  I  accordingly  proceeded  with  the  Sixth  Cavalry  through 
the  woods  indicated,  and  after  going  about  half  a  mile  at  a  trot,  debouched  upon  an 
open  but  undulating  ground  in  front  of  the  enemy's  line  of  fortifications.  The 
ground  was  very  heavy,  and  between  the  woods  and  the  field  works  there  was  a  deep 
ravine  only  passable  by  file.  The  ravine  was  about  equi-distant  from  the  woods  and 
the  works.  It  was  passed  and  the  regiment  formed  about  one  hundred  yards  from 
the  fortifications.  Lieutenant  Madden  with  a  platoon  was  sent  to  reconnoitre  the 
gorge.  This  was  during  the  time  its  occupants  were  engaged  with  Gibson's  battery 
in  front.  Lieutenant  Madden  reported  that  the  ditch  and  rampart  would  have  to  be 
surmounted  before  we  could  effect  an  entrance,  and  also  that  infantry  was  approach- 
ing on  the  near  side  of  a  wood  which  skirted  the  back  of  the  fort.  I  saw  three  regi- 
ments advancing  in  line  ;  our  position  was  critical,  equally  exposed  to  the  guns  of  the 
fort  and  the  advancing  infantry.  I  determined  to  retire.  Four  of  the  squadrons  and 
a  portion  of  the  fifth  had  already  passed  the  ravine  (it  was  belly  deep  to  the  horses  in 
mud),  when  two  squadrons  of  rebel  cavalry  rushed  from  the  barracks  in  rear  of  the 
fort,  and  endeavored  to  cut  off  Captain  Sanders'  company.  Captain  Sandeis  wheeled 
his  company  about,  charged  and  repelled  the  enemy  with  great  gallantry.  I  cannot 
speak  too  highly  of  the  officers  and  men  on  this  occasion.  Though  every  one  felt 
that  few  would  survive  if  the  guns  of  the  fort  were  turned  upon  us,  not  one  showed 
the  slightest  concern.  Captain  Sanders  showed  great  prudence  and  bravery  in  the 
timely  manner  in  which  he  met  the  enemy,  though  taken  at  a  disadvantage  by  superior 
numbers.  I  regret  to  report  that  Lieutenant  McLelian  was  wounded  in  the  leg  by  a 
shell  while  engaged.". 

The  regiment  formed  part  of  the  advanced  guard  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  and  was  engaged  May  9,  1862,  in  the  action  at  Slatersville  under 
General  Stoneman,  where  Sanders  again  distinguished  himself  by  repeatedly 
charging  superior  forces  of  the  enemy's  cavalry.  May  11,  the  regiment  again 
became  sharply  engaged  at  New  Kent  C.  H. 

May  24  it  was  in  action  at  Mechanicsville,  and  two  days  later  in  the  battle 
of  Hanover  Court  House,  the  regiment  camping  on  the  battle-field  until  the 
morning  of  the  28th,  when  orders  were  received  to  burn  the  railroad  bridge 
on  the  South  Anna,  near  Wickham's  farm.  Colonel  Wickham  was  laid  up 
with  a  sabre  wound  received  in  the  action  with  Sanders,  and  was  captured 
and  paroled.  The  destruction  of  the  bridge  and  consequent  railroad  com- 
munication was  accomplished  during  the  day  by  a  platoon  under  Lieu- 
tenant Kerin  supported  by  the  regiment.     At  12  o'clock  the  same  night 


234  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Lieutenant  Kerin  successfully  destroyed  the  county  bridge,  about  200  yards 
above  the  railroad  bridge. 

Captain  Cram  destroyed  a  bridge  which  had  been  fired  by  Rush's  Lancers 
on  the  27th,  but  which  they  had  failed  to  destroy  because  withdrawn  pre- 
maturely. Orders  arrived  during  the  night  to  destroy  the  Virginia  Central 
R.  R.  bridge  over  the  North  Anna,  which  was  accomplished  by  Captain 
Abert's  squadron,  supported  by  Captain  Kautz's. 

June  13,  1862,  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  having  succeeded  in  getting  to  the 
rear  of  the  Federal  army  with  a  considerable  force  of  cavalry,  the  Sixth  was 
ordered  in  pursuit  with  part  of  the  Fifth.  Some  active  reconnoissance  work 
took  place,  and  Stuart's  rear  guard  was  found  on  the  road  to  the  White 
House.  Orders  being  received  to  hold  the  position  then  occupied,  the  regi- 
ment halted  until  General  Cooke  arrived  with  his  command.  This  raid 
made  Stuart  famous,  and  gave  the  opposing  cavalries  a  lesson  their  leaders 
never  forgot. 

During  the  move  from  the  Chickahominy  to  the  James,  the  regiment 
retired  by  the  way  of  York  River.  There  was  an  accumulation  of  stores  at 
White  House  landing  which  it  was  desired  to  move,  and  it  became  necessary 
to  check  the  rebel  cavalrymen  who  were  pushing  in  close  pursuit  of  the 
retiring  columns.  The  Sixth  was  placed  with  a  platoon  of  artillery  at  the 
crossing  of  Black  Creek,  which  it  successfully  defended  against  several 
attempts  to  force  a  passage.  After  dark,  June  26,  the  stores  having  been 
removed  or  destroyed,  the  regiment  retired  to  Williamsburg,  marching  all 
night.  It  remained  about  Yorktown,  Hampton  and  vicinity  until  July  7,  when 
it  was  embarked  at  Fort  Monroe  for  Harrison's  Landing,  where  the  army 
had  arrived  after  the  seven  days'  fight. 

Company  L  was  organized  and  arrived  at  camp  July  13,  completing  the 
regimental  organization. 

August  4,  1862,  the  regiment  marched  to  Malvern  Hill  as  part  of 
Pleasanton's  Brigade,  and  on  the  next  day  had  a  sharp  engagement,  losing 
four  killed  and  a  number  wounded.  During  the  evacuation  of  Harrison's 
Landing,  August  18,  it  formed  the  rear  guard  to  Charles  City  Court  House. 

The  regiment  embarked  on  transports  at  Yorktown,  August  31,  and 
landed  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  September  2,  1862.  For  the  next  three  months 
it  was  almost  constantly  in  contact  with  the  enemy,  meeting  him  at  Falls 
Church,  Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  Middletown,  Charleston,  Va.,  the  expedition 
toLeesburg,  Waterford.  Charleston  again,  Hillsboro,  Philamont,  Uniontown, 
Uppeiville,  Barber's  Cross  roads,  Amosvilleand  the  Rappahannock,  the  reg- 
iment reaching  Belle  Plain,  November  24,  where  it  remained  until  Decem- 
ber 12,  when  it  marched  to  the  vicinity  of  Fredericksburg. 

The  army  was  now  crossing  the  Rappahannock  below  the  town,  and  a 
pontoon  bridge  having  been  thrown  over,  a  squadron  was  crossed,  and  made 
a  reconnoissance  towards  the  enemy's  works,  developing  their  infantry  line 
and  receiving  the  fire  of  a  battery,  with  a  loss  of  two  men  and  eight  horses 
wounded.  The  squadron  was  withdrawn  and  the  result  reported  to  General 
Burnside.  The  regiment  was  put  in  camp  near  Falmouth,  December  15, 
1862,  where  it  remained  until  April  13,  1863. 

The  regiment  was  greatly  hampered  in  its  early  service  by  the  want  of 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  235 

proper  arms  for  the  kind  of  warfare  it  was  dealing  with.  It  was  not  until 
three  days  after  the  battle  of  Antietam  that  carbines  were  issued  at  Sharps- 
burg  to  all  the  men,  and  in  the  midst  of  an  active  campaign  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  undertake  any  systematic  instruction  with  the  new  arms.  After  four 
months  of  camp  life  near  Falmouth,  notwithstanding  strenuous  efforts  to 
procure  horses,  the  regiment  resumed  active  work  with  nearly  300  men  in 
the  dismounted  camp. 

The  regiment  participated  in  the  "  Stoneman  Raid  "  to  the  rear  of  the 
rebel  army,  which  ended  May  9,  after  swimming  the  Rappahannock.  A 
picket  detail  under  Lieutenants  Carpenter  and  Wade  reported  on  the  4th  of 
May  to  General  Buford,  and  accompanied  him  on  his  forced  march  to 
Gordonsville.  During  the  raid  Lieutenant  Tupper  with  a  detachment  of 
ten  men  on  a  foraging  expedition,  captured  the  chief  quartermaster  of 
Stuart's  cavalry  in  sight  of  one  of  their  squadrons.  It  is  doubtful  if  any 
service  during  the  year  was  accompanied  with  greater  hardships  than  were 
endured  by  men  and  horses  during  these  few  days  from  May  ist  to  9th,  1863. 
The  rain  falling  incessantly,  swelled  the  streams  and  rendered  the  roads 
impassable. 

Four  days  later  the  regiment  encamped  at  Hartwood  Church,  and  the 
regimental  commander,  assistant  surgeon,  and  two  men,  were  captured 
while  passing  from  camp  to  General  Buford's  headquarters,  a  mile  and  a 
half  distant. 

On  the  Sth  of  June  the  regiment  arrived  near  Beverly  Ford  on  the 
Rappahannock,  and  crossed  next  day,  participating  in  that  famous  cavalry 
combat  with  a  loss  of  four  officers  and  63  men,  killed  and  wounded  and  cap- 
tured, out  of  254  engaged.  The  regiment  charged,  losing  Lieutenant  Mad- 
den by  a  shell,  and  while  reforming,  the  adjutant — Lieutenant  Kerin — was 
captured.  The  regiment  then  supported  Elder's  horse-battery  for  several 
hours,  part  of  the  time  under  severe  fire.  It  was  then  moved  with  the 
Second  Cavalry  to  the  extreme  right,  where  severe  loss  occurred  in  charg- 
ing the  enemy  to  resist  a  flank  attack.  Lieutenant  Ward  was  killed  and 
Lieutenant  Stoll  badly  wounded,  both  commanding  squadrons.  The  latter 
was  fired  upon  after  he  fell,  and  his  men  who  tried  to  bear  him  away  were 
shot  down.  This  was  one  of  the  most  severe  cavalry  actions  of  the  war, 
and  a  loss  of  one-fourth  its  members  is  ample  evidence  of  the  courage  and 
tenacity  with  which  the  Sixth  fought  until  the  lin^  was  withdrawn,  and  then 
the  regiment  was  the  last  to  withdraw  and  formed  the  rear-guard,  where 
Lieutenant  Tupper  was  specially  mentioned  for  the  shilful  and  deliberate 
manner  with  which  he  withdrew  his  squadron,  the  extreme  rear  guard, 
checking  the  enemy  at  every  step  as  he  retired. 

While  on  the  road  to  Snicker's  Gap,  the  regiment  had  a  brisk  skirmish, 
June  17,  near  Benton's  Mill ;  and  again  on  the  21st,  having  joined  General 
Gregg's  command,  it  was  engaged  with  the  enemy,  nearly  all  the  cavalry  of 
both  armies  fighting  all  day  between  Middleburg  and  Upperville.  In  the 
charge  near  the  latter  place  Lieutenant  McQuiston  and  five  men  were 
wounded.  The  regiment  marched  by  way  of  Aldie  and  Leesburg  to  the 
Potomac,  which  was  crossed  at  Edward's  Ferry ;  thence  to  Point  of  Rocks 
and  Emmitsburg,  arriving  July  2,  1863. 


2-:,6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

On  July  3d,  General  Merritt  ordered  the  regiment  to  Fairfield,  Pa.,  on 
the  road  leading  to  Gettysburg  from  the  northwest,  to  capture  a  wagon 
train,  the  rest  of  the  brigade  moving  towards  Gettysburg  by  way  of  Farm- 
ington.  Fairfield  was  reached  at  noon,  where  two  troops  were  detached  to 
proceed  along  the  base  of  the  mountain,  the  regiment  keeping  the  road  to 
Gettysburg.  About  a  mile  from  Fairfield  the  enemy's  pickets  were  encoun- 
tered and  driven  back  to  their  supports,  when  another  squadron  was  added 
to  the  skirmish  line,  and  the  enemy — the  7th  Virginia — was  driven  back  to 
the  forks  of  the  road  from  which  their  main  body  could  be  seen,  consisting 
of  about  four  regiments  of  cavalry.  The  regiment  was  close  enough  to 
hear  the  command  "  Draw  Sabres  "  of  the  enemy,  as  they  were  formed  for 
the  charge.  The  two  squadrons  were  m  between  post  and  rail  fences,  and 
could  not  form  line  or  join  those  in  the  fields  before  they  were  charged  by 
the  rebel  brigades  under  Generals  Robertson  and  Jones.  Caught  in  such  a 
trap  the  men  remained  firm,  firing  and  inflicting  severe  loss  on  the  advanc- 
ing column,  until  literally  ridden  down.  Some  escaped  to  the  fields  and 
made  for  the  town,  but  the  rebels  were  there  first  and  Lieutenant  Balder, 
who  was  ordered  to  surrender,  called  on  the  few  men  near  him  to  follow 
and  had  nearly  cut  his  way  out  when  he  fell  mortally  wounded.  The  squad- 
ron which  was  on  the  road  near  the  mountain  was  also  overpowered  and 
hurled  back  to  the  town. 

It  was  very  unfortunate  that  the  scattered  squadrons  were  not  withdrawn 
instantly  from  the  front  of  such  superior  forces  for  more  favorable  ground. 
The  regiment  paid  dearly  for  the  error,  losing,  besides  Lieutenant  Balder 
killed,  Major  Starr  and  Lieutenants  Tucker,  Wood,  and  Chafifee,  wounded ; 
Captain  Cram,  Lieutenants  Bould  and  Paulding,  and  Surgeons  Forwood 
and  Notson  captured.  The  loss  of  men  was  232  killed,  wounded  and  cap- 
tured, out  of  a  total  of  less  than  400. 

The  fight  made  at  Fairfield  by  this  small  regiment  against  two  of  the 
crack  brigades  of  Stuart's  cavalry,  which  were  endeavoring  to  get  around  the 
flank  of  our  army  to  attack  the  trains,  was  one  of  the  most  gallant  in  its  his- 
tory and  was  really  a  part  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  The  efforts  of  these 
brigades  were  frustrated  and  their  entire  strength  neutralized  for  the  day, 
by  the  fierce  onslaught  of  the  small  squadrons.  The  regiment  was  cut  to 
pieces,  but  it  fought  so  well  that  the  squadrons  were  regarded  as  the  ad- 
vance of  a  large  body  of  troops.  The  senior  officer  of  these  brigades  was 
adversely  criticised  for  allowing  his  command  to  be  delayed  by  such  an  in- 
ferior force.  Had  the  regiment  not  made  the  desperate  stand,  the  two 
brigades  of  Virginians  might  have  accomplished  incalculable  injury  in  the 
Federal  rear,  before  sufficient  force  could  have  been  gathered  in  their  front. 
The  small  portion  which  escaped  retreated  to  Emmitsburg,  joined  the 
brigade  the  next  day,  proceeded  to  Frederick  City,  Md.,  July  5,  and  to  South 
Mountain  and  Williamsport,  July  6,  participating  in  the  engagement  there 
with  the  loss  of  one  sergeant. 

While  making  a  reconnoissance  to  Funkstown,  July  7,  the  regiment 
became  heavily  engaged  with  superior  numbers,  and  lost  Captain  Claflin 
severely  wounded  and  85  men  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  The  regiment 
remained  in  contact  with  the  enemy  and  was  engaged,  July  8  and  9,  neaf 
Boonsboro,  and  again  engaged  near  Funkstown,  July  10. 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.         237 

The  regiment  had  now  lost  all  but  three  or  four  officers  and  a  few  men, 
and  was  ordered  to  report  at  Cavalry  Corps  Headquarters,  and  marched 
via  Warrenton  Junction  to  Germantown,  arriving  there  August  8,  1863. 
The  service  of  the  regiment  during  the  period  between  the  action  at  Bev- 
erly Ford  and  the  last  affair  at  Funkstown  was  one  of  incessant  marching 
and  fighting,  and  although  nearly  decimated  by  the  casualties  of  action, 
the  brave  little  band  hung  on  to  Lee's  army  with  a  courageous  tenacity, 
which  remains  to-day  as  one  of  the  most  cherished  historical  incidents  of 
the  regiment's  existence. 

The  regiment  did  not  leave  Germantown  until  September  12,  and  next 
day  crossed  the  Rappahannock  and  engaged  in  the  fight  at  Brandy  Station, 
driving  the  enemy  through  Culpeper.  Here  it  remained  for  a  month, 
when  the  rebels  attacked  and  forced  a  retreat  towards  the  Rappahannock. 
When  near  Brandy  Station  the  regiment  was  ordered  into  position  on  the 
left  of  the  road,  and  when  the  skirmish  line  on  its  left  retired,  it  was  in  an 
exposed  position  which  was  promptly  seen  by  the  enemy,  who  attempted 
a  flank  attack  with  a  column  of  cavalry.  In  withdrawing  around  a  piece 
of  thick  pine  woods  where  the  corps  skirmish  line  was  placed,  the  regiment 
was  fired  into  by  the  ist  New  York  (Harris')  Cavalry,  killing  a  sergeant  and 
wounding  Lieutenant  Chaffee,  Surgeon  Forwood  and  three  men.  On  the 
14th  the  regiment  reached  Centreville,  and  while  reconnoitring  the  enemy's 
position  Lieutenant  Nolan  was  wounded.  The  regiment  remained  near 
Brandy  Station  during  the  winter  in  huts  constructed  by  themselves. 

The  regiment  left  winter  quarters  May  4,  1864,  and  reconnoitred  Ger- 
mania  Ford,  Mine  Run,  and  U.  S.  Ford,  returning  to  Chancellorsville  in 
time  to  go  with  General  Sheridan  to  Todd's  Tavern,  where.  May  7,  the 
cavalry  corps  were  heavily  engaged  with  cavalry  and  infantry. 

The  next  day  was  spent  in  preparations  for  the  raid  towards  Richmond 
which  commenced  May  9, 1864.  The  regiment  marched  on  the  Fredericks- 
burg and  Richmond  Pike,  crossing  the  North  Anna  after  dark.  The  clouds 
of  dust  having  attracked  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  they  arrived  durmg 
the  night  and  opened  on  the  corps  headquarters  at  daylight  with  a  battery, 
the  regiment  being  near  by  and  receiving  a  few  shells  without  casualties. 
The  march  was  resumed,  the  rebels  continuing  in  pursuit  and  frequently 
attacking  the  rear  guard.  Reaching  Beaver  Dam  Station,  a  train  contain- 
ing prisoners  captured  at  the  Wilderness  was  seized  about  9  o'clock  on 
The  morning  of  the  loth,  and  destroyed  with  a  large  amount  of  muskets 
and  small  arms.  The  march  was  resumed  and  at  11  o'clock  A.  M.,  May  11, 
the  enemy  was  encountered  in  front  of  Yellow  Tavern,  and  a  severe  engage- 
ment took  place  resulting  in  the  defeat  of  the  rebels  and  the  death  of  their 
gallant  and  famous  leader — J.  E.  B.  Stuart. 

Crossing  the  Chickahominy  at  Meadow  Bridge,  May  12,  the  march  con- 
tinued towards  Richmond  until  the  outer  works  were  reached,  when  the 
column  turned  to  the  left  towards  Mechanicsville  Bridge.  A  shell  placed 
in  the  road  exploded  as  the  regiment  passed,  killing  one  horse.  The  enemy 
now  opened  fire  on  the  column,  and  the  direction  of  the  march  was  changed 
towards  Mechanicsville.  The  enemy  was  in  position  on  the  road  and 
fought  stubbornly  for  two  hours  before  he  was  driven  away  and  a  passage 


238  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S,  ARMY. 

over  the  river  secured.  Mechanicsville  was  reached  at  dark  and  the  regi- 
ment went  on  picket. 

Bottom's  Bridge  was  destroyed  May  13,  and  the  day  following  the  regi- 
ment was  detached  to  Fort  Monroe  with  orders  for  supplies  to  be  sent  to 
White  House  Landing.  A  march  of  fifty  miles  to  Williamsburg  was  made 
the  lirst  day,  and  on  the  15th  Fort  Monroe  was  reached,  where  the  regiment 
remained  until  the  21st  when  it  rejoined  the  cavalry  corps  at  White  House 
Landing,  and  proceeded  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Milford  Sta- 
tion, May  24,  1864. 

May  26,  marched  to  Hanover  town,  crossing  the  Pamunkey  at  that 
point  on  a  pontoon  bridge  next  day,  and  on  the  28th  came  upon  the  enemy 
and  attacked  him  near  Salem  Church.  Reached  New  Castle  Ferry  on  the 
29th  and  Old  Church  on  the  30th.  where  the  enemy  was  again  engaged. 
Returning,  the  regiment  reached  Trevillian  Station,  June  10,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  that  name,  June  11. 

The  Cavalry  Corps  marched  to  White  House  Landing,  leaving  the  Sixth 
at  the  crossing  of  the  Mattapony  to  await  the  arrival  of  detachments  and 
take  up  the  pontoon  bridge,  which  was  done  and  the  corps  rejoined  on 
June  19.  The  next  ten  days  was  spent  in  marching,  and  on  the  29th  the 
enemy  was  again  encountered  near  Dabney's  Mill  and  a  skirmish  took  place. 
The  regiment  crossed  the  James,  August  i,  and  engaged  in  the  action  of 
Deep  Bottom. 

General  Sheridan  having  been  assigned  to  command  the  Middle  Mili- 
tary Division,  embracing  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  Troop  L  was  ordered  to 
duty  as  his  escort,  and  the  regiment  embarked  for  Washington,  and  thence 
marched  via  Harper's  Ferry  and  rejoined  the  Cavalry  Corps  near  Berrys- 
ville,  August  20,  1864. 

September  1 9, 1 864,  the  regiment  left  Berry ville  at  3  o'clock  A.  M.,  towards 
Winchester,  and  at  noon,  as  General  Sheridan's  escort,  became  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  that  name.  On  the  next  day  pursued  the  enemy  to  Strasburg 
and  engaged  in  the  fight  of  Fisher's  Hill,  driving  the  enemy  all  night  and  ar- 
riving at  Woodstock  next  morning,  where  the  day  was  spent  in  picking  up 
stragglers  and  prisoners.  The  march  up  the  Valley  was  resumed  September 
22,  and  at  10  o'clock  A.  M.,  the  enemy  was  found  posted  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Shenandoah  to  dispute  the  crossing.  The  rebels  were  dislodged  and 
the  regiment  proceeded  to  New  Market  and  thence  to  Harrisonburg,  where 
it  remained. 

October  7,  the  regiment  marched  down  the  Valley,  and  remained  on  the 
north  side  of  Cedar  Creek  until  October  19,  when  the  battle  of  that  name 
was  fought.  The  rebels  drove  the  regiment  from  its  camp,  but  it  was  retaken 
before  night  and  reoccupied.  Captain  Lowell  was  killed  while  leading  the 
Regular  Brigade  to  the  charge  in  this  action. 

December  6,  1864,  the  regiment  marched  to  Stephenson's  Station,  and 
formed  part  of  General  Merritt's  command  on  his  raid  in  Loudon  Valley; 
and  on  .he  19th  it  went  with  General  Torbert's  command  on  the  raid  to 
Gordonsville.  Returning  December  31,  it  went  into  winter  camp  at  Kerns- 
town. 

February  27,  1865,  the  camp  was  broken  up  and  the  regiment  proceeded 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.  239 

with  the  Cavalry  Corps  under  General  Sheridan,  up  the  Valley  through 
Strasburg,  Woodstock  and  New  Market,  and  arrived  at  Staunton,  March 
5  ;  thence  to  the  James  River,  and  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  near 
Petersburg.  March  27,  1865.  March  29,  proceeded  to  Dinwiddle  Court 
House.  Here  the  Cavalry  Corps  engaged  the  enemy  on  the  30th,  and  drove 
them  into  their  works  at  Five  Forks,  holding  the  position  for  three  hours 
against  repeated  attacks  and  until  the  ammunition  was  exhausted.  The 
enemy  got  in  on  the  right  flank  of  the  regiment  under  cover  of  dense  woods, 
and  when  the  line  was  withdrawn  for  ammunition  the  rebels  charged  the 
flank  capturing  Lieutenant  Nolan  and  18  men.  On  March  31,  their  infantry 
having  come  up  the  enemy  attacked  and  drove  the  Cavalry  Corps  back  to 
Dinwiddle.  Next  morning  the  regiment  occupied  the  extreme  right  in  the 
memorable  battle  of  Five  Forks,  and  connected  with  the  5th  Corps,  when 
it  came  into  action  during  the  afternoon,  the  regiment  wheeling  to  the 
left  and  resting  the  right  on  the  enemy's  works.  About  3  P.  M.,  an  ad- 
vance was  ordered  which  never  ceased  until  sunset,  when  the  battle  was 
won. 

The  Cavalry  Corps  went  in  pursuit,  April  2,  and  came  up  with  the  rebels 
and  engaged  them  at  3  p.  m.,  but  they  retreated.  The  pursuit  was  continued 
incessantly  and  with  great  loss  to  the  enemy  until  April  6,  when  they  were 
compelled  to  make  a  stand  to  save  their  trains.  The  Cavalry  Corps  pressed 
hard  on  their  flank  and  awaited  a  favorable  opportunity  to  capture  the 
trains.  Their  infantry  was  forced  to  form,  enabling  the  6th  Corps  to  arrive 
during  the  delay.  The  3d  Cavalry  Division  was  now  ordered  to  charge,  the 
other  two  divisions  supporting,  and  this,  the  battle  of  Sailor's  Creek,  re- 
sulted in  the  capture  of  about  10,000  rebels.  During  this  action  the  regi- 
ment was  ordered  to  take  possession  of  some  log  huts.  It  is  recorded  in 
the  regimental  archives  that  the  few  men  now  left  in  the  ranks  hesitated, 
believing  it  was  sure  death;  but  Lieutenant  McLellan,  a  veteran  of  the  Old 
Army,  faced  them  and  said,  "  Men,  let  us  die  like  soldiers."  Every  one  of 
the  little  band  rushed  for  the  huts  under  a  shower  of  bullets,  and  gained  the 
cover  with  a  loss  of  but  three  men  wounded.  The  pursuit  was  pressed 
until  9  P.  M.  While  trying  to  force  a  passage  across  the  creek  after  dark,  a 
shell  burst  in  the  midst  of  the  little  remnant  bearing  so  bravely  the  standard 
of  the  Sixth,  and  wounded  three,  one  of  whom  died  next  day.  The  march 
was  resumed  on  the  7th,  and  on  the  8th  a  rapid  march  was  made  to  Ap- 
pomatox  Station  where  a  charge  was  made  resulting  in  important  cap- 
tures. April  9,  1S65,  the  rebels  made  a  desperate  attack  upon  the  cavalry 
at  Clover  Hill,  but  the  arrival  of  infantry  supports  about  9  A.  M.,  relieved 
the  cavalry,  which  immediately  proceeded  at  a  gallop  to  the  enemy's  left 
with  a  view  of  charging  upon  that  flank.  On  nearing  the  rebel  lines  a  flag 
of  truce  was  met  requesting  a  cessation  of  hostilities  as  it  had  been  decided 
to  surrender.     The  surrender  was  announced  at  4  P.  M. 

The  cavalry  was  at  once  started  for  Petersburg  and  thence,  after  the 
grand  review  in  Washington  before  the  President,  into  camp  at  Frederick, 
Md.,  to  reorganize  and  equip  for  duty  on  the  distant  frontier,  where  it  was 
destined  to  pass  the  next  quarter  of  a  century. 

The  salient  features  of  the  regiment's  history,  during  this  most  eventful 


240  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

period  of  our  nation's  existence,  have  now  been  traced  from  the  date  of  its 
first  service  in  the  Peninsula  campaign,  until  formed  for  the  last  charge  at 
Appomatox.  The  history  of  the  regiment  is  that  of  the  Regular  Brigade, 
than  which  none  brighter  appears  upon  the  records  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  The  regiment  was  fortunate  at  the  beginning  of  its  career  in  having 
General  Emory  present  as  its  lieutenant-colonel  to  organize  it.  The  talent 
and  courage  of  the  squadron  leaders,  who  so  materially  aided  in  establish- 
ing a  reputation  for  the  regiment,  caused  the  early  loss  of  these  officers,  who 
were  soon  selected  for  higher  commands.  Brave  Sanders,  a  Southerner  and 
West  Pointer  who  remained  loyal,  was  promoted  to  brigadier-general  and 
was  killed  at  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  Tenn.  Lowell  was  killed  while  leading 
the  brigade  to  the  charge,  he  being  then  colonel  of  volunteers  serving  in  the 
same  brigade  with  his  own  Sixth.  There  were  many  officers  of  the  regi- 
ment holding  high  commands,  like  Generals  Hunter,  Emory,  Carleton, 
Kautz,  the  Greggs,  Sanders  andothers,  who  rendered  good  service  commen- 
surate with  the  increased  rank  held  by  them,  but  the  records  contain  many 
applications  for  and  references  to  younger  officers  who  were  constantly  de- 
tached for  staff,  recruiting  and  similar  duties,  who  might  have  carved  more 
enduring  names  for  themselves  in  command  of  such  excellent  men  as  com- 
posed the  ranks  of  the  Sixth  Cavalry. 

Subsequent  to  the  close  of  hostilities,  the  Adjutant-General's  office  not 
having  given  proper  credit  to  the  regiment  for  its  services  m  battle.  General 
Sheridan  sent  to  the  War  Department  the  following  communication,  which 
is  cherished  as  a  manly  and  characteristic  action  on  the  part  of  that  great 
leader  "  I  take  this  occasion  to  strongly  urge  that  justice  be  done  the 
Sixth  Cavalry,  and  that  the  battles  as  given  in  the  within  order  issued  by 
me  *  *  *  be  credited  to  this  regiment  on  the  next  Army  Register,  so 
that  its  record,  or  so  much  of  it  as  is  permitted  in  the  Army  Register,  may 
be  in  a  measure  correct  and  complete.  In  the  following  battles  the  Sixth 
Cavalry  fought  under  my  personal  supervision,  viz. :  Wilderness,  Todd's 
Tavern,  Furnaces,  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Yellow  Tavern,  Meadow 
Bridge,  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill,  Cedar  Creek,  Five  Forks,  Dinwiddle 
C.  H.,  Clover  Hill,  Sailor's  Creek  and  Appomatox  Court  House." 

The  records  of  casualties  during  the  Rebellion  show  seven  officers 
killed,  53  men  killed  in  action  and  53  other  deaths;  122  wounded  in  action, 
and  17  by  accident ;  438  missing,  most  of  these  being  captured  at  Fairfield 
and  in  other  charges, — making  a  total  of  6S9  enlisted  men. 

The  regiment  participated  in  the  following  actions  during  the  war  : 

1862. 

Williamsburg,  May  4.  Charlestown,  September  28. 

Slatersville,  May  9.  Hillsboro,  September  29. 

New  Kent  C.  H.,  May  11.  Waterford,  October  i. 

New  Bridge,  May  20.  Charlestown,  October  8. 

Mechanicsville,  May  24.  Philamont,  November  i. 

Hanover  C.  H.,  May  27.  Uniontown,  November  2. 

Ashland,  June  16.  Upperville,  November  3. 

Black  Creek,  June  26.  Barber's  Cross  Roads,  Nov.  5. 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY. 


241 


Malvern  Hill.  August  5. 
Falls  Church,  September  5. 
Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  Md.,  Sept. 
Petersville,  Md..  Sept.  15. 

Beverly  Ford.  June  9. 

Benton's  Mill,  June  17. 

Middleburg,  June  21. 

Upperville,  June  21. 

Fairfield  (Gettysburg),  Pa.,  July  3. 

Williamsport,  Md.,  July  6. 

Funkstown,  Md.,  July  7. 


Wilderness,  May  5  and  6. 
Todd's  Tavern,  May  7. 
Spottsylvania  C.  H..  May  9. 
Yellow  Tavern,  May  11. 
Meadow  Bridge,  May  12. 
Salem  Church,  May  28. 
Old  Church,  May  30. 


1863. 


1864. 


Amosville,  November  7  and  8. 
Sulphur  Springs,  November  17. 
Fredericksburg,  December  12. 


Boonesboro,  Md.,  July  8  and  9. 
Funkstown,  Md.,  July  7. 
Brandy  Station,  September  13. 
Culpeper.  October  11. 
Brandy  Station,  October  11. 
Robertson's  Tavern.  Nov.  27, 
Mine  Run,  November  28  and  29. 


Trevillian  Station,  June  ii- 
Dabney's  Mill,  June  29. 
Deep  Bottom,  August  i. 
Berryville,  August  16. 
Winchester,  September  19. 
Fisher's  Hill,  September  20 
Cedar  Creek,  October  19. 


1865. 


Sailor's  Creek,  April  6. 
Appomatox  Station,  April 
Clover  Hill,  April  9. 


Five  Forks,  March  30. 
Dinwiddie  C.  H.,  March  31. 
Five  Forks,  April  i. 

In  October,  1865,  the  regiment  left  its  camp  near  Frederick,  Md.,  and 
proceeded  via  New  York  and  New  Orleans,  to  Austin,  Texas,  where  camp 
was  established  November  29,  The  headquarters  remained  at  Austin  until 
August  24,  1868,  when  station  was  changed  to  Fort  Richardson,  Texas. 
The  troops  were  distributed  about  the  Department  of  Texas,  at  Forls  Rich- 
ardson, Belknap  and  Griffin,  and  Camps  Austin,  Sherman,  Buffalo  Springs 
and  Sulphur  Springs. 

During  the  period  from  1865  to  1871,  while  the  regiment  was  stationed 
in  Texas,  the  duties  falling  to  the  officers  and  men  were  of  the  most  danger- 
ous and  varied  kinds.  After  the  close  of  the  Rebellion  the  country  was 
overrun  with  desperadoes  and  outlaws  who  were  even  worse  than  the  hostile 
Comanches,  and  the  officers  and  men  were  continually  called  upon  to  guard 
the  courts  of  justice,  to  assist  revenue  officers,  aid  in  executing  convicted 
criminals,  supervise  elections,  pursue  outlaws  and  murderers,  and  in  general 
to  institute  lawful  proceedings  where  anarchy  reigned.  Many  soldiers  were 
assassinated  for  their  devotion  to  law  and  order,  and  nothing  but  incessant 
vigilance  and  unflinching  courage,  prevented  the  guerrilla  community  from 
running  the  border  counties  of  the  State.  The  records  for  this  period  are 
very  unsatisfactory,  and  important  actions,  in  the  light  of  to-day,  are  entirely 
omitted  and  remain  only  as  traditions  from  the  generation  of  war  service 
men,  who  have  almost  entirely  passed  away  from  the  regiment. 


242  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Parts  of  the  regiment  were  engaged  with  Indians  at  Buffalo  Springs, 
July  21,  1867;  Fort  Belknap,  Texas,  August  30.  1867  ;  in  the  field,  October 
17,  1867;  and  at  Paint  Creek,  Texas,  March  5,  1868. 

The  desperadoes  spoken  of  above,  organized  into  bands  of  outlaws  in 
many  parts  of  Texas  about  this  time,  one  of  the  most  notorious  being  Lee's 
band.  On  March  7,  1868,  Corporal  Henhold,  Troop  D,  left  Sherman,  Texas, 
with  13  enlisted  men  and  some  citizen  guides,  to  break  up  this  band.  The 
pursuit  carried  the  detachment  to  Read  Creek  swamp,  where  the  band  was 
effectually  broken  up  by  killing  two  and  capturing  five  of  their  number. 
One  troop  marched  more  than  a  thousand  miles  in  pursuit  of  outlaws  dur- 
ing the  last  three  months  of  1868. 

While  scouting  from  Fort  Richardson,  Texas,  in  July,  1870,  Captain  McLel- 
lan  with  two  officers,  an  A.  A.  surgeon,  and  detachments  from  Troops  A,  C, 
D,  H,  K  and  L,  6th  Cavalry,  came  in  contact  with  a  war  party  of  250  warriors, 
and  fought  them  on  July  12  for  about  five  hours.  Captain  McLellan's  force 
numbered  only  53  enlisted  men,  of  whom  two  were  killed  and  nine  wounded. 
Eight  horses  were  killed  and  21  wounded.  The  Indians  almost  surrounded 
the  command,  fighting  bravely  at  close  range.  Their  loss  was  reported  as 
15  killed  and  many  more  wounded. 

Other  Indian  engagements  took  place  May  30,  1870;  near  Little  Wichita 
River,  October  5,  and  October  6,  1870;  and  on  November  12,  1870. 

During  the  early  part  of  1871  the  regiment  was  ordered  from  Texas  to 
the  Department  of  the  Missouri.  The  headquarters  and  troops  which  had 
assembled  at  Fort  Richardson,  Texas,  left  the  post  March  20,  1871,  for  Fort 
Sill,  I.  T.,  and  soon  after  arrival  began  active  scouting,  which  continued 
without  intermission  until  the  campaign  of  1874-75  so  completely  paralyzed 
the  hostile  Indians,  that  they  were  compelled  to  abandon  their  belligerent 
attitude  and  flee  from  their  familiar  hiding  places  in  the  Pan  Handle,  to 
seek  the  protection  of  the  agencies.  A  few  of  the  troops  were  assigned  to 
garrison  in  the  Department,  but  most  of  the  regiment  eventually  went  into 
camp  near  Fort  Hayes,  Kansas,  from  which  place  the  country  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Saline,  Solomon  and  Republican  rivers  was  kept  thoroughly  pat- 
trolled  with  scouting  parties. 

As  it  soon  became  evident  that  desultory  scouting,  and  chasing  war 
parties  which  had  a  good  start,  were  equally  unprofitable,  expeditions  were 
organized  in  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Kansas,  to  pursue  the  Indians  even  to 
the  canons  of  the  Tule  and  the  bare,  waterless  plains  of  the  Pan  Handle. 

Two  troops  which  had  been  sent  to  Mississippi  and  Louisiana  for  recon- 
struction duty  in  January,  1872,  returned  in  1873.  much  to  their  gratifica- 
tion, and  participated  in  the  Indian  scouting  and  subsequent  campaign. 

The  regiment  took  part  in  the  operations  against  the  Cheyennes,  Kiovvas 
and  Comanches  in  1874,  under  Colonel  N.  A.  Miles.  This  expedition  was 
organized  at  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas,  in  August,  two  battalions  of  four  troops 
each,  under  Majors  Compton  and  Biddle,  representing  the  Sixth. 

As  the  command  advanced  the  Indians  retreated  to  the  south,  concen- 
trating near  Red  River,  Texas.  They  were  rapidly  pursued  and  were  over- 
taken near  the  mouth  of  the  Tule,  where  an  engagement  took  place  August 
30,  1874,  with  about  600  warriors.     The  hostiles  occupied  a  line  of  bluffs, 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  243 

and,  notwithstanding  the  Indians  displayed  their  usual  dash  and  courage  in 
the  first  attack,  the  command  was  rapidly  deployed,  the  Indians  charged  and 
were  driven  over  the  bluffs,  thence  through  deep  and  precipitous  cafions, 
past  their  burning  villages  and  out  on  to  the  Staked  Plains.  The  regiment 
was  commended  in  orders  for  its  dash  and  intrepidity  in  this  engagement. 

Two  parties  were  sent  from  the  battle-field  to  Camp  Supply,  I.  T.,  with 
dispatches,  one  of  which  was  under  the  charge  of  Sergeant  Z.  T.  Woodall, 
of  Troop  I,  6th  Cavalry.  This  one  was  attacked  by  Indians  and  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  a  letter,  written  by  General  Miles,  tells  the  story  of  its  re- 
markable fight, 

"  From  early  morning  till  dark,  outnumbered  twenty-five  to  one,  under  an  almost 
constant  fire  and  at  such  short  range  that  they  sometimes  used  their  pistols,  retaining 
the  last  charge  to  prevent  capture  and  torture,  this  little  party  of  five  defended  their 
lives  and  the  person  of  their  dying  comrade,  without  food  and  their  only  drink  the  rain 
water  that  collected  in  a  pool  mingled  with  their  own  blood.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
they  killed  more  than  double  their  number,  besides  those  that  were  wounded.  The 
Indians  abandoned  the  attack  at  dark  on  the  I2th.  The  simple  recital  of  their  deeds 
and  the  mention  of  the  odds  against  which  they  fought,  how  the  wounded  defended 
the  dying,  and  the  dying  aided  the  wounded  by  exposure  to  fresh  wounds  after  the 
power  of  action  was  gone,  these  alone  present  a  scene  of  cool  courage,  heroism  and 
sell-sacrifice,  which  duty  as  well  as  inclination  prompt  us  to  recognize,  but  which  we 
cannot  fitly  honor." 

Lieutenant  Frank  West  with  20  men  was  sent  with  Captain  Lyman,  5th 
Infantry,  and  his  company,  from  camp  with  a  wagon  train  to  meet  the  out- 
coming  train  and  bring  supplies  to  the  front.  The  train  was  found  Septem- 
ber 7,  when  the  detachment  was  increased  by  seven  men  coming  out  to 
join  the  regmient.  The  stores  were  transferred  in  a  violent  storm,  and  the 
return  march  begun,  when  the  Indians  appeared  and  killed  and  scalped  a 
teamster  who  had  wandered  off  a  short  distance.  The  train  was  followed, 
and  on  the  9th  the  attack  of  the  Indians,  about  250  in  number,  commenced. 
The  train  was  corralled  a  mile  or  more  north  of  the  Washita  River  for  the 
ensuing  fight,  which  lasted  four  days.  The  train  had  just  emerged  from  a 
ravine  when  the  Indians  charged  the  rear  fiercely,  riding  to  within  about 
100  yards  and  shooting  down  Lieutenant  Lewis  and  Sergeant  Armour,  5th 
Infantry.  A  scout  was  sent  through  to  Camp  Supply,  being  chased  on  the 
way,  and  returned  with  Troop  K,  6th  Cavalry,  with  medical  assistance  for 
the  wounded,  who  had  endured  great  suffering  during  the  four  days  fight- 
ing and  exposure  without  food  or  water. 

On  November  8,  1874,  Troop  D  (Lieut.  Overton),  with  Company  D,  5th 
Infantry,  all  under  Lieutenant  Baldwm,  fought  a  band  of  Indians  from 
9  A.  M.,  until  2  P.  M.,  near  the  headwaters  of  McLellan's  fork  of  Red  River. 
Major  Compton  with  Troop  H  went  to  the  assistance  of  these  troops  but 
the  fighting  had  ceased  before  he  arrived.  Two  captive  white  girls,  Julia 
and  Adelaide  Germain,  were  rescued  during  this  engagement.  Their  parents 
and  an  older  brother  and  sister  were  killed  near  the  Smoky  Hill  River,  and 
these  two  girls  with  two  other  sisters  were  carried  into  captivity. 

Horse  thieves  took  advantage  of  the  unsettled  condition  of  affairs  to  ply 
their  nefarious  trade,  and  Lieutenant  Banna 'with  ten  men  of  Troop  B  was 


244  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

sent  from  Fort  Dodge  on  November  4th  in  pursuit  of  a  band.  It  was  over- 
taken on  the  9th  and  in  the  fight  which  lasted  two  hours,  Private  Skelton 
was  wounded,  Lieutenant  Hanna's  horse  killed,  two  thieves  wounded  and 
twelve  horses  and  mules  recovered. 

On  December  ist,  Captain  Chaffee  made  a  night  march  to  surprise  a 
party  of  Indians  reported  to  be  on  a  branch  of  the  North  fork  of  Red  River, 
but  the  Indians  received  warning  and  decamped  in  great  haste.  First  Ser- 
geant Ryan,  Troop  I,  with  a  detachment,  pursued  and  overtook  them  at 
daylight,  December  2,  attacked  and  routed  them,  capturing  their  ponies, 
about  70  in  number,  which  were  mostly  saddled  and  packed. 

The  campaign  was  continued  far  into  the  winter,  the  last  movement  on 
the  Staked  Plains  being  executed  in  intensely  cold  weather,  the  thermometer 
registering  at  times  25  degrees  below  zero,  and  "Northers"  prevailing  al- 
most incessantly.  The  Indians  were  fought  in  nine  engagements,  and  were 
so  harassed  during  this  campaign  that  they  were  unable  to  commit  their 
usual  depredations.  After  continuous  pursuit  they  went  into  the  agencies 
and  surrendered  in  a  greatly  impoverished  condition,  and  have  never  re- 
gained their  old  war  spirit. 

Peace  prevailed  until  spring,  but  on  April  6,  1875,  Troop  M  was  engaged 
near  the  Cheyenne  Agency  from  3  P.  M.  until  dark  with  about  150 
Cheyennes.  Nine  Indians  were  killed,  four  soldiers  wounded,  and  nine 
troop  horses  killed  or  wounded. 

A  party  of  Cheyennes  broke  north,  and  having  been  seen  crossing  the 
railroad.  Lieutenant  Austin  Henely  with  40  men  of  Troop  H,  went  by  rail 
to  Fort  Wallace,  Kansas,  and  left  there  April  19,  1875,  to  strike  the  trail 
southeast  of  the  post.  He  pursued  rapidly  until  April  23,  when  he  overtook 
the  band  at  Sappa  Creek,  Kansas.  The  Indians  made  a  stand  and  they  were 
fought  at  close  quarters  to  the  bitter  end.  Twenty-seven  Indians  were 
killed  ;  134  ponies,  with  all  their  camp  property  and  arms  were  captured. 
Sergeant  Papier  and  Private  Theims,  of  Troop  H,  were  killed. 

After  a  brief  space  of  active  scouting  again,  the  regiment  proceeded  to 
relieve  the  Fifth  Cavalry  in  Arizona,  the  order  having  been  issued  the  pre- 
ceding year  and  suspended  on  account  of  the  Indian  troubles.  The  first 
half  of  the  regiment,  with  the  headquarters  and  band,  assembled  during  the 
early  part  of  May,  and  marched  under  the  command  of  Captain  McLellan 
from  Fort  Lyon,  Colorado.  The  5th  Cavalry  moved  from  Arizona  at  the 
same  time,  and  the  two  commands  met  at  Santa  Fe,  N.  M.,  where  horses 
were  exchanged  and  old  acquaintance  renewed.  As  soon  as  these  troops 
had  reached  their  respective  Departments,  the  remaining  troops  of  the  out- 
going regiments  were  relieved,  and  a  similar  meeting  and  exchange  of  horses 
was  made  at  Fort  Union,  N.  M. 

Upon  arrival  in  the  Department  of  Arizona,  the  troops  were  widely  scat- 
tered. Headquarters  and  Troop  B  went  to  Camp  Lowell ;  A  and  D  to  Camp 
Apache  ;  C,  G  and  M,  to  Camp  Grant ;  E  and  I  to  Camp  Verde  ;  H  to  Camp 
Bowie;  L  to  Camp  San  Carlos;  K  to  Camp  McDowell,  and  F  to  Fort 
Whipple.  The  troops  marched  an  average  of  1064  miles  from  their  old 
stations  to  the  new. 

Comparative  quiet  reigned  in  Arizona  during  the  summer  while  the  regi- 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.         245 

ment  was  marching  in,  but  it  was  not  long  before  marauding  bands  of 
Apaches  commenced  their  usual  deviltry,  which  continued  at  intervals  dur- 
ing all  the  years  the  regiment  was  stationed  there. 

On  January  9,  1876,  Troops  A  and  D,  while  in  garrison  at  Camp  Apache, 
were  engaged  with  the  White  Mountain  Apaches  for  three  hours.  For  some 
fancied  wrong  the  Indians  got  into  the  rocks  and  timber  and  opened  fire  on 
the  post.     One  Indian  was  killed,  five  captured,  and  the  others  driven  away. 

During  the  summer  of  1876,  while  the  great  Sioux  war  was  progressing 
in  the  north,  the  entire  regiment  was  called  to  the  field  to  put  down  the 
Chiricahua  Apaches,  and  later  to  assist  in  removing  them  to  San  Carlos 
Agency.  Before  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  at  the  scene  of  operations  sev- 
eral parties  were  sent  out  to  stop  the  numerous  raids.  Lieutenant  Henely 
went  from  Camp  Bowie  with  a  detachment  and  had  an  engagement  April 
10,  1876,  and  subsequently  assisted  about  200  friendly  Chiricahuas  to  the 
agency  adjoining  the  post  in  Apache  Pass.  The  regiment  arrived  and  during 
June  was  sent  around  the  Indian  reservation  to  drive  in  the  Indians,  but 
many  of  the  worst  had  fled  to  the  rocky  fastnesses  of  the  Mexican  mountain 
peaks,  and  remained  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  the  army  and  the  settlers  for 
more  than  ten  years. 

Such  Indians  as  were  willing  were  moved  to  San  Carlos  Agency,  the 
troops  sent  back  to  their  stations,  and  soon  the  dangerous  country  was  filled 
with  daring  prospectors  seeking  the  fine  mines  located  thereon.  Many  of 
these  hardy  miners  have  paid  with  their  lives  for  the  privilege  of  prospecting 
that  section. 

Encounters  with  the  Indians  occurred  August  15,  and  October  4,  1876, 
and  January  9,  1877,  and  they  became  so  daring  in  Southern  Arizona  that 
another  company  of  scouts  was  organized  under  Lieutenant  John  A.  Rucker 
than  whom  no  officer  in  the  army  was  better  fitted  for  the  work  before  him. 
In  command  of  a  detachment  of  Troops  H  and  L,  and  his  scouts,  he  over- 
took and  defeated  a  band  of  Chiricahua  Indians  in  the  Leitendorf  Moun- 
tains, N.  M.,  on  January  9,  1877.  Ten  Indians  were  killed  and  one  boy  cap- 
tured, and  from  the  evidences  left  behind  a  number  of  Indians  are  believed 
to  have  been  injured.  The  entire  herd,  arms  and  ammunition  were  cap- 
tured, together  with  a  large  amount  of  stolen  goods  and  about  $1200  in 
Mexican  silver.     The  hostile  strength  was  estimated  at  fifty  warriors. 

May  29,  1877,  Lieutenant  West  with  a  detachment  was  attacked  near 
Camp  Bowie,  Arizona. 

About  the  20th  of  August,  several  parties  of  renegades  crossed  the  Mexi- 
can border  at  various  places  and,  coming  together  by  preconcerted  arrange- 
ment, proceeded  to  the  San  Carlos  reservation.  Lieutenant  Hanna  started 
on  a  trail  near  Camp  Huachuca,  and  when  near  Camp  Bowie  learned  that 
another  party  had  killed  the  mail  rider  east  of  Bowie.  Rucker  joined  Hanna, 
and  the  two  companies  of  scouts  and  cavalry  detachments  followed  the  trail 
which  constantly  grew  larger.  The  renegades  led  them  through  a  very 
rough  country  where  some  of  the  men  became  nearly  insane  for  want  of 
water.  The  trail  turned  into  the  San  Carlos  reservation  and  the  commands 
stopped  at  Camp  Thomas  to  telegraph  for  orders  before  going  on  the  reser- 
vation.    Before   an  answer  came  the  renegades  had  succeeded  in  creating 


246  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S,  ARMY. 

an  outbreak.  The  Warm  Spring  Indians  broke  away  from  San  Carlos,  and 
were  pursued  by  Captain  Tupper  with  Troop  G  and  detachments  from  B, 
H,  L  and  M, — Lieutenants  Hanna  and  Rucker  with  their  companies  of  scouts 
joined  him.  The  runaways  were  overtaken,  and  in  a  scattered  and  running 
fight  on  September  9  and  10,  12  Indians  were  killed  and  13  wounded. 

Other  encounters  took  place  December  13  and  18,  1877,  and  January  7 
and  April  5,  1878. 

The  department  commander  finally  decided  to  put  a  stop  to  the  inces- 
sant raiding  of  small  parties  from  Mexico,  and  Lieutenants  Rucker  and  Car- 
ter with  their  companies  of  scouts  were  ordered  to  establish  a  supply  camp 
near  the  border  and  to  remain  there  patrolling.  Lieutenant  Henely  joined 
the  camp  with  a  company  of  scouts,  and  a  few  days  later  the  regiment  was 
horrified  by  the  news  of  his  death  by  drowning,  and  that  of  Rucker  while 
trying  to  save  his  friend  and  classmate,  at  their  camp,  by  a  sudden  rush  of 
waters  resulting  from  a  cloud  burst.  Henely  was  being  carried  away  by  the 
torrent,  when  Rucker  boldly  plunged  his  horse  in  the  stream  to  save  him, 
but  the  raging  waters  carried  him  down  also.  The  loss  of  these  officers, 
especially  of  Rucker.  who  was  better  known  to  the  border  people  than  any 
other  officer  of  the  regiment,  was  universally  lamented. 

Indian  fights  in  which  the  regiment  was  represented  took  place  Septem- 
ber 17  and  from  September  20  to  30,  1878  ;  September  29  and  October  27, 
1879;  and  April  7,  1880. 

Captain  C.  B.  McLellan  with  Troop  L,  Lieutenant  Touey's  detachment, 
Troop  C,  and  Gatewood's  scouts,  while  on  a  scout  in  New  Mexico  came 
upon  a  battalion  of  the  9th  Cavalry  engaged  with  Victoria's  Apaches  at  a 
serious  disadvantage,  and  succeeded  in  dislodging  the  Indians  and  relieving 
the  9th.  This  fight  occurred  April  9,  1880,  in  the  San  Andreas  Mountains. 
During  the  few  weeks  succeeding  this  event,  Victoria  raided  incessantly, 
and  on  May  7,  1880,  attempted  to  get  in  to  San  Carlos  with  50  warriors,  but 
was  met  by  Capt.  Adam  Kramer  with  part  of  his  troop  (E)  and  Lieutenant 
Blockson  with  part  of  his  scouts,  on  Ash  Creek,  where  a  fight  ensued,  result- 
ing in  driving  Victoria  away,  but  with  the  loss  of  an  old  and  valuable  non- 
commissioned officer, — Sergeant  Griffin  of  Troop  E, — killed,  and  one  scout 
wounded.  Several  commands  went  after  Victoria  but  he  escaped  and  laid 
waste  New  Mexico  to  such  an  extent  that  nearly  all  the  regiment  was  en- 
gaged during  the  summer  in  constant  scouting,  ending  in  an  expedition  to 
Sonora  and  Chihuahua,  under  General  Carr,  which  was  participated  in  by 
most  of  the  regiment  and  several  companies  of  scouts.  Victoria  was  driven 
into  the  hands  of  a  Mexican  column  in  October  and  his  band  almost  de- 
stroyed. During  September  this  band  of  Indians  captured  the  overland 
stage  near  Fort  Cummings,  N.  M.,  and  killed  the  occupants,  including  the 
young  son  of  Captain  Madden,  who  was  coming  out  from  an  eastern  college 
to  spend  his  vacation  with  the  regiment. 

During  August,  1881,  the  White  Mountain  Apaches,  hitherto  very 
friendly,  began  to  show  signs  of  disaffection,  brought  about  by  the  mach- 
inations of  a  medicine  man  named  Nackaydetklinne,  and  General  Carr  was 
ordered  to  arrest  him.  He  marched  from  Fort  Apache  with  Troops  D  and 
E.  and  Company  A,  Indian  Scouts,  to  Cibicu  Creek,  and  arrested  the  fanatic 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  247 

in  the  midst  of  his  people,  who  were  informed  that  having  refused  obedi- 
ence to  the  agent,  it  was  necessary  to  take  their  medicine  man  to  the  fort, 
and  that  his  family  would  be  permitted  to  accompany  him  but  that  any 
attempt  at  rescue  would  be  resisted.  The  battalion  marched  about  a  mile 
down  the  creek,  and  while  preparing  to  bivouac  there  was  some  excitement 
amongst  the  scouts  and  other  Indians  who  had  followed  the  rear  guard  to 
camp,  and  though  every  effort  was  made  to  prevent  a  conflict,  the  Indians, 
including  the  mutinous  scouts,  fired  on  the  troops  and  a  hand-to-hand  con- 
flict ensued.  The  Indians  were  driven  from  the  immediate  vicinity,  not- 
withstanding their  numerical  strength  was  about  twice  that  of  the  soldiers, 
but  continued  for  several  hours  to  fire  from  the  surrounding  hills.  The 
battalion  lost  Captain  Hentig  and  six  men  killed,  two  wounded,  and  42 
horses  ;  the  medicine  man  was  killed.  The  next  day  the  command  returned 
to  Fort  Apache  in  time  to  save  that  post,  which  was  attacked  September 
1st.  At  the  same  time  all  the  roads  were  scoured  by  war  parties,  and  the 
mail  rider,  three  soldiers  and  a  number  of  citizens  were  killed.  This  out- 
break involved  the  whole  regiment  in  a  short  campaign  which  compelled 
the  White  Mountain  Apaches  to  surrender  at  the  agencies. 

The  withdrawal  of  troops  from  the  Mexican  border  to  participate  in 
driving  in  these  Indians,  left  the  way  open  and  the  Chiricahuas  broke  from 
the  reservation  and  fled  south.  They  were  rapidly  pursued  by  two  troops 
and  overtaken  near  Cedar  Springs,  Arizona,  and  fought  for  more  than  five 
hours,  with  a  loss  of  one  sergeant  killed  and  three  privates  wounded.  The 
Indians  fled  from  the  strong  position  held  by  them  during  the  night,  and 
eventually  reached  Mexico. 

The  ensuing  year  was  one  of  much  hard  scouting  with  but  little  reward, 
until  April,  1882.  The  Chiricahaus  then  made  one  of  their  periodical 
breaks  from  the  reservation,  and  started  for  their  old  haunts  in  Mexico. 
Two  troops  started  from  Fort  Thomas  in  pursuit,  and  on  the  second  day, 
April  20,  Lieutenant  Sands  with  a  few  men  overtook  the  Indians  and  ex- 
changed a  few  shots.  Captain  Tupper,  with  Troops  G  and  M,  and  Indian 
scouts,  caught  up  with  the  band  near  the  Mexican  line,  and  fought,  April 
28,  about  150  Indians  who  had  taken  refuge  in  the  rocks,  killing  17  In- 
dians and  15  horses  and  mules,  and  capturing  75  horses  and  mules,  with  a 
loss  of  one  trooper  killed  and  two  wounded.  The  troops  had  to  withdraw 
at  night  to  obtain  water,  and  the  Indians  fled  southward.  The  command 
crossed  into  Mexico,  and  the  flight  of  the  Indians  having  been  discovered 
by  a  regiment  of  Mexican  infantry  on  the  march,  an  ambuscade  was  quickly 
prepared  and  when  the  Indians  found  themselves  entrapped,  a  hand-to-hand 
conflict  ensued  resulting  in  the  annihilation  of  the  savages. 

During  July,  1882,  another  outbreak  occurred  from  the  San  Carlos 
Agency,  the  band  going  north  murdering  settlers  instead  of  following  the 
usual  route  to  Mexico.  Active  pursuit  resulted  in  overtaking  the  Indians, 
some  troops  of  the  3d  Cavalry,  and  E,  I  and  K,  6th  Cavalry,  coming  to- 
gether from  different  posts  on  the  hot  trail  just  as  the  Indians  were  sighted. 
The  fight  occurred  at  the  Big  Dry  Wash  of  Chevelon's  Fork,  A.  T..  and  re- 
sulted in  the  capture  of  60  horses  and  mules,  50  saddles,  and  much  camp 
property.     Sixteen  Indians  were  killed  and  many  wounded. 


248  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

During  the  remainder  of  1882  and  1883,  the  regiment  was  scouting  al- 
most incessantly  because  of  the  raids  from  Mexico  by  small  parties  of  Chiri- 
cahuas.  During  March,  1883,  General  Crook  took  Troop  I  under  Captain 
Chaffee,  on  his  famous  expedition  to  the  Sierra  Madres  in  Mexico,  return- 
ing in  July,  having  marched  900  miles,  and  bringing  in  the  head  chiefs  and 
about  400  hostiles. 

The  regiment  was  relieved  from  duty  in  Arizona  during  June,  1884,  and 
exchanged  stations,  marching,  with  the  Fourth  Cavalry  in  New  Mexico, 
two  troops  going  to  Colorado. 

During  the  nine  years'  service  in  Arizona  the  hardest  work  was  the  in- 
cessant detachment  duty,  which  was  necessary  to  such  an  extent  that  troops 
rarely  if  ever  took  the  field  over  35  strong.  The  average  marching  of  troop, 
as  shown  by  the  returns  for  nine  years,  was  6419  miles.  The  greatest  num- 
ber of  miles  marched  was  8514  by  Troop  A.  These  marches  are  of  organ- 
izations and  of  course  do  not  include  the  long  trips  with  mails,  paymasters. 
Indian  scout  companies,  etc.  Scouting  for  Apaches  has  always  been  at- 
tended with  more  labors  and  difficulties  than  honors  or  successes. 

The  command  of  the  companies  of  Indian  scouts  usually  devolved  upon 
the  young  lieutenants  of  the  regiment,  and  while  developing  self-reliance, 
coolness  and  woodcraft,  the  incessant  exposure  resulted  disastrously  to 
many  of  them. 

Two  of  these  young  officers  deserve  special  mention — Lieutenant  John 
A.  Rucker,  whose  station  was  always  "  In  the  field,"  and  who  during  his 
service  with  scouts  followed  nearly  every  hostile  trail  between  the  Gila  River 
and  the  Sierra  Madres  in  Mexico  within  a  few  hours  after  it  was  made,  and 
who  finally  laid  down  his  young  life  in  a  seething  mountain  torrent  in  which 
no  being  could  live  for  a  moment,  in  an  unsuccessful  effort  to  save  the  life 
of  his  friend  and  classmate,  Henely. 

The  other, — Lieutenant  Charles  B.  Gatewood, — who  entered  upon  ser- 
vice with  the  Apaches  within  a  few  months  after  joining  the  regiment.  He 
saw  much  service  during  the  Victoria  and  other  Apache  outbreaks,  taking 
part  in  several  engagements  in  New  Mexico.  He  was  commended  later  by 
the  Major-General  commanding  the  Army,  for  his  conduct  in  the  surprise 
and  defeat  of  Chato  and  Bonito,  and  the  rescue  of  five  captives  near  the 
headwaters  of  the  Bavispe  River,  in  the  Sierra  Madres,  Sonora,  Mexico.  An 
act  which  has  made  him  known  throughout  the  army  and  the  country  gen- 
erally, and  which  Ned  Casey  probably  had  in  mind  when  he  was  so  foully 
murdered  by  the  Sioux,  is  thus  mentioned  in  the  recent  general  order  of 
the  War  Department  commending  him  "  For  bravery  in  boldly  and  alone 
riding  into  Geronimo  s  camp  of  hostile  Apache  Indians  in  Arizona,  and  de- 
manding their  surrender." 

Upon  arrival  in  New  Mexico,  the  headquarters  were  located  at  Fort 
Bayard,  some  troops  going  to  Forts  Wingate.  Stanton,  Cummings,  N.  M„ 
and  Lewis,  Colorado.  Captain  H.  P.  Perrine,  with  Troops  B  and  F  which 
went  to  Colorado,  took  the  field  from  Fort  Lewis  in  pursuit  of  hostile  Utes, 
and  engaged  them,  July  15,  1885,  at  Wormington  Canon.  One  packer  and 
one  volunteer  were  killed. 

The  regiment  settled  down  to  garrison  life,  building  quarters,  putting  in 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY. 


149 


water  works,  and  improving  the  posts  generally,  which  continued  until  the 
spring  of  1885,  when  nearly  all  the  troops  were  hurried  to  the  field  in  May, 
to  head  off  their  old  enemies,  the  Arizona  Apaches,  who  broke  away  from 
Fort  Apache  and  fled  towards  Mexico.  Active  but  unsuccessful  efforts  were 
made  to  overhaul  these  renegades  before  they  reached  Mexico.  Troop  A 
followed  the  Indians  about  500  miles  into  Mexico.  The  troops  were  placed 
in  camp  at  the  various  water  holes  along  the  border,  and  patrols  were  kept 
out  watching  all  the  border  country  for  hundreds  of  miles.  This  lonely  and 
very  disagreeable  duty  of  watching  for  "  signs,"  continued  for  more  than  a 
year,  and  the  fact  that  very  few  Indians  succeeded  in  getting  back  into  the 
settled  country,  indicates  great  vigilance.  The  troops  returned  to  their 
posts  during  June  and  July  of  1886,  but  made  frequent  scouts  subsequently 
after  these  same  renegades. 

Aside  from  frequent  scouts  on  the  Navajo  reservation  and  vicinity  to 
keep  peace  between  citizens  and  Indians,  the  troops  were  not  called  into  the 
field  for  any  large  operations  until  danger  threatened  among  the  far  away 
Sioux  in  1890.  The  scattered  condition  of  the  army  at  that  time  necessi- 
tated the  gathering  of  troops  from  almost  every  department,  and  included 
the  Sixth  Cavalry,  which  was  transferred  by  rail  from  New  Mexico  to  South 
Dakota,  arriving  at  Rapid  City,  December  9,  1890. 

On  January  ist  the  regiment  was  camped  near  the  mouth  of  Wounded 
Knee  Creek,  and  the  pickets  reported  firing  early  in  the  afternoon,  several 
miles  away  on  White  River.  Troop  K  of  the  third  battalion  had  not  yet 
joined,  and,  suspecting  that  the  Indians  had  attacked  it,  "  boots  and  sad- 
dles "  was  sounded,  and  Major  Tupper  with  his  two  remaining  troops,  F  and 
I,  proceeded  at  a  gallop  through  the  snow,  guided  only  by  the  sound  of  the 
firing  which  came  to  the  ears  of  the  advanced  guard.  Arriving  on  the  bluffs 
overlooking  White  River,  Troop  K,  under  Captain  Kerr,  was  seen  with  train 
corralled  and  the  attacking  Indians  in  full  view.  Although  the  horses  were 
blown  with  their  run  for  four  or  five  miles  in  the  snow,  the  skirmish  line 
was  formed  at  a  charge  and  the  line  pushed  rapidly  across  the  half  frozen 
river  between  K  Troop  and  the  Indians,  who,  notwithstanding  their  taunt- 
ing cries  of  "  come  on,"  gave  way  all  along  their  line,  and  retreated  in  the 
direction  of  the  main  village. 

Some  of  these  Indians  who  had  crawled  up  close  to  K  Troop,  were  cut 
off,  but  by  abandoning  their  ponies  they  managed  to  crawl  away  between 
the  lines  under  a  heavy  fire,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  the  bluffs,  where 
they  were  subsequently  found  wounded  and  were  killed  by  the  scouts.  The 
result  of  this  attack  was  particularly  gratifying,  because  the  Indians  were 
seeking  revenge  for  their  losses  at  General  Forsyth's  hands,  and  found  Gen- 
eral Carr's  troops  so  fully  prepared  to  give  it  to  them  that  they  returned 
to  the  hostile  village  and  acknowledged  defeat  and  a  loss  of  nine  warriors. 
The  other  troops  directed  to  take  part  in  this  affair  arrived  under  General 
Carr  so  promptly  on  the  flank  of  the  Indians  that  if  they  had  made  a  stand 
for  a  few  minutes  their  escape  would  have  been  a  very  difficult  matter. 

This  was  the  only  fight  participated  in  by  the  regiment  during  the  cam- 
paign. Soon  afterward  the  Indians  formally  surrendered  and  half  the  regi- 
ment remained  with  them  at  Pine  Ridge  Agency  until  February.     While 


250  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

en  route  to  their  new  posts  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Indian  reservations,  the 
men  and  horses  suffered  greatly  from  exposure  in  very  severe  weather. 

The  regiment  is  now,  as  it  has  been  ever  since  the  Rebellion,  "  standing 
to  horse  "  near  an  Indian  reservation  ready  to  participate  in  quelling  dis- 
turbances after  the  Indian  Bureau  fails. 

In  following  a  cavalry  regiment  for  thirty  years  by  means  of  its  retained 
records,  the  trail  is  often  found  dim  and  rough,  sometimes  completely  oblit- 
erated. It  would  be  impossible  in  so  brief  a  sketch  to  name  all  the  heroes 
and  heroic  deeds  that  these  years  have  developed.  The  names  of  the  offi- 
cers participating  in  actions  even,  cannot  be  given  because  so  many  records 
have  been  lost  in  battle  and  flood.  To  illustrate  the  difficulties  surrounding 
this  labor  it  is  only  necessary  to  quote  from  one  morning  report  where  the 
naive  remark  is  duly  entered,  that  "the  company  clerk  was  captured  yes- 
terday with  the  muster  roll  in  his  saddle  pocket."  Many  incidents  of  great 
interest  have  been  brought  to  light  through  the  kindly  offices  of  the  Sixth 
Cavalry  Association,  an  organization  of  veterans  who  followed  the  fortunes 
of  the  regiment  during  the  war,  and  who  still  meet  annually  to  keep  alive 
the  friendships  and  memories  of  those  eventful  days. 

This  sketch  is  confined  as  nearly  as  possible  to  things  historical,  but  the 
search  for  facts  has  developed  a  perfect  mine  of  interesting  incidents  and 
regimental  tales  which  have  no  place  here.  The  pressure  of  other  duties 
has  made  it  impossible  for  the  writer  to  do  full  justice  to  the  subject,  and  it 
was  only  the  fear  that  it  would  be  entirely  neglected  by  those  more  com- 
petent that  caused  the  preparation  of  this  imperfect  narrative. 


Major-General 
JACOB     BROWN 

Commanding  the  Army,   1821-1S28. 


HE  SEVENTH   L 


R 


\.  GARLINGTO. 

CIvUlTS  lor  a  regiment  of  cavalr) 
Kansas,  -in   Aue;ust.   1866.      The 


t  Kney, 
was    in- 


but  the  figure  eight  subsequently  gave  place  to  the  cabalistic  number  — 
=*^ve"n. 

Andrew  J.  Smith,  a  veteran  of  tii 
guished  cavalry  leader  in  the  Arrry 
omoted  colonel  of  the  new  regiment. 
The  first  lieutenant  colonel  was  that  picturesqi 
;ster,  who  had  been  one  of  Sheridan's  most  trusted 
The  senior  major  was  a  soldier  of  the  pld  schoo; 
other  majors  were  Wickliffe  Cooper  and  Joel  H.  Elliott,  bo 
of  great  promise,  and  with  distinguished  war  records. 

ains  were,  William  Thompson,  Frederick    w  .  beni<  .-i;. 
<bert  M.  West,  "  Mike  "  Sheridan,  Louis  McLane  h^:  •- 

wed  mai^y  well-known  names,  among 
-n-ral;  W.W.Cooke,  H.J.  Nov.  ..r 
Sam  "  Robbins,  Myle- 


■oper,  and  wrnt  .     ■ 
idler  of  the  presc:. 
Its  scouts,  marches  .^i\d  oxpediti' 
the  Rocky  Mountains ,  from  the 
River.     The  summer's  Sun  found  it 
escort  to  commissioners,  suiv.:-y. -rs  r 
pursuit  on  a  fresh  Indian  trail, 
age  enemy ;  the  winter's  snow 
'.mtdead.    The.  theatre  of  its 
-ted  conflicts  with  its  treachi 

•  rnUnr  enemy — Asiatic  ciiL 

: sumption,  and  as  a  o 
en,  weakening  thepi  v 
—cholera. 
:  and  trying  ser 


hs,  and  du: 
.0  the  lot  ' 
jcarcely  realtzeable  to 


al- 


cntly  prevailed 

A'ite  the  rriore 


252  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

endurance,  of  daring  and  skill ;  and  at  the  same  time  eliminated  the  "  dead- 
wood  "  which  it  discovered.  The  regiment,  or  fractions  of  it,  demonstrated 
its  esprit  on  over  forty  occasions  in  contest  with  the  Sioux,  Cheyennes, 
Kiowas,  Comanches,  Apaches,  Arapahoes  and  Dog  Soldiers.  These  began 
with  a  skirmish  near  Fort  Lyon,  Colorado,  on  the  13th  April,  1867,  and 
practically  ended  with  the  battle  on  the  Washita  in  the  Indian  Territory  on 
the  27th  November,  1868,— although  there  were  several  smaller  affairs  along 
the  Saline  and  Solomon  during  the  summer  of  1869. 

Exclusive  of  the  battle  of  the  Washita  the  losses  sustained  inaction  were: 
killed,  II  ;  wounded,  13  ;  mortally  wounded,  4;  captured,  i  ;  lost,  one  ;  six 
men  were  drowned  in  the  performance  of  duty  and  fifty-one  died  of  cholera. 

The  fight  on  the  Washita  was  perhaps  the  most  vigorously  contested, 
and  the  most  decisive  battle  ever  fought  with  Indians  up  to  that  period,  or 
even  since.  Eight  hundred  troopers,  and  over  double  that  number  of  In- 
dians were  engaged  in  that  encounter. 

In  addition  to  Black  Kettle's  village,  which  was  captured  and  totally  de- 
stroyed, there  were  within  five  miles  of  the  scene  of  the  battle  over  six  hun- 
dred tepees  standing  along  the  Washita  River  during  the  fight. 

Custer,  under  the  cover  of  night,  succeeded  in  surrounding  the  village, 
and  as  the  morning  dawned,  lighting  up  the  snow-covered  valley,  a  signal — 
a  single  shot — rang  out  clear  and  distinct  in  the  cold  crisp  air;  the  band 
struck  up  a  stirring  regimental  air — "Garry  Owen  " — and  the  fight  was  on. 
Into  the  village  the  gallant  troopers,  cheering  lustily,  charged  from  all 
sides,  each  vying  with  his  comrade  to  be  first  at  the  death.  The  fight  raged 
furiously  until  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

How  the  regiment  acquitted  itself  is  shown  in  the  following  order; 

Headquarters  Department  of  the  Missouri.    In  the  Field. 
Depot  on  the  North  Canadian,  at  the  Junction  of  Beaver  Creek, 

Indian  Territory,  November  29,  1868. 
General  Field  Orders  No.  6  : 

The  Major  General  Commanding  announces  to  this  Command  the  defeat, 
by  the  Seventh  Regiment  of  Cavalry,  of  a  large  force  of  Cheyenne  Indians, 
under  the  celebrated  Chief.  Black  Kettle,  reinforced  by  the  Arapahoes 
under  Little  Raven,  and  the  Kiowas  under  Satanta,  on  the  morning  of  the 
27th  instant,  on  the  Washita  River,  near  the  Antelope  Hills,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, resulting  in  a  loss  to  the  savages  of  one  hundred  and  three  warriors 
killed,  including  Black  Kettle,  the  capture  of  fifty-three  squaws  and  chil- 
dren, eight  hundred  and  seventy-five  ponies,  eleven  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  buffalo  robes  and  skins,  five  hundred  and  thirty-five  pounds  of 
powder,  one  thousand  and  fifty  pounds  of  lead,  four  thousand  arrows,  seven 
hundred  pounds  of  tobacco,  besides  rifles,  pistols,  saddles,  bows,  lariats  and 
immense  quantities  of  dried  meat  and  other  winter  provisions,  the  complete 
destruction  of  their  village,  and  almost  total  annihilation  of  this  Indian 
band. 

The  loss  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  was  two  officers  killed.  Major  Joel  H. 
Elliott  and  Captain  Louis  McL.  Hamilton,  and  nineteen  enlisted  men; 
three  officers  wounded,   Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  T.   W.  Custer,  Brevet 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRV.      253 

Lieutenant  Colonel    Albert    Barnitz  (badly)  and  Second  Lieutenant  T.  J. 
March  (slightly)  and  eleven  enlisted  men. 

The  energy  and  rapidity  shown  during  one  of  the  heaviest  snow  storms 
that  has  visited  this  section  of  country,  with  the  temperature  below  freez- 
ing, and  the  gallantry  and  bravery  displayed  resulting  in  such  signal  suc- 
cess, reflect  the  highest  credit  upon  both  the  oflicers  and  men  of  the 
Seventh  Cavalry ;  and  the  Major  General  Commanding,  while  regretting 
the  loss  of  such  gallant  officers  as  Major  Elliott  and  Captain  Hamilton, 
who  fell  while  gallantly  leading  their  men,  desires  to  express  his  thanks  to 
the  officers  and  men  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Washita,  and  his  special 
congratulations  are  extended  to  their  distinguished  commander,  Brevet 
Major  General  George  A.  Custer,  for  the  efficient  and  gallant  service  ren- 
dered, which  have  characterized  the  opening  of  the  campaign  against  hostile 
Indians  south  of  the  Arkansas. 

By  command  of  Major  General  P.  H.  Sheridan, 
(Signed)  J.  Schuyler  Crosby, 

Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel,  A.  D.  C. 
Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

The  Secretary  of  War  also  sent  the  following  telegram  which  was  trans- 
mitted to  the  Regimental  Commander  : 

Washington  City,  December  2,  1868. 
Lieutenant  General  Sherman,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  : 

I  congratulate  you,  Sheridan  and  Custer,  on  the  splendid  success  with 
which  your  campaign  is  begun.  Ask  Sheridan  to  send  forward  the  names 
of  officers  and  men  deserving  of  special  mention. 

(Signed)  John  M.  Schofield, 

Secretary  of  War. 

General  Custer  reported  that  it  was  impracticable  to  comply  with  the 
request  contained  in  the  closing  sentence  "  for  the  gratifying  reason  that 
every  officer  and  man  belonging  to  the  expedition  has  performed  his  full 
part  in  rendering  the  movement  against  the  hostile  tribes  a  complete  suc- 
cess." 

General  Sheridan's  order,  issued  upon  the  receipt  of  Custer's  despatch 
written  immediately  after  the  battle,  understates  the  loss  ;  two  officers  and 
twenty- five  men  were  killed,  and  three  officers  and  twelve  men  wounded. 
Two  white  boys  were  rescued  from  the  savages.  During  the  engagement 
a  bloodthirsty  squaw  was  seen  to  murder  a  bright  lad  of  about  ten  years 
by  disemboweling  him  with  a  knife.  In  Satanta's  abandoned  village  the 
bodies  of  a  young  vfrhite  woman  and  a  child  were  found  cruelly  mutilated. 

A  subsequent  visit  to  the  battle-field,  and  investigation  among  the  pris- 
oners and  other  Indians  who  were  in  the  fight,  disclosed  a  much  greater 
Indian  loss  than  was  first  reported.  They  acknowledged  that  one  hundred 
and  forty  warriors  were  killed,  and  the  number  wounded  must  have  swelled 
the  aggregate  loss  to  nearly  four  hundred. 

General  Sheridan,  who  was  at  Camp  Supply,  with  his  characteristic  dis- 
position to  drive  home  a  preliminary  success,  ordered   Custer,  now  rein- 


2  54  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

forced  by  the  19th  Kansas  Volunteer  Cavalry,  making  a  total  force  of  about 
fourteen  hundred  men,  to  resume  his  operations  against  the  hostiles,  hoping 
by  the  aid  of  the  biting  frost  of  an  unusually  cold  winter  to  force  them  to 
sue  for  peace  and  to  return  to  their  reservation. 

The  limit  of  this  sketch  makes  it  impossible  to  follow  the  operations  of 
Custer's  column  ;  they  are  full  of  interest,  and  of  incidents  which  go  to 
prove  his  own  wonderful  energy,  daring,  pluck  and  resourcefulness,  as  well 
as  the  esprit,  courage,  and  staying  qualities  of  his  officers  and  men.  There 
was  no  more  fighting  Indians ;  but  fighting  cold,  hunger  and  obstacles 
with  which  nature  barred  the  routes  of  travel,  was  even  more  wearing  and 
destructive  to  the  efficiency  of  the  command.  On  the  march  from  Supply 
to  Fort  Cobb  the  regiment  lost  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  horses ;  the 
"  19th  Kansas  "  one  hundred  and  forty-eight. 

Through  the  capture  of  Satanta  and  Lone  Wolf,  head  chiefs  of  the 
Kiowas,  and  a  threat  to  hang  them  at  sunset  on  a  certain  day,  that  tribe 
was  forced  to  come  in  and  camp  on  the  reservation  near  Fort  Cobb. 

By  the  extraordinary  efforts  of  Custer  with  a  detachment  of  two  officers 
and  fifty  five  men,  and  a  march  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  the  Arapa- 
hoes  were  located  and  brought  back  to  their  reservation,  where  they  have 
remained  at  peace  with  the  whites.  The  Cheyennes  now  alone  remained 
obdurate  to  the  peaceful  efforts  of  the  Government.  They  were  finally 
located  in  Northern  Texas.  By  a  well  conceived  and  successfully  executed 
stratagem  Custer  captured  three  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  tribe,  and  by 
the  exercise  of  great  patience  and  forbearance,  Mrs.  Morgan  and  Miss  White, 
two  white  captives  held  by  them,  were  delivered  to  Custer  ;  and  an  agree- 
ment entered  into  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  to  return  to  their  reservation, 
and  on  the  part  of  Custer  to  restore  to  their  people  the  three  chiefs  and  the 
women  and  children  caotured  at  the  Washita.  The  Indians  complied  with 
their  part  of  the  contract ;  and  the  Government,  as  far  as  it  was  able,  fulfilled 
its  stipulation. 

With  the  return  of  the  Cheyennes  to  their  reservation  the  work  of  the 
expedition  south  of  the  Arkansas  was  done.  The  regiment  was  withdrawn 
and  the  "  19th  Kansas"  mustered  out  of  the  service. 

The  extreme  severity  of  this  winter's  campaign  will  be  appreciated  when 
it  is  remembered  that  Custer  left  Camp  Supply  on  the  7th  December  1868, 
with  fourteen  hundred  cavalry,  and  now,  on  the  5th  March,  1869,  his 
mounted  effective  strength  was  reduced  to  six  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

General  Sheridan  in  a  letter  to  Custer  said  :  "  I  am  very  much  rejoiced 
at  the  success  of  your  expedition,  and  feel  proud  of  our  winter's  operations 
and  of  the  officers  and  men  who  have  borne  its  privations  and  hardships 
so  manfully.  *  *  *  Give  my  kind  regards  to  the  officers  and  say 
how  happy  I  should  be  to  see  them  should  any  of  them  come  this  way  on 
leave." 

Colonel  Smith  resigned  in  the  spring  of  1869,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Brevet  Major  General  S.  D.  Sturgis,  promoted  from  Lieutenant  Colonel  6th 
Cavalry. 

In  March,  1871,  the  regiment  was  relieved  from  duty  in  the  Department 
of  the  Missouri. 


THE  SE VENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.      255 

Headquarters  Department  of  the  Missouri. 

Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  March  8,  1871. 
General  Orders  No.  4. 

Orders  transferring  the  7th  Cavalry  from  this  Department  having  been 
received  from  Headquarters  of  the  Army,  the  Commanding  General  deems 
it  his  duty  to  express  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  regiment  his  high 
appreciation  of  their  soldierly  qualities  and  of  the  conspicuous  services  per- 
formed by  them  in  this  department. 

The  regiment  carries  with  it  a  noble  record  of  faithful  services  and 
gallant  deeds.  During  the  four  years  which  it  has  been  in  this  Department 
it  has  experienced  all  of  the  hardships,  dangers  and  vicissitudes  attendant 
upon  military  operations  on  our  wild  frontier.  It  has  made  many  long  and 
toilsome  marches  exposed  to  the  severest  storms  of  winter,  and  has  gone 
for  days  in  that  inclement  season  without  shelter  and  almost  without  food 
for  man  or  animal. 

It  has  been  engaged  in  many  bloody  combats  with  the  Indians  in  which 
its  valor  has  been  thoroughly  tried  and  proved.  It  has  met  all  dangers  and 
privations  with  firmness  and  intrepidity  and  has  been  distinguished  through- 
out for  steady  discipline  and  efficient  performance  of  duty. 

The  present  soldierly  condition  and  high  state  of  discipline  of  the  regi- 
ment give  assurance  that  in  the  new  field  to  which  it  is  ordered  it  will  be 
distinguished  for  the  same  high  qualities  which  have  so  justly  earned  for  it 
its  brilliant  reputation  in  this  command. 

With  sincere  regret  the  Commanding  General  sees  this  regiment  leave 
this  Department.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  it  will  carry  with  it  his  hearty 
good  wishes  and  his  confident  hope  that  its  future  will  be  as  successful  as 
its  past  history. 

It  will  be  long  remembered  in  the  Department  as  a  model  of  soldierly 
discipline  and  efficiency. 

By  command  of  Brigadier  General  Pope  : 
(Signed)  W.  G.  Mitchell, 

Brevet  Colonel,  U.  S.  A. 
Acting  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 
The  scene  now  shifts  to  the  Department  of  the  South,  where  we  find 
the  regiment  scattered  through  seven  States,  serving  as  a  sort  of  adjunct  to 
the  Department  of  Justice,  acting  as  posse  comitatus  for  United  States 
Marshals.  This  constabulary  duty  continued  for  two  years,  when  orders 
were  issued  transferring  the  regiment  to  Texas.  The  restless  and  threat- 
ening attitude  of  the  Sioux  in  the  Department  of  Dakota  made  it  neces- 
sary to  send  cavalry  there,  and  upon  the  application  of  General  Sheridan 
the  "  Seventh's  "  destination  was  changed  to  the  Northern  Department. 

April,  1873,  found  all  the  regiment,  except  the  colonel,  his  stafT  and  two 
troops,  at  Yankton,  Dakota. 

General  Sturgis  was  assigned  to  station  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  and 
Major  Reno,  with  one  squadron,  was  detailed  for  escort  duty  with  the  in- 
ternational commission  locating  the  boundary  line  between  the  United 
States  and  the  British  possessions ;  this  squadron  remained  on  this  duty 
until  the  autumn  of  1874. 


2  56  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

While  detained  at  Yankton,  waiting  for  wagon  transportation,  and  for 
the  ice  to  run  out  of  the  river,  the  regiment  was  introduced  to  a  genuine 
Dakota  blizzard,  the  worst  it  experienced  during  its  fourteen  years  service 
in  the  Territory.  On  the  loth  June  the  regiment  reached  Fort  Rice,  and 
Custer  reported  to  General  D.  S.  Stanley  for  duty  with  the  expedition  then 
fitted  out  for  the  Yellowstone.  This  expedition  was  "designed  for  the  pro- 
tection of  engineering  surveyors  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway,"  and 
consisted  of  about  fifteen  hundred  men  and  two  guns. 

The  column  left  Fort  Rice  on  the  24th  June.  On  the  4th  August 
Custer,  who  had  according  to  his  usual  custom  gone  ahead  of  the  main 
column  with  one  squadron  (ninety  men),  was  attacked  at  a  point  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Yellowstone  River  about  four  miles  above  the  present 
site  of  Fort  Keogh,  Montana,  by  three  hundred  Indians. 

The  Indians,  well  armed  with  breech-loading  rifles,  fought  with  great 
stubbornness  for  three  hours  and  a  half.  The  ammunition  of  the  troops 
was  about  exhausted  when  by  a  well  directed  mounted  charge  the  Indians 
were  driven  from  the  field. 

One  trooper  was  wounded  ;  the  loss  among  the  Indians  was  heavy,  for 
the  troops  fought  dismounted  and  under  cover,  while  the  Indians  charged 
gallantly  within  very  short  range. 

The  same  day  the  Regimental  Sutler,  the  Veterinary  Surgeon  and  one 
private  were  killed  by  a  small  party  of  Indians,  while  trying  to  join  Custer 
from  the  main  column.  The  trail  of  a  large  village  was  discovered  on  the 
8th,  and  Custer  was  detached  with  his  cavalry  and  a  company  of  Scouts 
under  Lieutenant  D.  H.  Brush,  17th  Infantry,  to  follow  and  strike  the  In- 
dians. The  pursuit  was  begun  as  soon  as  night  fell  and  prosecuted  with 
great  vigor. 

On  the  morning  of  the  nth  the  Indians  attacked  Custer  while  in  camp 
on  the  Yellowstone,  about  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn  River.  A 
spirited  engagement  ensued.  Lieutenant  Braden,  who  held  a  prominent 
point  on  the  left  flank  with  a  small  detachment  while  Custer  made  his  dis- 
positions, was  charged  by  one  hundred  warriers,  the  Indians  riding  to  within 
thirty  yards  of  his  dismounted  line.  He  was  shot  through  the  thigh  bone, 
but  with  the  most  wonderful  exhibition  of  cool  nerve  maintained  his  posi- 
tion, and  repulsed  the  daring  savages. 

On  the  bluffs  south  of  the  river,  old  men,  squaws,  and  children  were  seen 
in  large  numbers,  evidently  waiting  in  fiendish  anticipation  the  time  for 
their  brutal  part  in  the  drama;  but  their  dusky  braves  could  not  face  the 
vigorous  charge  of  the  "pony-soldiers."  They  broke  in  complete  rout,  the 
cavalry  pursuing  them  for  eight  miles,  when  they  escaped  by  crossing  the 
Yellowstone. 

The  regiment  lost  in  this  engagement  one  officer.  Lieutenant  Charles 
Braden,  and  two  enlisted  men  wounded  ;  and  one  enlisted  man  killed. 
Several  officers  had  horses  shot  under  them. 

The  Indian  loss  was  estimated  by  Custer  to  be  forty  killed  and  wounded 
on  the  north  side,  while  several  were  known  to  have  been  knocked  over  on 
the  south  bank.  There  were  nine  hundred  Indians  engaged  in  the  attack; 
this  number  was  afterward  verified  by  the  Indians  who  were  present. 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALR  V.      257 

General  Custer  in  his  official  report  of  the  fight  says  :  "  I  desire  to  bear 
testimony  to  the  good  conduct  of  every  man  connected  with  my  command, 
including  officers,  men  and  scouts.  Where  all  did  so  well  no  special  men- 
tion can  be  made." 

No  Indians  were  seen  during  the  remainder  of  the  season.  The  expe- 
dition continued  the  march  as  far  as  the  Mussel  Shell  River,  whence  it  re- 
turned to  Fort  A.  Lincoln. 

General  Sheridan  in  his  annual  report  for  1873  recommended  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  large  military  post  near  the  base  of  the  Black  Hills  in  order 
"to  secure  a  strong  foothold  in  the  heart  of  the  Sioux  country,  and  thereby 
exercise  a  controlling  influence  over  these  warlike  people."  Pursuant  to 
his  directions  an  expedition  was  organized  at  Fort  A.  Lincoln  in  June,  1874, 
for  the  purpose  of  reconnoitring  the  route  from  that  post  to  Bear  Butte, 
in  the  Black  Hills,  and  exploring  the  country  south,  southeast,  and  south- 
west of  that  point.  Custer  was  detailed  to  command  the  expeditionary 
force,  which  consisted  of  ten  troops  of  the  7th  Cavalry,  two  companies  of 
infantry  and  a  detachment  of  scouts ;  and  was  directed  to  return  to  Fort  A. 
Lincoln,  within  sixty  days.  Colonels  G.  A.  Forsyth  and  Fred  Grant  of 
Sheridan's  staff  accompanied  the  command  ;  also  Captain  William  Ludlow, 
C.  E.,  as  Engineer  Officer. 

Leaving  Fort  A.  Lincoln  in  July  we  find  the  expedition  at  Custer  Park 
—near  the  present  site  of  Custer  City,  S.  D., — on  the  last  day  of  the  month. 
There  was  a  well  equipped  scientific  party  with  the  expedition,  and  much 
valuable  information  gathered  as  to  the  geology,  zoology,  paleontology  of 
the  region  explored  ;  but  the  presence  of  precious  metals  in  large  quantity 
appears  to  have  been  doubted. 

In  September,  1874,  six  troops  and  Major  Lewis  Merrill  were  ordered  to 
the  Department  of  the  Gulf.  The  troops  were  assigned  to  stations  at  dif- 
ferent points  in  Louisiana  and  Alabama,  where  they  remained,  performing 
constabulary  duty  until  the  spring  of  1876. 

During  the  summer  of  1875  the  troops  in  the  Department  of  Dakota 
were  in  the  field  removing  "  prospectors"  from  the  Black  Hills. 

In  the  winter  of  1875-76  Tom  Custer  captured  at  the  Standing  Rock 
Agency,  Rain-in-the-Face,  a  noted  Sioux  chief,  who  was  the  principal  actor 
in  the  murder  of  the  sutler  and  the  veterinary  surgeon  in  August,  1873.  He 
escaped  from  the  guard  house  at  Fort  A.  Lincoln  and  is  reputed  to  have 
killed  Tom  Custer  in  the  massacre  on  the  Little  Big  Horn. 

In  the  spring  of  1876  the  troops  of  the  regiment  in  the  South  were  re- 
called, and  the  entire  regiment,  Custer  commanding,  concentrated  at  Fort 
A.  Lincoln  for  duty  with  Terry's  column  in  the  general  movement  about  to 
be  inaugurated  against  the  Great  Sioux  Nation. 

The  column  left  Fort  A.  Lincoln  on  the  17th  May,  and  the  first  signs  of 
Indians,  the  trail  of  a  large  body,  were  discovered  on  the  Rosebud  River 
about  the  15th  June  by  Reno,  while  on  a  scout.  On  the  22d  June,  Custer 
with  the  entire  regiment,  was  detached  to  follow  this  trail. 

By  rapid  marches,  day  and  night,  half- past  ten  o'clock  on  the  mornmgof 
the  25th  June  found  the  regiment  about  to  begin  the  ascent  of  the  divide 
between  the  Rosebud  and  the  Little  Big  Horn  rivers. 


2  58  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Early  the  same  morning  the  hostile  camp  had  been  located  by  the  scouts 
in  the  valley  of  the  Little  Big  Horn.  It  was  Custer's  intention  to  remain 
concealed  until  night,  and  then  make  his  dispositions  to  attack  the  Indian 
village  at  dawn  on  the  26th  ;  but  shortly  after  halting  he  received  information 
which  assured  him  that  his  presence  was  known  to  the  hostiles. 

To  prevent  their  escape  he  determined  to  march  at  once  to  the  attack, 
Custer  divided  his  regiment  into  three  squadrons;  one,  of  five  troops, he 
commanded  himself,  the  other  two,  of  three  troops  each,  were  commanded 
by  Reno  and  Benteen  respectively. 

Reno  had  the  advance,  and  he  was  ordered  "to  move  forward  at  as 
rapid  a  gait  as  he  thought  prudent,  and  charge  the  village  afterwards,  and 
the  whole  outfit  would  support  him."  He  directed  Benteen  to  move  off  to 
the  left  and  south  until  he  could  see  the  valley  of  the  Little  Big  Horn— to 
attack  anything  he  found,  and  to  send  him  word. 

When  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  Little  Big  Horn  Custer 
swung  oflfthe  trail  to  his  right,  evidently  intending  to  support  Reno's  attack 
by  striking  the  Indians  in  flank. 

It  was  now  about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Reno  moved  forward 
and  crossed  the  river  without  molestation,  delaying  twenty  minutes  to 
water.  He  continued  his  advance  down  the  valley  under  a  desultory  fire 
for  two  miles,  when  he  was  brought  to  a  stand  by  a  large  mounted  force  of 
Indians.  Instead  of  charging  as  ordered,  he  dismounted  his  squadron  to 
fight  on  foot.  The  left  was  held  by  the  Ree  scouts  who  fled  at  the  first 
real  attack  ;  the  line,  thus  uncovered,  fell  back  to  the  timber.  This  position 
was  fairly  well  protected.  Up  to  this  period  one  man  had  been  wounded. 
The  second  position  was  probably  held  twenty  minutes,  when  Reno 
ordered  the  squadron  to  "  mount  and  get  to  the  hills."  As  soon  as  the 
retreat  commenced  the  Indians  swarmed  around  the  right  flank  and  forced 
the  column  towards  the  river ;  the  ford  over  which  Reno  came  could  not  be 
reached,  but  a  pony  trail  was  found  crossing  about  a  mile  and  a  half  below 
and  leading  up  a  narrow  ravine  to  the  bluffs  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river. 
The  banks  were  precipitous,  and  the  outlet  narrow,  but  under  the  impulse 
of  showering  lead  the  ascent  was  made  and  the  high  bluff  gained.  In  this 
retreat  two  officers,  twenty-eight  enlisted  men  and  one  scout  were  killed, 
seven  enlisted  men  wounded,  and  one  officer  (Lieutenant  DeRudio)  and 
eighteen  enlisted  men  and  scouts  missing.* 

As  near  as  the  time  can  be  fixed,  it  was  now  about  two  o'clock. 
Benteen  was  unable  to  execute  his  orders  by  reason  of  the  broken  country, 
and  was  forced  back  to  the  trail  of  the  main  column.  Soon  after  reaching 
the  trail,  a  trumpeter  from  Custer's  squadron  delivered  to  him  the  follow- 
ing despatch  :  "  Benteen,  come  on.  Big  village.  Be  quick.  Bring  packs. 
Sgd.  Cooke.  P.  S.— Bring  packs."  He  took  the  gallop  and  reached 
Reno  on  the  blufTs  about  half-past  two  o'clock.  Very  soon  after  Benteen's 
arrival  the  Indians  withdrew  from  the  attack.  A  large  number  of  mounted 
warriors  were  seen  in  the  valley,  and  suddenly  all  of  them  moved  down  the 
stream.     From  the  most  authentic  information  received  from  Indians  who 


*  Fourteen  of  these  men  reached  the  bluffs  about  three  hours  after  Reno;  DeRudio  and  three 
men  came  in  during  the  night  of  the  26th. 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OE  CA  VALRY.      259 

were  present  at  the  memorable  struggle,  it  appears  that  Custer  after  leaving 
Reno's  trail  followed  down  the  general  course  of  the  river,  but  behind  the 
bluffs,  for  about  five  miles,  evidently  looking  for  a  favorable  outlet  in  the 
hills  through  which  he  could  strike  the  village. 

By  the  time  he  reached  his  farthest  point  Reno  had  been  driven  to  the 
bluffs,  and  his  own  presence  was  discovered.  The  Indians  evidently  thought 
Reno's  squadron  after  reaching  the  high  ground  had  left  a  detachment  of 
observation  there  and  had  gone  down  the  river  under  cover  of  the  bluffs, 
and  formed  a  junction  with  Custer's  column,  for  all  authorities  seem  to 
agree  that  no  considerable  force  remained  in  front  of  Reno  after  about  three 
o'clock.     It  was  near  this  hour  when  Custer  was  discovered. 

Three  thousand  warriors,  armed  with  the  best  magazine  rifles,  gathered 
in  the  ravines  and  coolies  and  burst  upon  Custer's  intrepid  band. 

Of  course  it  was  but  a  question  of  time;  encumbered  with  the  led 
horses  ;  provided  with  an  inferior  arm  ;  the  Indians  not  only  twelve  to  one, 
but  each  of  these  twelve  firing  at  close  quarters  five  shots  to  every  soldier's 
one,  the  end  was  soon  reached.  At  five  o'clock  Reno  made  an  effort  to 
join  Custer  but  it  was  too  late. 

The  warriors  were  free  to  drive  Reno  back  to  his  former  position,  and  to 
besiege  him  with  vigor  until  darkness  shrouded  the  bloody  scene.  But  it 
brought  short  rest  for  the  command.  New  dispositions  were  made  ;  the 
wounded  were  made  as  comfortable  as  possible.  Every  available  man  with 
such  instrument  as  he  could  find  was  put  to  digging  holes,  or  rude  sort  of 
intrenchments.  In  the  direction  of  the  Indian  village  the  horizon  was 
aglow  with  reflected  light. 

With  the  dawn  of  day  came  the  whirr  of  bullets,  and  all  day,  the  26th, 
the  Indians  vainly  sought  to  dislodge  the  troops;  at  seven  o'clock  that 
evening  they  gave  up  the  attack  and  moved  off  toward  the  Big  Horn 
mountains. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th  General  Terry,  with  Gibbon's  column,  arrived 
on  the  battle-field  and  discovered  Custer's  fate. 

The  scene  of  the  fight  was  visited  the  next  day,  and  it  presented  a  most 
heartrending  spectacle.  The  bodies  of  the  dead  were  horribly  mutilated, 
except  that  of  General  Custer. 

The  dead  were  found  by  troops,  with  little  piles  of  empty  cartridge 
shells  beside  each  man — mute  testimony  of  the  cohesion  and  discipline 
which  existed  in  the  brave  band  until  the  end.  Near  Custer  lay  his  two 
brothers,  his  nephew  and  his  adjutant. 

Custer  took  into  the  fight  eleven  officers  and  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
one  enlisted  men  ;  all  were  killed.  The  ofliicers  were :  Lieutenant  Colonel 
George  A.  Custer  ;  Captain  Myles  W.  Keogh,  commanding  Troop  I  ;  Cap- 
tain George  W.  Yates,  commanding  Troop  F  ;  Captain  Th  Dmas  W.  Custer, 
commanding  Troop  C  ;  First  Lieutenant  William  W.  Cooke,  Regimental 
Adjutant;  First  Lieutenant  Algernon  E.  Smith,  commanding  Troop  E; 
First  Lieutenant  James  E.  Porter,  with  Troop  I ;  Second  Lieutenant  Henry 
M.  Harrington,  with  Troop  C;  Second  Lieutenant  James  G.  Sturgis,  with 
Troop  E  ;  Second  Lieutenant  William  Van  W.  Reilly,  with  Troop  F. 

The  following  accompanied  the  command  and  were  killed  with  Custer: 


26o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  G.  Crittenden,  20th  Infantry,  attached  to  Troop  L  ; 
Acting  Assistant  Surgeon  J.  M.  DeWolf ;  Mr.  Boston  Custer  and  Mr.  Artie 
Read,  civilians,  brother  and  nephew  of  General  Custer;  Scout  Charley 
Reynolds,  and  Curley— a  negro. 

With  Reno  two  officers  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  were  killed— First  Lieu- 
tenant Donald  Mcintosh,  commanding  Troop  G;  Second  Lieutenant  Benja- 
min H.  Hodgson,  Squadron  Adjutant— and  forty-six  enlisted  men.  Those 
attached  to  the  command  and  killed  were  Acting  Assistant  Surgeon  G.  E. 
Lord,  Scout  Bloody  Knife— a  Ree  Indian.  Forty-four  enlisted  men  were 
wounded. 

The  wounded  were  sent  by  steamboat  to  Fort  A.  Lincoln,  and  from  that 
point,  on  the  7th  July,  1876,  news  of  the  terrible  disaster  flashed  across  the 
wires  to  the  East.  More  troops  were  at  once  ordered  to  the  Yellowstone. 
Upon  their  arrival  offensive  operations  were  resumed.  But  appalled  by 
their  own  acts  of  savage  brutality,  and  fearing  summary  punishment  by  the 
Government,  the  Indians  resorted  to  the  old  and  effective  trick  of  disper- 
sion, and  set  the  troops  to  fruitless  marches  and  countermarches  for  the  rest 
of  the  summer.  The  Seventh  Cavalry  was  relieved  from  duty  in  the  field 
in  the  latter  part  of  September,  and  returned  to  Fort  A.  Lincoln.  The  en- 
listed strength  of  the  regiment  was  increased  to  twelve  hundred  men. 

On  the  2oth  October  General  Sturgis  with  eight  troops  crossed  the  Mis- 
souri River  and  proceeded  to  the  Cheyenne  Agency  to  disarm  the  Indians 
at  that  Agency  and  to  capture  their  pony  herds  ;  Reno  with  four  troops, 
marched  to  the  Standing  Rock  Agency  to  perform  the  same  duty  there. 

A  large  number  of  broken,  obsolete  and  worthless  guns,  a  few  service- 
able arms,  and  about  two  thousand  ponies  were  secured. 

Upon  the  completion  of  these  movements  the  troops  were  assigned  to 
stations  for  the  winter. 

The  regiment,  except  Troop  C,  was  concentrated  at  Fort  A.  Lincoln  on 
the  30th  April,  1877,  and  the  next  day  started  again  for  the  Yellowstone 
country,  to  report  to  General  N.  A.  Miles,  commanding  the  District.  At 
this  time  Sitting  Bull  and  his  contingent  were  known  to  be  north  of  the 
"line,"  and  thought  to  be  contemplating  an  expedition  into  the  United 
States,  in  connection  with  a  hostile  movement  of  the  Indians  belonging  to 
the  agencies  on  the  upper  and  lov/er  Missouri. 

The  regiment  was  so  placed  as  to  scout  the  divide  between  the  Yellow- 
stone and  Mussel  Shell,  and  furnished  one  troop  (B)  to  an  infantry  com- 
mand performing  a  like  duty  south  of  the  Yellowstone.  A  little  later, 
another  troop  (E)  was  detached  for  duty  under  Lieutenant  G.  C.  Doane,  2d 
Cavalry,  with  a  large  force  of  Crow  Indians  which  he  was  endeavoring  to 
utilize  in  scouting  operations  in  the  upper  Yellowstone  country.  In  August 
Miles  was  apprised  of  the  escape  of  the  Nez  Perce  Indians  from  Howard, 
and  that  the  direction  of  their  march  indicated  that  they  were  making  for 
his  territory. 

He  ordered  Sturgis  to  proceed  with  six  troops,  three  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  men  and  one  Napoleon  gun,  towards  Judith  Basin  to  endeavor 
to  place  his  command  where  he  could  intercept  Chief  Joseph  and  crush 
him;  at  the  same  time  directing  him  to  hold  hiscommand  in  condition  and 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.       261 

in  position  to  concentrate  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rosebud  by  the  15th  SepHem- 
ber  for  operations  against  Sitting  Bull. 

Now  came  a  month  of  hard  and  continuous  marching,*  and  during  the 
afternoon  of  the  13th  September  Sturgis  overtook  the  Nez  Perces  just  as 
they  were  entering  the  canon  of  Cafion  Creek,  Montana. 

A  brisk  engagement  followed  in  which  the  command  lost  three  enlisted 
men  killed.  Captain  Thomas  H.  French  and  ten  enlisted  men  wounded. 
The  Indians  lost  sixteen  killed  and  a  large  number  of  ponies  were  captured. 

The  Indians  stubbornly  held  all  direct  approaches  to  the  Canon,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  flank  it,  which,  owing  to  the  extremely  rough  country,  took 
time,  and  darkness  set  in  before  a  "clean  up  "could  be  made.  At  dawn 
the  following  day  the  pursuit  was  resumed.  During  the  day  five  Indians 
were  killed  and  many  ponies  captured,  but  the  Indians  could  not  be  brought 
to  stand  owing  to  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  cavalry  horses, — ninety- 
three  were  killed  and  abandoned  on  the  march.  The  command  had  been 
on  half  rations  for  several  days  ;  the  supplies  now  gave  out  completely.  A 
courier  had  been  sent  to  General  Miles  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  inform- 
ing him  of  the  direction  of  Joseph's  march.  When  Sturgis  became  con- 
vinced that  he  could  not  overtake  the  Indians  before  they  reached  the  Mis- 
souri River  he  decided  to  delay  his  march.  It  was  reasonably  certain  that 
Chief  Joseph  would  at  least  diminish  the  rate  of  his  march  as  soon  as  the 
troops  ceased  pushing  him,  and  thus  Miles  would  have  a  better  opportunity 
to  place  his  command  in  position.  By  a  happy  combination  of  skill  and 
luck  he  was  able  to  seize  the  opportunity,  and  on  the  30th  September, 
at  a  point  a  little  northeast  of  the  Bear  Paw  Mountains  in  Montana,  his 
Cheyenne  scouts  discovered  the  Indian  village. 

The  Indian  camp  had  been  most  admirably  selected  for  defense ;  it  lay 
in  the  valley  of  Snake  Creek  and  was  traversed  by  deep  coolies  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  aflford  concealment,  and  give  protection  from  fire  from  what 
direction  soever  the  position  was  approached.  In  the  banks  of  these  coolies 
and  ravines  a  most  skillful  system  of  rifle-pits  was  constructed.  South  of 
the  village,  the  direction  from  which  the  attack  was  made,  ran  a  high 
perpendicular  bank  over  which  it  was  impossible  to  take  cavalry,  and 
which  was  lined  with  the  Nez  Perces  warriors  completely  concealed  from 
view. 

When  the  troops  sighted  the  village  it  seemed  accessible  from  all  sides, 
except  perhaps  the  east.  Hale  was  ordered  to  charge  the  village  with  his 
squadron  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  (Troops  A,  D  and  K).  The  gallant  troopers 
burying  their  spurs  into  their  horses' flanks,  rushed  forward  to  the  attack. 
The  Indians  held  their  fire  until  the  squadron  was  within  point  blank  range 
when  they  saluted  it  with  a  murderous  volley;  but  on  they  charged  to 
within  twenty  yards  of  the  Indian  line.  In  the  charge  Troop  K  (Hale)  had 
wheeled  to  the  right  to  attack  a  body  of  Indians  which  enfiladed  the  attack- 
ing line.  Moylan,  commanding  A  and  D,  when  he  discovered  the  perpen- 
dicular bank,  saw  that  it  was  impossible  to  descend  it,  wheeled  his  troops 
about,  withdrew,  and  formed  on  the  right  of  the  5th   Infantry,  some  two  or 

♦Lieutenant  E.  B.  Fuller,  with  a  detachment  of  five  men,  marched  without  a  change  of 
horses  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  five  days. 


262  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

three  hundred  yards  in  the  rear.  During  this  movement  the  fire  was  very 
heavy,  but  the  Indians  were  so  close  that  they  shot  too  high.  Up  to  this 
time  the  loss  in  Troops  A  and  D  was  three  killed  and  four  wounded. 

While  moving  to  the  rear,  Captain  Godfrey,  marching  in  rear  of  his 
troop,  had  his  horse  shot  under  him. 

Hale  also  charged  up  to  an  impassable  ravine,  withdrew  about  two  hun- 
dred yards  and  dismounted  his  troop  to  fight  on  foot  in  a  somewhat  isolated 
position  on  the  right.  For  some  time  almost  the  entire  Indian  force  was 
concentrated  on  him,  inflicting  severe  loss.  Troops  A  and  D  dismounted 
and  advanced  to  his  assistance  at  double  time  under  a  galling  cross-fire, 
sustaining  a  heavy  loss.  In  this  advance,  Godfrey,  who  had  remained 
mounted,  was  wounded  and  taken  from  the  field.  After  Moylan  placed  his 
line  in  position  and  was  in  the  act  of  reporting  to  Hale,  he  was  shot  through 
the  thigh.  Soon  after  Hale  himself  was  killed  while  encouraging  the  inex- 
perienced young  soldiers  of  his  command. 

Biddle  had  been  killed  in  the  first  charge.  There  was  now  but  one 
officer,  Lieutenant  Eckerson,  for  duty  with  the  three  troops.  All  the  First 
Sergeants  were  killed,  also  several  sergeants  and  corporals.  The  squadron 
of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  now  occupied  the  high  ground  east  of  the  village. 
Lieutenant  Romeyn,  5th  Infantry,  in  command  of  Troops  A  and  D,  7th 
Cavalry  and  Company  G,  5th  Infantry,  was  ordered  to  charge  simultaneously 
with  Lieutenant  Carter,  and  Company  I,  5th  Infantry,  from  the  southwest 
end  and  endeavor  to  cut  the  Indians  oflf  from  their  water  supply.  The 
rifle  pits  were  reached,  but  the  Indians  drove  the  force  back.  Romeyn 
was  shot  through  the  lungs.  This  practically  ended  the  fighting  for  the 
day,  and  during  the  night  the  troops  were  posted  around  the  Indian 
village  and  threw  up  such  intrenchments  as  they  could  with  the  tools  at 
hand. 

The  i2-pounder  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  ist  October  and  by  bury- 
ing the  trail  in  the  ground,  and  using  very  light  charges  of  powder  some 
shells  were  dropped  in  among  the  Indians,  inflicting  great  loss. 

Miles  had  several  parleys  with  Joseph,  and  finally,  on  the  4th  October, 
he  surrendered  his  people — four  hundred  and  eighteen  in  all — of  which 
eighty-seven  were  men.     One  hundred  and  four  escaped  to  Canada. 

In  this  engagement  Miles'  losses  were :  two  ofl^cers  and  twenty-two  en- 
listed men  killed ;  four  officers  and  thirty-eight  enlisted  men  wounded,  of 
which  the  Seventh  Cavalry  lost  two  officers  and  nineteen  enlisted  men  killed, 
and  two  officers  and  twenty-seven  enlisted  jnen  wounded,  a  total  loss  of  Jifty- 
otie  out  of  one  hundred  and  eight  men  engaged— very  nearly  fifty  per  cent. 
Miles'  command  numbered  during  the  first  two  days,  three  hundred  and 
twenty-three  men  and  thirty  Cheyennes,  it  was  afterwards  increased  by 
forty  men  of  Brotherton's  Company  of  the  5th  Infantry. 

Sturgis  reached  the  Missouri  at  Carroll  on  the  ist  October,  and  the  same 
day  received  orders  from  Miles  to  move  forward  rapidly  and  cautiously — 
that  he  had  Joseph  surrounded. 

On  the  4th,  when  within  two  hours'  march  of  the  battle-field,  he  received 
orders  to  halt — that  the  surrender  was  complete. 

The  uncertainty  of  Sitting  Bull's  intentions  and  movements  kept  the 


THE  SE  VEN  JH  RL  GIMENT  OF  CA  VA LR  Y.       263 

forces  in  the  field  well  into  the  winter,  and  the  troops  did  not  all  arrive  at 
their  stations  until  January,  1S78. 

After  a  few  months  of  rest  and  recuperation  a  permanent  camp  was  es- 
tablished at  Bear  Butte,  in  the  Black  Hills,  all  the  regiment,  under  Sturgis, 
being  present  except  Troop  F,  which  remained  at  Fort  Totten. 

In  September  the  Cheyenne  Indians  left  their  reservation  in  the  Indian 
Territory  crossed  the  States  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  committing  depreda- 
tions along  their  route  of  march.  They  evaded  all  pursuers  and  were  appa- 
rently heading  for  the  great  agencies  in  Dakota.  The  possible  introduction 
of  an  openly  hostile  element  into  any  of  these  great  camps  was  viewed  with 
great  apprehension  by  the  military  authorities,  and  stringent  orders  were 
issued  to  prevent  it.  The  new  agency  for  Red  Cloud  was  at  this  time 
being  established  at  White  Clay  Creek. 

Under  telegraphic  orders  the  camp  at  Bear  Butte  was  broken  up,  and  the 
command,  under  Tilford,  moved  with  as  much  dispatch  as  possible  to  a 
point  near  this  Agency  to  observe  it,  and  in  conjunction  with  other  troops, 
to  keep  out  the  Cheyennes,  capturing  them  if  possible.  When  the  Chey- 
ennes  found  that  their  scheme  of  joining  the  Sioux  was  frustrated,  and  that 
the  gateways  to  the  North  was  held  by  troops,  they  broke  up  into  small 
parties  so  that  they  might  sneak  through  the  line.  One  band  did  escape 
around  the  western  end  of  the  Black  Hills.  Another  was  captured  by  a 
squadron  of  the  3d  Cavalry  under  Captain  J.  B.  Johnson.  This  band,  when 
in  the  first  camp  after  surrender,  experienced  a  change  of  heart  and  posi- 
tively refused  to  accompany  Johnson  any  further.  They  burrowed  in  the 
ground,  and  otherwise  constructed  a  most  skillful  system  of  defense.  Two 
troops  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  and  a  piece  of  artillery  went  to  the  assistance 
of  Johnson.  When  the  Indians  saw  the  resources  and  preparations  of  the 
troops  for  immediate  action,  they  concluded  to  come  out  of  their  holes  and 
to  go  with  their  captors. 

In  November  the  regiment  was  relieved  from  duty  in  the  field,  and  after 
detaching  two  troops  to  establish  a  cantonment  on  the  present  site  of  Fort 
Meade,  S.  D.,  returned  to  its  former  station. 

The  next  summer  regimental  headquarters  and  six  troops  garrisoned  the 
new  post  of  Fort  Meade,  Dakota. 

Aside  from  maintaining  camps  of  observation  on  the  Little  Missouri 
River  during  the  summer,  escort  duty  in  the  construction  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  and  Great  Northern  railroads,  scouts  and  expeditions  for  special 
purposes,  the  service  in  the  Department  of  Dakota  after  1878  was  confined 
to  garrison  work.  Among  the  scouts  may  be  mentioned  the  capture  by 
Lieutenant  Bell  of  a  band  of  Canadian  half-breeds  in  the  autumn  of  1883. 
Troop  F  was  present  and  participated  in  the  capture  of  the  remnants  of 
Sitting  Bull's  and  Gaul's  camps  at  Poplar  River  Agency,  during  the  winter 
of   1880-81. 

On  the  nth  June,  1886,  Colonel  Samuel  D.  Sturgis,  Brevet  Major  Gen- 
eral, U.  S.  A.,  retired  from  the  service,  having  reached  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years.  General  James  W.  Forsyth,  Lieutenant  Colonel  ist  Cavalry,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  Colonelcy. 

Troop  A  participated  in  the  affair  which  terminated  with  the  killing  of 


264  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

"  Sword  Bearer"  at  the  Crow  Agency,  Montana,  on  the  5th  November,  1887. 

Regimental  headquarters  and  one  squadron  were  transferred  to  the  De- 
partment of  the  Missouri  during  the  summer  of  1887. 

Upon  General  Forsyth  devolved  the  duty  of  establishing  the  School  of 
Practical  Application  for  Cavalry  and  Light  Artillery  located  at  Fort  Riley, 
Kansas.  The  next  year  the  remaining  squadrons  followed  the  first,  one 
taking  station  at  Fort  Riley,  the  other  at  Fort  Sill,  Indian  Territory.  In 
1888,  1889,  and  1890  that  portion  of  the  regiment  at  Fort  Riley  attended 
Grand  Army  reunions  or  Militia  encampments  at  Lawrence  and  Topeka, 
Kansas.  The  troops  stationed  at  Fort  Sill  did  their  share  of  duty  on  the 
"  cattle  trail  "  leading  through  the  Territory.  In  the  autumn  of  1889,  the 
regiment,  except  Troop  E,  was  united  for  the  last  time  at  the  field  manoeuvres 
of  that  year  on  Chilocco  Creek,  Indian  Territory.  In  September,  1890,  Troops 
L  and  M  were  skeletonized,  and  the  officers  and  men  merged  into  other  or- 
ganizations. 

The  year  1890  is  memorable  for  the  Sioux  outbreak  after  a  peace  of 
more  than  ten  years.  The  history  of  this  disturbance  of  the  friendly  rela- 
tions which  had  existed  for  so  long  a  period  is  full  of  interest,  but  only  a 
passing  reference  can  be  made  to  it.  Religious  fervor,  including  the  belief 
in  the  advent  of  a  Messiah,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  return  of  the 
buffalo  and  the  departure  of  the  white  man  from  the  Indian  country,  seized 
the  savage  mind  ;  and  its  manifestations  in  the  ghost  dance  and  other  cere- 
monies gave  rise  to  the  belief  on  the  part  of  agents  and  others  that  the 
entire  Indian  nation  meditated  war. 

Whether  this  belief  was  correct  or  not  has  never  been  definitely  decided. 
In  November  the  agent  at  Pine  Ridge,  South  Dakota,  not  equal  to  the 
emergency  which  presented  itself,  deserted  his  post  of  duty,  reported  his 
Indians  on  the  eve  of  war  and  called  for  military  protection. 

Immediately  orders  were  issued  for  the  concentration  of  a  large  force  at 
Pine  Ridge,  under  Brigadier  General  John  R.  Brooke.  The  headquarters 
and  eight  troops  of  the  regiment  formed  a  part  of  this  force.  At  the  same 
time  troops  were  placed  at  strategical  points  north  of  this  agency  in  the 
Department  of  Dakota.  One  of  these  commands  was  located  on  the  Chey- 
enne River  in  observation  of  Big  Foot's  band,  and  of  other  Indians  camped 
in  that  city. 

Nothing  of  a  hostile  character  occurred  at  Pine  Ridge  Agency  for  sev- 
eral weeks  after  the  arrival  of  the  troops.  The  time  was  spent  in  negotia- 
ting with  a  camp  of  Brules  and  malcontents  from  Pine  Ridge,  which  had 
been  established  upon  the  approach  of  troops  in  the  Bad  Lands  north  of 
White  River.  Thiswascalled  the  hostile  camp.  These  negotiations, which 
looked  to  bringing  these  Indians  into  the  agency,  were  progressing  with  a 
fair  prospect  of  success  until  the  news  of  the  killing  of  Sitting  Bull  near 
Standing  Rock  was  received,  when  they  were  to  some  extent  interrupted. 
They  were,  however,  resumed  until  broken  off  by  an  actual  collision  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  troops.  Big  Foot  was  a  bad  Indian,  a  disturbing 
element.  In  his  camp  the  followers  of  Sitting  Bull,  who  escaped  when  he 
was  killed,  found  an  asylum.  There  were  also  other  renegades  from  the 
Missouri  Rive  agencies.    On  the  night  of  the  22d   December  he  escaped 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.      265 

with  his  village  from  the  troops  that  were  supposed  to  hold  him.  The 
Major  General  commanding  the  Division,  then  at  Rapid  City,  South  Da- 
kota, informed  General  Brooke  of  the  escape,  of  the  desperate  character  of 
he  Indians,  and  impressed  upon  him  the  necessity  of  capturing,  disarming 
and  holding  them  under  close  guard. 

On  the  26th  December,  Forsyth,  under  orders  from  Brooke,  sent  Whit- 
side's  squadron,  and  two  Hotchkiss  guns  under  Lieutenant  H.  L.  Haw- 
thorne, 2d  Artillery,  to  the  Wounded  Knee  Post  Office,  the  purpose  being 
to  capture  Big  Foot's  band  if  he  should  come  that  way.  Brooke  informed 
Whitside  on  the  27th  that  Big  Foot  must  be  in  his  front,  and  directed  him 
to  "  find  him,  to  move  on  him  at  once  and  with  rapidity,  to  capture  him, 
a7td  if  he  fought  to  destroy  him." 

Whitside  did  capture  him  on  the  28th,  without  a  fight,  about  six  miles 
from  Wounded  Knee  Post  Office.  The  Indians  were  conducted  to  the  camp 
which  had  been  left  standing  on  the  Wounded  Knee.  They  were  assembled, 
counted,  and  rations  issued  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  persons  ;  one  hundred 
and  twenty  bucks,  the  rest  women  and  children. 

Whitside  reported  his  successful  capture  and  requested  reinforcements, 
that  the  disarmament,  which  was  to  be  consummated  on  the  morrow,  be  ac- 
complished without  bloodshed. 

In  response  to  his  request  Forsyth  arrived  during  the  night  of  the  28th 
with  Regimental  Headquarters  and  the  second  squadron  ;  two  Hotchkiss 
guns  under  Captain  A.  Capron,  ist  Artillery;  and  Lieutenant  Taylor,  9th 
Cavalry,  with  his  troop  of  scouts,  to  which  was  attached  Lieutenant  Pres- 
ton, 9th  Cavalry.  Forsyth's  instructions  were  to  "  disarm  the  Indians  where 
they  were  camped,  to,  under  no  ct'rciimstances  allow  atty  of  them  to  escape, 
and  to  destroy  them  if  they  resisted  ;  "  and  as  soon  as  the  disarmament  was 
completed  to  leave  Whitside  in  charge  and  return  at  once  to  the  agency. 

Early  the  next  morning  Monday,  the  29th  of  December,  Forsyth  made 
his  dispositions  to  disarm  the  Indians,  peaceably  if  possible,  by  force  if 
necessary. 

The  bucks  were  invited  into  council  between  their  own  village  and  the 
camp;  nearly  all  of  them,  one  hundred  and  six,  came  wrapped  in  blankets. 
Big  Foot  remained  in  his  tent. 

General  Forsyth,  kindly  and  pleasantly,  yet  firmly,  demanded  the  sur- 
render of  their  arms.  While  the  negotiations  were  progressing,  a  young 
buck  fired  into  the  soldiers.  The  others  threw  aside  their  blankets  which 
concealed  their  weapons,  and  poured  a  murderous  fire  into  the  troops,  which 
had  been  posted  between  them  and  their  village,  following  it  up  as  rapidly 
as  their  repeating  rifies  could  belch  forth  the  lead.  The  fight  raged  on  the 
flat  about  one  hour  before  it  was  cleared  entirely  of  Indians.  Here  Captain 
George  D.  Wallace,  commanding  Troop  K,  and  twenty-one  enlisted  men, 
including  one  hospital  steward,  were  killed  ;  Lieutenant  Ernest  A.  Garling- 
ton  was  shot  through  the  right  elbow  ;  Lieutenant  John  C.  Gresham  re- 
received  an  abrasion  on  the  nose  from  a  passing  bullet ;  Captain  Charles  A. 
Varnum  had  his  pipe  knocked  from  his  mouth  by  a  bullet ;  Captain  John 
Van  R.  HofT,  Assistant  Surgeon,  received  several  bullets  through  his 
clothing,   and  twenty-one  enlisted   men  were   wounded.     Father  Craft,   a 


266  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Catholic  priest,  who  was  present  using  his  good  offices  to  persuade  the 
Indians  to  submit  to  the  demands  made  of  them  by  General  Forsyth,  re- 
ceived a  vicious  stab  in  the  back  which  penetrated  his  lung.  Scout  Wells 
had  his  nose  nearly  cut  off.  Lieutenant  John  Kinzie,  2d  Infantry,  who  was 
present  as  a  spectator,  was  shot  through  the  foot. 

Some  of  the  Indians,  many  of  them  wounded,  escaped  to  a  ridge  of  hills 
lying  just  west  of  camp,  and  secreted  themselves  in  stump  holes  and  inacces- 
sible ravines.  It  was  while  attempting  to  dislodge  a  party  which  was  doing 
considerable  execution  that  Lieutenant  H.  L.  Hawthorne,  2d  Artillery,  re- 
ceived a  very  severe  wound.  The  fighting  in  the  hills  was  done  by  Troops 
C,  D,  E  and  G,  which  were  mounted  at  the  beginning  of  the  engagement. 
They  lost  four  men  killed  and  four  wounded  ;  Lieutenant  Donaldson  was 
struck  by  a  bullet  with  sufficient  force  to  penetrate  his  leather  belt  and  his 
clothing.  There  were  many  acts  of  individual  bravery  and  gallantry,  but 
every  man  showed  himself  a  soldier — with  the  nerve  born  of  disciplined 
courage. 

Although  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  enlisted  men  had  ever  been 
under  fire  before — sixty  recruits  having  joined  at  Pine  Ridge — and  the  at- 
tack was  sudden,  there  was  no  undue  excitement.  Each  man  obeyed  orders, 
stood  his  ground,  and  shot  to  hit,  and  proved  himself  worthy  of  the  num- 
ber he  wore  upon  his  cap.  One  hundred  and  forty-six  Indians  were  subse- 
quently buried  on  the  field  ;  and  there  was  undoubted  evidence  that  many 
bodies  had  been  removed  ;  thirty-three  Indians,  nearly  all  wounded,  were 
captured.  The  "  hostiles  "  reported  seven  Indians  as  having  escaped  to 
their  camp — all  wounded  except  one. 

The  fight  was  over  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

In  view  of  the  possible  effect  of  this  fight  upon  the  other  Indians,  and 
for  the  better  care  and  protection  of  his  wounded,  Forsyth  moved  his  com- 
mand to  the  agency,  arriving  there  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

At  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  30th  he  was  called  to  go  to  the 
assistance  of  Major  Henry's  wagon  train  which  had  been  attacked  near  the 
agency.  One  hour  after  his  return  to  camp  he  was  ordered  to  go  the  Drexel 
Mission,  four  miles  from  the  agency  which  was  reported  attacked  by  the 
hostiles.     It  proved  to  be  a  false  alarm. 

When  about  to  return,  Little  Bat,  a  scout,  reported  that  he  had  heard 
the  "  firing  of  big  guns  "  down  the  White  Clay.  Knowing  that  troops  were 
located  in  that  direction  on  the  other  side  of  the  supposed  position  of  the 
hostile  camp,  Forsyth  determined  to  make  a  reconnaissance  in  force  down 
the  stream,  to  either  confirm  or  demonstrate  the  error  of  the  report.  To 
guard  against  emergencies  he  sent  couriers  to  General  Brooke  and  Colone/ 
Henry,  asking  that  the  latter  join  him  at  once. 

The  scouts,  under  Lieutenant  Preston,  9th  Cavalry,  developed  a  small 
force  which  was  pushedbackby  the  advance  guard.  The  number  of  Indians 
rapidly  increased  until  the  hills  were  full  of  them — at  least  three  or  four 
hundred  opposed  the  advance  of  the  troops.  Forsyth's  instructions  did  not 
contemplate  a  general  engagement  which  he  knew  would  be  precipitated  if 
he  pushed  matters,  and  as  soon  as  he  became  convinced  that  there  was  no 
heavy  firing  down  the  White  Clay  he  decided  to  withdraw. 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.      267 

He  was  in  the  act  of  withdrawing  his  troops  when  Henry's  squadron  of 
the  9th  Cavalry  arrived,  having  promptly  responded  to  Forsyth's  request. 
These  troops  were  placed  in  position,  under  Forsyth's  direction,  and  assisted 
in  the  completion  of  the  movement. 

The  loss  in  this  engagement  was  one  enlisted  man  killed  ;  Lieutenant 
James  D.  Mann,  and  six  enlisted  men  wounded.  Lieutenant  Mann  died  of 
his  wound,  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  on  the  15th  January,  1891.  The  loss 
among  the  Indians  is  unknown. 

On  the  30th  December,  1890,  the  Major  General  commanding  the  army 
telegraphed  to  the  Major  General  commanding  the  forces  at  Pine  Ridge, 
asking  him  to  thank  the  "  Brave  Seventh  Cavalry  for  their  splendid  con- 
duct." 

In  the  latter  part  of  January  the  Indian  problem  at  Pine  Ridge  was  set- 
tled to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Major  General  commanding.  The  prompt 
and  drastic  punishment  awarded  treachery  at  Wounded  Knee  contributed 
in  no  small  measure  towards  bringing  the  hostile  Indians  to  a  realizing 
sense  of  their  obligation  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the  Government. 
The  troops  were  relieved  and  sent  to  their  stations. 

The  train  carrying  the  second  squadron  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  and 
Capron's  battery  of  the  ist  Artillery,  collided  with  a  passenger  train,  run- 
ning at  full  speed,  when  within  a  short  distance  of  Fort  Riley.  The  wreck 
was  complete  ;  the  escapes  from  death  and  injury  miraculous.  A  sergeant 
of  artillery  and  a  private  of  cavalry  were  killed,  and  Captain  E.  S.  Godfrey, 
7th  Cavalry,  sustained  a  painful  and  permanent  injury. 

During  the  year  1891,  Troop  L  was  reorganized  as  an  Indian  troop  by  ist 
Lieutenant  H.  L.  Scott,  and  is  now  stationed  at  Fort  Sill,  Indian  Territory. 
Lieutenant  Scott  is  an  expert  in  all  that  pertains  to  Indians,  and  through 
his  familiarity  with  their  character,  and  his  ability  to  deal  with  them  without 
the  aid  of  an  interpreter  he  has  attained  the  most  satisfactory  results. 
Troop  F  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  East  in  the  spring  of 
1892,  and  to  the  Department  of  Texas  in  1894.  Troops  C,  D  and  G,  left 
Fort  Riley  on  the  24th  December,  1892,  for  Texas,  to  engage  in  the  move- 
ment looking  to  the  capture  of  the  Mexican  Revolutionist,  Garza,  and  his 
followers  in  Texas.  After  a  winter  in  the  chapparral  they  took  permanent 
station  in  that  Department, 

Three  monuments  have  been  erected  to  mark  tne  great  events  in  the  regi- 
ment's history ;  one  on  the  battle-field  of  the  Washita,  a  homely  pile  of 
stone  placed  by  Lieutenant  H.  L.  Scott,  7th  Cavalry;  one  on  the  Little  Big 
Horn,  built  by  the  Government ;  and  another  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  erected 
by  the  members  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  and  of  the  Medical  Department, 
stationed  at  Fort  Riley. 

Colonel  Forsyth  was  promoted  Brigadier  General  9th  November,  1894, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  E.  V.  Sumner. 


THE   EIGHTH   REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY. 
By  LIEUT.  CHARLES  M.  O'CONNOR,  U.  S.  A. 
Adjutant  Eighth  Cavalry. 

THE  Eighth  Cavalry,  organized  in  1866,  is  one  of  the  four  cavalry  regi- 
ments by  which  the  military  peace  establishment  was  increased 
under  an  Act  of  Congress  of  July  28th  of  that  year. 

By  G.  O.  No.  92,  A.  G.  O.,  1866,  the  field  officers  who  had  ac- 
cepted appointments  were  Colonel  John  I.  Gregg,  Lieut.-Colonel  Thomas 
C.  Devin,  Majors  William  Gamble  and  William  R.  Price.  Colonel  Gregg 
joined  for  duty  at  Camp  Whipple,  Arizona,  in  December,  1866,  assuming 
command  of  the  regiment  and  the  District  of  Prescott,  Arizona, — Lieut.- 
Colonel  Devin  and  Major  Price  in  January  1867, — Major  Gamble  never 
joined. 

The  first  troop,  A,  was  organized  at  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco, 
September  19,  1866,  ist  Lieut.  James  H.  Lord,  2d  Artillery,  being  assigned 
to  command.  Troop  B,  85  men,  at  the  same  place  October  23,  1866;  2d 
Lieut.  S.  A.  Porter,  14th  Infantry,  assigned  to  command.  Troops  C,  D,  E, 
F,  G  and  H,  49  and  50  men  each,  at  Angel  Island,  California,  October  27, 
1866,  with  officers  assigned  to  command  as  follows  : 

C,  1st  Lieut.  R.  I.  Eskridge,  14th  Infantry;  D,  ist  Lieut.  O.  I. 
Converse,  14th  Infantry;  E,  ist  Lieut.  I.  H.Gallagher,  14th  Infantry;  F, 
ist  Lieut.  C.  B.  Western,  14th  Infantry;  G,  2d  Lieut.  C.  Gillott,  2d 
Artillery  ;  H,  2d  Lieut.  Louis  R.  Stille,  14th  Infantry. 

Troop  I,  84  men,  was  organized  at  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco, 
November  12,  1866,  2d  Lieut.  J.  E.  Eastman,  2d  Artillery,  assigned  to  com- 
mand. 

"  Troop  K,  85  men  at  the  Presidio,  December  i,  1866,  2d  Lieut.  Green- 
leaf  Cilley,  1st  Cavalry,  assigned  to  command. 

These  troops  were  composed  chiefly  of  men  enlisted  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
and  included  many  of  the  class  styled  "  Forty-niners  " ;  men  who  had 
passed  months  or  years  in  the  mines  and  were  typical  specimens  of  the  rov- 
ing order  of  citizens.  Many  of  them  were  wild  characters  who  enlisted  in 
the  same  spirit  of  adventure  which  led  them  to  the  frontier,  and  who  could 
not  generally  adapt  themselves  to  the  restraints  of  a  military  life.  Many 
desertions  occurred  ;  the  percentage  to  the  end  of  the  year  1867,  being  41.8. 

Troops  L.  and  M.  were  organized  February  i,  1867,  at  Angel  Island, 
California;  Captain  E.  V.  Sumner  and  ist  Lieut.  W.  R.  Parneli,  ist  Cav- 
alry, being  assigned  to  command  respectively. 

The  early  part  of  the  year  1867,  found  the  troops  at  stations  which  they 
were  to  occupy  for  some  time,  viz.  : 

268 


EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  269 

Headquarters.  Camp  Whipple,  A.  T..  Colonel  John  I.  Gregg,  8th  Cav- 
alry, commanding  regiment  and  District  of  Prescott,  A.  T. 

Troop  A,  Camp  Winfield  Scott,  Nevada;  Captain  Murray  Davis,  8th 
Cavalry,  commanding. 

Troop  B,  Camp  Cadiz,  California  ;  ist  Lieut.  Charles  Hobart,  8th  Cav- 
alry, commanding,  a  detachment  of  20  men  being  stationed  at  Rock  Springs. 

Troop  C,  Fort  Vancouver,  Washington  Territory;  Captain  William 
Kelly,  8th  Cavalry,  commanding. 

Troop  D,  Fort  Walla  Walla,  Washington  Territory;  ist  Lieut.  O.  J. 
Converse,  14th  Infantry,  commanding. 

Troop  E,  Fort  Lapwai,  Idaho  ;  ist  Lieut.  J.  H.  Gallagher,  14th  Infantry, 
commanding. 

Troop  F,  Camp  Logan,  Oregon  ;  ist  Lieut.  C.  B.  Western,  14th  Infantry, 
commanding. 

Troop  G,  Camp  Reading,  California  ;  Captain  R.  H.  Chapin,  8th  Cav- 
alry, commanding. 

Troop  H,  Benicia  Barracks,  California;  2d  Lieut.  William  K.  Owen, 
32d  Infantry,  commanding. 

Troop  I,  Benicia  Barracks,  California ;  2d  Lieut.  J.  E.  Eastman,  2d 
Artillery,  commanding. 

Troop  K,  Benicia  Barracks,  California;  2d  Lieut.  Greenleaf  Cilley,  ist 
Cavalry,  commanding. 

Troop  L,  Benicia  Barracks,  California;  Captain  E.  V.  Sumner,  ist  Cav- 
alry, commanding. 

Troop  M,  Benicia  Barracks,  California;  ist  Lieut.  W.  R.  Parnell,  ist 
Cavalry,  commanding. 

During  the  year  1867,  Troop  B,  I,  K  and  L,  had  been  sent  to  posts  in 
Arizona,  and  the  troops  of  the  regiment  remained  separated  at  posts  in 
Oregon,  Nevada,  Idaho,  California,  and  Arizona,  until  1870,  when  ordered 
to  New  Mexico. 

The  officers  assigned  to  the  regiment  were  all  veterans  of  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion,  and  came  to  duty  with  the  experience  which  that  involved. 

During  December,  1867,  and  January,  1868,  the  headquarters  was  en  rotcic 
from  Camp  Whipple,  Arizona,  to  Churchhill  Barracks,  Nevada,  which  be- 
came the  headquarters  of  the  District  of  Nevada,  Colonel  Gregg  command- 
ing. In  May,  headquarters  was  moved  to  Camp  Halleck,  Nevada,  where 
it  remained  till  May  5,  1870,  when  it  was  moved  to  Fort  Union,  New 
Mexico,  by  rail,  via  Cheyenne  and  St.  Louis,  Mo.  The  several  troops  took 
stations  at  Forts  Union,  Craig,  Selden,  Wingate,  Bascom,  Stanton,  in  New 
Mexico,  and  Fort  Garland,  in  Colorado  Territory.  The  duties  during  this 
period  were  of  almost  continuous  field  service  by  troops  or  detachments, 
scouting  after  Indian  depredators,  furnishing  guards,  escorts,  etc.  Some 
of  the  details  of  service  performed  will  be  given  under  the  headings  of  the 
different  troops. 

The  regiment  remained  in  New  Mexico,  then  far  beyond  railroad  com- 
munications, performing  the  same  duties  till  July,  1875,  when  it  marched 
to  Texas  by  battalion,  headquarters  taking  station  at  Fort  Clark,  Texas, 
Januarys,  1876.     During  the  period  between  1875  and   1888,  the  regiment 


2^0  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

remained  in  Texas,  troops  at  different  times  being  stationed  at  posts  and 
camps  from  Fort  Brown,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  to  Fort  Han- 
cock, near  El  Paso.  In  May  of  the  latter  year  the  regiment  was  concen- 
trated at  Fort  Concho,  Texas,  and  made  a  march  to  Dakota,  arriving  at 
Fort  Meade,  Regimental  Headquarters,  September  3d,  having  made  a 
continuous  march  of  1800  miles,  while  some  of  the  troops  in  reaching  their 
stations  marched  over  2000  miles.  To  give  a  complete  account  of  the 
scouts  and  marches  of  each  troop,  which  would  be  necessary  to  a  full  his- 
tory of  the  regiment,  would  be  a  mere  repetition  of  details,  so  that  only 
the  most  important  will  be  noted. 

Troop  A.— Lieutenant  Lafferty  with  14  men,  while  scouting  country  in 
vicinity  of  Camp  Winfield  Scott,  Nevada,  engaged  a  band  of  Indians  on 
January  17,  1867,  at  Eden  Valley,  Nevada,  killing  two  and  destroying 
their  rancheria  and  a  large  quantity  of  provisions.  One  enlisted  man  was 
wounded.  The  same  party  on  February  nth  encountered  at  Independence 
Valley  another  band  of  Indians,  killing  six. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1868,  Lieut.  Pendleton  Hunter,  with  Sergeant 
Kelly  and  Privates  Reed  and  Ward,  while  in  pursuit  of  Indian  horse 
thieves,  were  attacked  in  a  canon  on  the  east  side  of  Paradise  Valley, 
Nevada,  by  seventeen  Indians.  All  their  horses  were  killed  ;  Lieutenant 
Hunter  was  shot  through  the  thigh  and  wrist,  and  Sergeant  Kelly  and 
Private  Ward  was  so  severely  wounded  that  they  died  soon  after.  Lieu- 
tenant Hunter,  with  a  detachment  of  14  men,  on  the  30th  of  October,  1870, 
captured  9  Indians  and  4  ponies  in  the  Guadaloupe  Mountains,  Arizona. 

Captain  Wells  and  Lieutenant  Sprole,  with  a  detachment  of  9  men,  sur- 
prised an  Indian  camp,  capturing  18  bucks,  squaws,  and  pappooses  ;  14 
ponies,  2  guns,  a  large  quantity  of  bows,  arrows  and  camp  equipage,  and 
destroying  their  wicky-ups. 

On  November  30,  1877,  Captain  Wells  and  Lieutenant  Phelps,  with 
Companies  A  and  K,  under  command  of  Captain  Young,  crossed  the  Rio 
Grande  River  and  engaged  a  band  of  Mascalero  Apaches  in  the  Sierra 
Carmel  Mountains,  Mexico,  under  Chief  Alsota.  Two  Indians  were  killed 
and  three  wounded,  and  their  camp  equipage  was  destroyed.  Twenty-two 
horses,  five  mules  and  one  burro  were  captured.  Sergeant  Wilson,  Troop 
K,  was  wounded. 

The  ten  years  from  1877  to  1887  were  spent  at  stations  along  the  Rio 
Grande  River  at  Forts  Clark,  Duncan,  Mcintosh  and  Ringgold  Barracks, 
with  frequent  scouts  after  cattle  thieves  and  smugglers.  In  1887  the  troop 
marched  to  Fort  Davis,  Texas,  and  in  the  summer  of  18S8  to  Fort  Meade, 
Dakota. 

Troop  B. — The  troop,  in  conjunction  with  Troop  I,  Sth  Cavalry,  en- 
gaged a  band  of  Apaches  on  the  i6th  and  17th  of  April,  1867,  in  the  Black 
Mountains  of  Arizona;  in  which  encounter  George  W.  Drummond,  saddler, 
was  killed.     Several  Indians  were  killed  and  wounded. 

Lieutenants  Carrick,  Somerby  and  Curtis,  with  Troop  B  and  detach- 
ment of  Troop  L,  engaged  a  band  of  Hualapais  Indians  on  May  18,  1868, 
on  the  Rio  Solinas,  Arizona,  killing  six  and  destroying  their  provisions 
and  rancheria.     On  the  22d  of  August,  1868,  the  troop,  under  command  of 


EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  271 

Lieutenant  Somerby,  while  scouting  in  the  vicinity  of  Santa  Maria  River, 
Arizona,  encountered  a  band  of  Indians,  killing  two  and  capturing  one. 

Lieutenant  Somerby,  with  a  detachment  of  17  men,  encountered 
a  band  of  Hualapais  Indians,  September  9,  1868,  killing  2  and  capturing 
4  squaws.  On  the  following  day  he  surprised  a  party  of  10  Indians, 
killing  4  bucks  and  capturing  3  squaws.  A  large  quantity  of  provis- 
ions and  camp  equipage  was  destroyed.  On  the  iith,  the  same  de- 
tachment, attacked  a  band  of  Hualapais  Indians,  killing  5  and  destroying 
a  quantity  of  provisions  and  camp  equipage.  On  the  13th,  with  10  men, 
Lieutenant  Somerby  surprised  a  band  of  Tonto  Apaches  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Dragoon  Fork  of  the  Verde  River,  killed  2  Indians,  and  captured  a 
rifle  and  provisions.     Private  Charles  Gardner  was  wounded. 

On  the  9th  of  November,  1868,  a  detachment  of  Troop  B  with  detach- 
ment of  Troop  L,  under  Lieutenant  Wells,  attacked  a  band  of  Apaches, 
killing  II  warriors  and  destroying  a  large  quantity  of  stores. 

Captain  Wade,  while  scouting  with  the  troop  in  the  "  Bill  William  " 
Mountains,  encountered  a  band  of  Indians,  killed  2,  wounded  i,  and  de- 
stroyed 20  lodges  with  a  large  quantity  of  stores. 

The  troop,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Somerby,  on  the  25th  of 
August,  1869,  surprised  a  band  of  40  Indians  on  Date  Creek  and  succeeded 
in  killing  9  and  wounding  7.  On  the  5th  of  September  they  captured  and 
killed  3  Indians. 

Troop  C. — On  the  5th  of  April,  1868,  while  scouting  on  the  middle  fork  of 
the  Malheur  River,  Oregon,  Captain  Kelly,  with  48  men  of  the  troop,  charged 
an  Indian  camp  of  4  lodges,  killing  12  warriors,  capturing  3  head  of  cattle, 
and  I  horse,  and  destroying  5000  pounds  of  dried  beef.  On  the  nth  of 
June  the  troop,  in  conjunction  with  troop  F,  brought  in  138  surrendered 
Indians. 

The  troop,  under  command  of  Captain  Kelly  (Lieutenant  McCleave  and 
57  men),  while  scouting  in  the  vicinity  of  Camp  McDowell,  Arizona,  on 
June  3,  1869,  surprised  and  destroyed  an  Indian  rancheria,  and  the  following 
day,  overtaking  the  Indians,  killed  several,  captured  some  horses  and  mules, 
and  destroyed  a  large  number  of  bows  and  arrows.  On  the  6th  of  July,  1869, 
Lieutenant  McCleave,  with  a  detachment  of  17  men  at  Hacquahalla,  was 
attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Indians.  After  a  severe  engagement  the  Indi- 
ans were  driven  back  with  a  loss  of  seven  of  their  number  killed  and  ten 
wounded.  Private  Jameg  Howell  was  mortally  wounded.  A  short  time 
previous  to  the  attack  3  Indians  were  discovered  on  the  trail  leadingtothe 
above  water  and  were  killed. 

Captain  Kelly  with  21  men,  in  pursuit  of  some  Indians  who  had  stolen 
horses  and  mUles  from  citizens  at  Silver  City,  overtook  the  marauders  in 
the  Chiricahua  Mountains  on  February  12,  1871,  a  severe  engagement  en- 
sued, and  the  command  succeeded  in  killing  14  Indians  and  capturing  and 
destroying  a  large  quantity  of  provisions.  The  stolen  stock  (except  what 
was  killed  during  the  fight)  was  recovered. 

Captain  Kelly  and  his  men  were  specially  commended  by  the  depart- 
ment commander  (General  Pope)  in  General  Orders,  for  "  the  gallantry  and 
perseverance  displayed  by  them  in  the  recent  pursuit  and  encounter  with 


2/2  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

a  band  of  Apaches  who  had  stolen  a  number  of  horses  and  mules  from  citi- 
zens in  the  vicinity  of  Silver  City,  New  Mexico." 

Captain  Chilson,  with  lo  men,  left  Fort  Selden  on  June  9,  1873,  and 
after  four  days  and  four  nights  riding,  overtook  and  engaged  a  party  of 
Indian  marauders  who  had  committed  depredations  at  Sheddo  Ranch, 
killing  3,  and  capturing  12  horses  and  i  mule.  Corporal  Frank  Bratling  was 
killed  in  this  engagement.  The  department  commander  in  General  Orders 
thanked  Captain  Chilson  and  his  men  for  the  soldierly  manner  in  which 
they  had  acquitted  themselves.  The  detachment  returned  on  the  i6th. 
having  marched  350  miles  in  seven  days  and  four  hours.  Special  mention 
was  made  by  Captain  Chilson  of  ist  Sergeant  I.  L.  Morris,  Sergeant  L.  S. 
Lytle,  Corporal  Frank  Bratling  (killed),  blacksmith  John  Sheerin,  and  Pri- 
vate Henry  Wills.  Their  names  were  forwarded  to  the  War  Department 
with  recommendations  that  medals  of  honor  be  conferred  upon  them. 

On  October  ist,  Captain  Chilson  with  his  troop  struck  a  party  of  Indi- 
ans, killing  3,  and  capturing  large  quantities  of  supplies. 

In  1874,  Troop  C,  with  Troops  K  and  L,  formed  part  of  an  expedition 
under  Major  Price,  8th  Cavalry.  On  the  12th  of  September  while  march- 
ing through  the  breaks  of  the  Llano  Estacado^  Texas,  the  command 
was  furiously  attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Indians.  The  Indians  opened  the 
fight  by  charging  in  line  from  the  top  of  a  mesa  upon  which  they  had  taken 
position,  and  firing  heavy  volleys  into  the  command.  They  were  met  by  a 
counter-charge  from  the  troops  and  driven  from  hill  to  hill  for  six  miles. 
The  fight  lasted  three  hours  when,  darkness  coming  on  and  the  Indians 
scattering,  the  troops  were  withdrawn.  Casualties  among  the  Indians  un- 
known.    The  U.  S.  troops  suffered  no  loss. 

In  passing  over  the  ground  during  the  following  month,  it  was  found 
that  the  number  of  Indians  (Kiowas  and  Cheyennes)  must  have  been  great, 
as  329  sets  of  lodge  poles,  five  or  more  in  a  bunch,  25  saddles,  many  pans, 
kettles,  and  skin  lodges,  sacks  of  salt,  paints,  and  articles  valuable  to  Indi- 
ans, were  found  and  destroyed.  Twenty-seven  ponies  were  found  dead  on 
the  ground,  and  at  a  distance  from  the  scene  of  the  fight  a  number  of  Indian 
graves  were  found.  When  the  site  of  their  camp,  some  12  miles  north,  was 
reached,  294  additional  bundles  of  lodge  poles  were  found  and  destroyed, 
besides  much  other  property  that  had  been  abandoned.  This  would  indi- 
cate that  there  were  about  460  warriors  engaged  in  the  fight.  Lieutenant 
Farnsworth,  commanding  Troop  H,  with  the  wagon  train,  several  days 
after  the  occurrence  struck  their  trail  far  to  the  north  of  the  Wichita,  finding 
quantities  of  abandoned  property  and  ponies.  This  was  evidently  the  same 
party  of  warriors  which  had  previously  delayed  a  wagon  train  under  Cap- 
tain Lyman  for  four  days.  Warned  of  the  approach  of  Major  Price's  com- 
mand they  had  selected  a  good  position  and  made  the  attack  with  confi- 
dence, but  were  driven  off  with  serious  losses  in  men,  animals  and  property. 
The  condition  of  the  command  at  this  time,  being  entirely  out  of  rations 
and  forage,  subsisting  upon  a  limited  supply  of  buflfalo  meat,  and  having 
been  marching  continuously  since  the  20th  of  August,  accounts  for  there 
having  been  no  further  pursuit. 

The  troop  under  command  of  Captain  Hartwell,  in  conjunction  with 


EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  273 

Troops  H,  K  and  L,  forming  the  command  under  Major  Price,  on  Novem- 
ber 29,  1874,  had  a  skirmish  on  Muster  Creek.  Texas.  A  number  of  In- 
dians were  killed  and  wounded,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  Indian 
equipage  was  captured  and  destroyed. 

On  the  14th  of  October  the  troop  pursued  a  band  of  Indians  in  the 
Wichita  Mountains,  pressing  them  so  close  as  to  cause  them  to  abandon 
all  their  camp  equipage  which  was  afterwards  destroyed. 

From  1875  to  1879  the  troop  was  stationed  at  posts  and  camps  on  the 
lower  Rio  Grande  River  in  Texas,  and  from  1879  to  1885  at  Forts  Clarke 
and  Duncan,  and  at  camps  on  the  Nueces  and  Pecos  Rivers,  Texas. 

In  June,  1885,  it  left  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  took  part  in  the  campaign 
against  Geronimo's  band  of  Chiricahua  Apaches  in  New  Mexico,  returning 
to  San  Antonio  in  October,  1886. 

On  December  9,  1885,  the  troop,  under  Lieutenant  Fountain,  attacked 
a  body  of  these  Indians  at  Lillies  Ranch  in  the  Mogollon  Mountains,  New 
Mexico,  as  they  were  burning  the  ranch;  killed  2  Indians,  captured  16 
horses  and  i  mule,  and  destroyed  all  their  provisions  and  blankets.  Dark- 
ness permitted  the  Indians  to  escape. 

On  the  19th  the  troop,  under  Lieutenant  Fountain,  was  attacked  by 
Chiricahua  Apaches  ambushed  on  a  hill  near  Little  Dry  Creek.  The  fight 
lasted  fifteen  minutes,  when  the  Indians  were  dislodged  and  scattered, 
making  their  escape  in  a  rocky  canon.  Several  Indians  were  killed  and 
wounded.  In  this  fight  ist  Lieut.  J.  C.  Maddox,  Assistant  Surgeon 
U.  S.  A.,  Wagoner  Frank  Hutton,  Privates  George  Gibson  and  Harry  Mc- 
Millan were  instantly  killed  ;  Blacksmith  Daniel  Collins  was  mortally 
wounded,  dying  two  hours  later,  and  Corporal  Wallace  McFarland  was 
wounded.     Three  horses  were  killed  and  several  wounded. 

In  1887  the  troop  marched  from  San  Antonio  to  Fort  Davis,  Texas, 
and  the  following  year  to  Fort  Meade,  South  Dakota. 

Troop  D. — Captain  Bassford  in  command  of  troop  while  scouting  near 
Keeny's  Ranch  on  Malheur  River,  Oregon,  in  February,  1868,  surprised  an 
Indian  camp,  capturing  all  their  horses  and  destroying  the  camp. 

A  detachment  under  Sergeant  New  attacked  a  party  of  Indians  on 
Owyhee  River,  Oregon,  March  26,  1868,  killing  one  Indian. 

In  an  engagement  near  Red  Creek,  A.  T.,  September  23,  1869,  18  In- 
dians were  killed  and  a  number  wounded. 

Lieutenant  Weeks,  with  a  detachment  of  18  men,  captured  200  head  of 
cattle  near  Hubbard  Cross  Roads  on  the  staked  plains.  New  Mexico,  on  July 
9,  1870,  and  on  the  loth  of  August,  1870,  captured  a  pack  train  loaded  with 
contraband  goods,  destroying  the  goods,  and  capturing  two  Indians. 

Captain  Randlett  with  40  men,  scouting  south  of  Canadian  River,  on 
the  Texas  border,  on  the  28th  of  May,  1871,  captured  a  train  en  route  to  the 
Comanche  Indians.  Twenty-three  animals  loaded  with  whiskey,  powder, 
lead,  etc.,  with  10  men  and  2  Indians,  were  captured.  On  the  same  day 
506  head  of  cattle  and  26  burros  were  captured.  The  prisoners  and  stock 
were  turned  over  to  the  commanding  officer  of  Fort  Bascom,  and  the  stores 
destroyed. 

Lieutenant  Wilkinson  with  6  men,  en  rozcie  to  Tulerosa   River,  were 


274  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

attacked  by  armed  Mexicans,  25  in  number.     One  Mexican  was  killed  and 
3  wounded. 

On  the  17th  of  November,  1875,  Captain  Randlett,  Lieutenant  Wilkinson 
and  44  men  pursued  a  band  of  Mexican  cattle  thieves  and  struck  them  at 
Las  Cuevas,  Texas,  18  miles  below  Ringgold  Barracks,  just  as  they  reached 
the  Rio  Grande  River.  Some  of  the  cattle  were  captured  on  the  Texas 
side  and  two  of  the  thieves  were  killed,  the  remainder  escaping  to  Mexico. 
Captain  McNally,  with  a  troop  of  State  Rangers,  arrived  on  the  scene  dur- 
ing the  day  and  under  cover  of  darkness  crossed  the  river  by  means  of  a 
small  boat  and  attacked  the  Mexicans  at  a  ranch  some  3  miles  from  the 
river,  killing  4  of  them.  The  Mexicans,  however,  gathered  in  such  large 
numbers,  that  the  Rangers  retreated  to  the  cover  of  the  banks  of  the  river, 
where  they  were  protected  by  the  U.  S.  troops  firing  over  their  heads.  In 
this  fire  the  leader  of  the  Mexicans  was  killed.  The  Mexicans  made  a 
second  attack  during  the  day  but  were  repulsed,  when  the  State  troops  re- 
crossed  the  river.  On  the  following  day  the  command  was  reinforced  by 
troops  from  Fort  Brown  and  Ringgold  Barracks  under  Major  Alexander. 
A  flag  of  truce  was  sent  over  by  the  Mexicans  and  an  agreement  entered 
into  by  which  they  were  to  surrender  the  cattle  and  thieves,  if  possible,  at 
Ringgold  Barracks.  With  this  understanding  the  troops  were  withdrawn, 
and  the  cattle  were  afterwards  received  at  Ringgold  Barracks  and  returned 
to  the  owners. 

From  1875  to  1887  the  troop  was  stationed  at  posts  and  camps  near  the 
Rio  Grande  River  in  Texas.  In  the  latter  year  it  took  station  at  Fort 
Davis,  Texas,  and  in  1888  marched  to  Fort  Meade,  S.  D. 

Troop  E.— In  December,  1868,  a  detachment  of  30  men  of  Troops  Eand 
K,  under  command  of  Major  Price,  surprised  a  large  rancheria  consisting 
of  20  lodges  near  Walker  Springs,  A.  T.,  killing  3  Indians,  wounding  several, 
capturing  some  squaws  and  children,  and  destroying  their  provisions  and 
camp  equipage.  Three  days  later  another  rancheria  was  surprised  by  the 
same  command.  Eight  Indians  were  killed  and  14  captured.  A  large 
quantity  of  supplies  was  destroyed. 

In  1 569  a  detachment  of  Troops  E  and  K  under  Captain  Young,  left  Camp 
Whippleon  January  19th.  Whilescoutingin  Juniper  Mountains,  5  rancherias, 
located  in  a  deep  and  large  canon,  v/ere  destroyed.  W^hile  encamped  in  this 
canon  the  camp  was  at  4  A.  M.  attacked  by  Indians.  The  horses  had  been 
fastened  to  a  strong  picket  line  and  were  soon  in  hand,  but  the  burros  of 
the  pack  train,  being  hobbled,  were  stampeded  and  secured  by  the  Indians. 
Corporal  Parker,  Troop  K  was  severely  wounded.  At  daybreak  the  trails 
of  the  Indians,  with  the  burros  which  had  been  taken  off  by  twosand  threes 
in  different  directions,  were  followed  by  detachments  and  many  of  them 
recovered.  The  detachment  left  in  camp  was  surrounded  and  harassed  by 
another  party  of  Indians  all  day.  This  command  returned  to  its  post,  Camp 
Whipple,  on  the  i8th  of  February,  having  suffered  greatly  through  the  in- 
clemency of  the  weather,  and  from  the  difficult  country  through  which  it 
was  necessary  to  travel.  It  rained  or  snowed  every  day  except  five  during 
the  month. 

Lieutenant  Carrick,  with  detachment  of  23  men  of  Troops  E,    F  and  K, 


EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VA LR  V.  275 

between  the  Aqua  Frio  and  Rio  Verde,  near  Toll  Gate,  A.  T.,  encountered 
a  band  of  Indians  on  the  25th  of  August,  1S69,  and  engaged  tiiem,  killing  6, 
wounding  several,  capturing  i,  and  destroying  a  large  amount  of  property. 
On  the  26th  a  rancheria  was  surprised  and  2  Indians  killed.  This  detach- 
ment was  attacked  by  a  party  of  about  100  Indians,  seven  miles  from  Toll 
Gate.  Private  Eberhard  was  killed.  Two  Indians  were  killed  and  the  re- 
mainder, after  a  severe  fight,  were  driven  ofif  and  scattered. 

On  September  2,  1S74,  Captain  Kauffman  with  11  men  captured  2  horses 
and  13  mules  from  Apaches  at  Ojo  Caliente,  N.  M. 

From  1875  to  iSSS,  the  troop  was  stationed  on  the  lower  Rio  Grande  in 
Texas,  at  Forts  Clark  and  Duncan.  It  marched  from  the  latter  post  in  May, 
joined  the  regiment  at  Fort  Concho,  marched  with  it  to  Fort  Meade,  and 
thence  to  Fort  Buford,  N.  D.,  a  distance  of  over  2000  miles. 

Troop  F. — A  detachment  of  13  men  while  scouting,  March  19,  1867,  on 
the  Selvies  River,  Oregon,  had  an  engagement  with  Indians,  killing  6,  and 
wounding  the  chief,  and  capturing  32  horses  and  a  large  amount  of  dried 
beef,  etc. 

Lieutenant  Jerome,  with  21  men  (in  conjunction  with  Troops  E  and  K), 
under  Major  Price,  destroyed  15  wicky-ups,  killing  3  warriors  and  captured 
a  horse  and  rifle.  The  same  detachment  was  attacked  by  a  large  body  of 
Indians  near  Toll  Gate.  Private  Kline  was  wounded.  Two  Indians  were 
killed.  Lieutenants  Carrick  and  Jerome  with  42  men  under  Major  Price 
came  upon  and  surprised  a  band  of  Indians  on  the  Santa  Maria  River  on 
June  26,  1869,  killing  4,  and  destroying  200  wicky-ups  and  large  quantities 
of  supplies. 

During  the  month  of  May,  1871,  Lieutenant  Caraher  with  52  men  pur- 
sued, and  captured  near  Kiowa  Springs,  N.  M.,  21  Indians,  i  Mexican.  700 
head  of  cattle,  12  horses  and  49  burros. 

Lieutenant  Hennisee,  in  June,  1871,  captured  a  large  herd  of  cattle  in  the 
same  vicinity. 

Detachments  of  the  troop  participated  in  several  skirmishes  with  Indian 
marauders  along  the  Rio  Grande  River,  Texas,  in  1876,  destroying  several 
Indian  camps  and  a  large  amount  of  property. 

In  1877,  Lieutenant  Phelps  with  10  men  (in  conjunction  with  Lieutenant 
Bullis,  in  command  of  Seminole  Scouts)  on  the  26th  of  September,  crossed 
the  Rio  Grande  River,  and  attacked  a  band  of  Lipan  and  Apache  Indians, 
capturing  5,  together  with  12  horses  and  2  mules. 

In  1 888,  the  troop  marched  with  the  regiment  to  Dakota. 
Troop  G. — In  1867,  a  detachment  under  Sergeant  Stickney,  from  August 
to  December,  had  several  skirmishes  with   Indians  and  captured  and  de- 
stroyed a  large  amount  of  property. 

On  May  i,  1S68,  a  detachment  had  an  engagement  near  Hoag's  Bluffs, 
Oregon,  in  which  Private  Arnshedt  was  severely  wounded.  A  number  of 
the  Indians  were  killed  and  wounded. 

Lieutenant  Lafferty  with  a  detachment  of  25  men  (in  conjunction  with 
Troop  G,  1st  Cavalr)%  Captain  Bernard)  encountered  a  large  band  of  hos- 
tiles  at  Chiricahua  Pass,  A.  T.,  October  20,  1869.  Lieutenant  Lafferty  was 
very  seriously  wounded  and  Sergeant  Stevens  and  Private  Fuller  were  killed. 


2/6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Private  Elwood  was  severely  wounded.     The  number  of  Indians  killed  and 
wounded  was  supposed  to  be  large. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1870,  a  detachment  (in  conjunction  with  a  de- 
tachment of  Troop  G,  ist  Cavalry)  engaged  with  Apaches  in  the  Dragoon 
Mountains,  A.  T.,  killing  13  and  capturing  i  Indian  and  12  horses.  The 
Indian  supplies  were  all  destroyed. 

In  theOscura  Mountains,  N.M.,  in  1875,  the  troop,  Captain  Fechet  com- 
manding, surprised  a  large  camp  of  Apaches,  routing  them,  and  capturing 
300  buffalo  robes,  51  horses,  70  saddles,  3  mules,  and  a  large  quantity  of 
powder  and  lead  and  camp  equipage. 

From  1875  to  1888,  the  troop  was  stationed  at  camps  and  posts  in  Texas, 
marching  from  Camp  Pena  Colorado,  Texas,  to  Fort  Yates,  Dakota,  in  the 
latter  year. 

Troop  H. — Lieutenant  Farnsworth  with  28  men  while  scouting  as  a  de- 
tachment from  the  command  of  Major  Price  in  1874,  engaged  about  100 
well-mounted  Cheyennes  on  McClellan's  Creek,  Texas.  The  fight  lasted 
from  1.30  P.  M.  till  dark.  The  Indian  loss  was  4  killed  and  10  wounded,  as 
well  as  many  ponies  killed.  The  detachment  lost  Privates  William  Den- 
sham  and  Rufus  Hibbard,  killed.  Corporal  Thomas  J.  Thompson,  Black- 
smith Henry  Fields,  Privates  Hermann  Fehrand  George  Robinson  wounded. 
His  ammunition  being  exhausted.  Lieutenant  Farnsworth  retreated  under 
cover  of  darkness.  Major  Price,  who  visited  the  scene  of  the  fight  soon 
afterwards,  says  in  his  report,  "  There  were  evidences  of  an  encampment  of 
at  least  150  Indians  on  both  sides  of  the  stream.  I  followed  the  entire 
course  of  Captain  Farnsworth's  fight  for  eight  miles,  and  considered  it  a 
stubbornly  contested  and  desperate  fight.  I  make  no  estimate  of  the  number 
of  Indians  killed.  The  troops  and  Indians  were  at  all  times  in  close  bullet 
range  of  each  other  and  I  know  that  there  are  cool,  daring  men  in  the 
troop,  and  good  shots.  The  body  of  Private  Hibbard  was  found  and  buried." 

(The  troop  was  engaged  in  a  skirmish  on  Muster  Creek  as  noted  in  the 
history  of  troop  C.) 

From  1875  to  1879  the  troop  was  in  camps  or  at  posts  along  the  lower 
Rio  Grande.  In  1884,  it  took  station  at  San  Antonio,  Texas.  In  1885  and 
1886  it  served  m  New  Mexico  in  campaign  against  the  Apaches.  In  1887  it 
marched  to  Fort  Davis,  thence  in  1888  to  Fort  Keogh,  Montana. 

Troop  I.— On  the  i6th  day  of  April,  1867,  the  troop  under  Captain 
Fechet  and  in  conjunction  with  Troop  B,  had  an  engagement  with  hostile 
Apaches  in  the  Black  Mountains,  A.  T.     No  casualties  were  reported. 

On  the  1 8th  of  the  same  month,  in  an  engagement  near  the  Rio  Verde, 
I  man  was  killed.     The  Indians  lost  a  number  killed  and  wounded. 

The  troop  under  Captain  Fechet,  near  Camp  Grant,  A.  T.,  had  an  en- 
gagement with  Indians  on  the  21st  of  April,  1868,  killing  2  ;  and  on  the  ist 
of  May  the  same  command  attacked  a  band  of  Indians,  killing  6  and  wound- 
ing 4- 

The  troop  under  command  of  Major  Alexander,  while  scouting  in  the 
Tonto  Creek  Valley,  came  upon,  and  engaged  a  band  of  Apaches,  killing  i 
and  capturing  i  Indian  and  all  their  stock. 

On  September  6,  1868,  the  same  command  pursued  a  party  of  Indians 


EIGH TH  RE GIMEN T  OF  CAVALRY.  277 

who  had  stolen  Government  property,  overtook  them,  killed  i,  recovered 
the  stolen  property,  and  destroyed  a  large  quantity  of  bows,  arrows,  etc. 

In  1S69  the  troop  and  detachments  travelled  in  execution  of  escort, 
scouting  duties,  etc.,  an  aggregate  of  8000  miles,  which  indicates  the  arduous 
service  performed  in  that  desolate  country. 

In  1873  a  detachment  of  20  men  under  Lieut.  William  Stephenson  pur- 
sued a  party  of  Indian  thieves,  overtook  them,  killing  one  and  recovering 
the  stolen  stock. 

From  1S75  to  1888  the  troop  was  stationed  at  camps  and  posts  on  the 
lower  Rio  Grande  in  Texas,  marching  to  Fort  Meade,  Dakota,  in  the  latter 
year. 

Troop  K.— Captain  S.  B.  M.  Young,  with  two  commissioned  ofhcers 
(Lieuts.  J.  D.  Stevenson  and  A.  A.  Reese,  Sth  Cavalry)  and  42  enlisted  men, 
left  Camp  Mojave,  January  9,  1868.  On  the  13th,  one-half  the  command, 
under  Lieutenant  Stevenson  with  Lieutenant  Reese,  was  instructed  to  scout 
on  the  west  slope  of  the  Cerbert  Range  for  15  or  20  miles,  thence  across  the 
range  to  Fortification  Springs,  down  the  eastern  slope  to  Three  Buttes  and 
towards  Peacock  Springs.  With  the  remainder  of  his  command.  Captain 
Young  attempted  to  cross  the  range  at  Difficult  Pass,  but  could  not  get  the 
animals  up  on  account  of  the  ice  and  snow.  They  marched  north  to 
O'Leary's  Pass,  camping  in  a  wash  on  the  eastern  slope,  having  marched  25 
miles.  The  command  had  been  obliged  to  walk  the  most  of  the  day 
through  several  inches  of  snow  which  melted  during  the  day  and  froze  at 
night.  At  3  P.  M.  a  snow  storm  set  in,  lasting  till  11.30  P.  M.  About  mid- 
night a  guide  came  into  camp  and  reported  a  camp  of  Indians  within 
six  miles.  At  3  o'clock  a.  m.  on  the  14th,  camp  was  broken,  a  cold  break- 
fast eaten  and,  leaving  3  men  to  guard  the  pack  train,  the  command  set  out 
exploring  every  canon  with  dismounted  men.  At  daylight  Indian  signs 
were  discovered  and  at  8  o'clock  it  became  evident  that  the  Indians  were 
in  the  vicinity  and  apparently  unaware  of  the  presence  of  the  troops.  Their 
camp  was  finally  located  in  Difficult  Canon,  and,  leaving  4  men  to  hold  the 
horses  at  the  mouth  of  the  canon,  Captain  Young  proceeded  with  14  men 
to  attack  a  rancheria  of  11  wicky-ups,  which  developed  a  force  of  upwards 
of  100  Indians.  The  Indians  took  to  the  rocks  about  10  yards  from  their 
houses.  Here  they  fought  desperately,  being  armed  with  about  40  breech- 
loading  and  20  muzzle-loading  arms.  After  a  hard  fight  of  one  hour  and, 
a  half,  2  men  having  been  seriously  wounded,  and  more  Indians  appearing 
on  both  flanks,  the  command  was  successfully  withdrawn  to  the  horses, 
bringing  every  man  out.  Sixteen  dead  Indians  were  counted  and  several 
wounded.  At  one  mile  distant  from  the  scene  of  this  action  the  wounds  of 
the  two  men  were  dressed.  Coffee  was  made  and  the  command  proceeded 
to  Beal's  Springs,  arriving  at  10  P.  M. 

At  2  o'clock  A.  M.,  a  courier  from  Lieutenant  Stevenson,  brought  in 
word  that  his  detachment  had  had  an  engagement,  and  that  he  had  been 
seriously  wounded.  Lieutenant  Stevenson's  detachment  discovered  a  large 
body  of  Indians  (60  or  70)  on  the  15th.  well  armed,  and  posted  on  a  high 
ledge  of  rocks.  Lieutenant  Stevenson  was  wounded  in  three  places  at  their 
first  fire.     He  directed  his  men  to  seek  shelter  in  the  rocks  and  a  desperate 


278  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

fight  was  kept  up  till  dark,  when  the  command  slowly  withdrew.  Several 
Indians  were  killed  and  wounded.  By  the  i6th,  the  wounded  had  been 
sent  in  to  the  post  and  Lieutenant  Reese  had  joined  with  19  men.  The  in- 
terim had  been  spent  in  scouting  the  vicinity  dismounted,  giving  the  ani- 
mals a  much  needed  rest  after  the  rough  marching  over  the  foot-hills  in 
mud,  rain  and  snow. 

On  the  17th  the  united  command  marched  by  way  of  Hualapais  Valley, 
and  on  the  i8th  reached  Difficult  Canon,  finding  that  the  Indians  had 
buried  their  dead  and  horses.  The  command  returned  to  Camp  Mojaveon 
the  2oth  January,  having  averaged  25  miles  per  day  for  10  days,  marching 
through  snow,  rain  and  mud,  over  a  mountainous  country,  besides  spending 
much  time  in  scouting  dismounted.  Those  familiar  with  the  nature  of  the 
ground  in  the  mountainous  regions  of  Arizona  will  thoroughly  appreciate 
the  difficulties  of  the  scouting  and  Indian  fighting  encountered  on  these 
expeditions,  which  in  the  last  instance  recorded,  is  but  a  fair  sample  of 
many  of  the  others  more  briefly  referred  to.  It  is  either  snow,  rain  and  mud 
in  winter ;  or  burning  heat  and  no  water  in  summer. 

On  the  nth  of  December,  1868,  a  detachment  of  10  men  under  Major 
Price  had  two  engagements  with  Indians  near  Willow  Grove,  killing  8, 
wounding  several,  and  destroying  their  camps  and  supplies.  Sergeant 
Curtin  C.  Miller  was  killed. 

In  the  same  month  a  detachment  of  30  men  of  Troops  E  and  K  under 
Major  Price,  surprised  a  rancheria  of  20  lodges ;  killed  11  Indians,  captured 
several  and  destroyed  their  supplies. 

On  June  7,  1869,  Captain  Young,  with  19  men,  engaged  a  party  of 
hostile  Indians  at  Mammoth  Canon  in  the  Santa  Maria  Range,  killing  3 
Indians  and  destroying  a  large  amount  of  supplies. 

In  August,  1869,  Lieutenant  Carrick,  commanding  a  scouting  party  of 
Troops  E,  F  and  K,  had  several  encounters  with  Indians,  killing  8,  captur- 
ing several,  and  destroying  their  camps  and  supplies. 

In  November,  1869,  detachments  under  Lieutenants  Stevenson  and 
Pullman  captured  and  destroyed  a  quantity  of  Indian  property.  The 
troop  formed  a  part  of  the  command  under  Major  Price  in  1874,  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  engagements  heretofore  recorded. 

The  troop  in    1885  and    1886,  under  Captain  Sprole,  took   part  in  the 
Geronimo  campaign  in  New  Mexico. 

In  1888  it  marched  with  the  regiment  to  Fort  Meade,  S.  D.,  thence  to 
Fort  Buford,  N.  D. 

Troop  L. — October  6,  1867,  the  troop  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Wells  had  an  engagement  with  Indians  in  the  vicmity  of  Trout  Creek, 
A.  T.,  killing  7  and  destroying  their  property.  On  the  25th  a  detachment 
under  Lieutenant  Wells  had  a  skirmish  near  Truxell  Springs,  killing  i 
Indian. 

A  detachment  of  9  men  under  Lieutenant  Hasson,  14th  Infantry,  with  a 
detachment  ist  Cavalry,  had  a  severe  engagement  on  the  3d  of  Novem- 
ber, 1867,  near  Willow  Grove,  killing  32  Indians  and  destroying  their 
property. 

Thirty  men  under  Lieutenant  Wells,  scouting  near  Toll  Gate,  A.  T., 


EIGH TH  RE GIMEN T  OF  CAVALRY.  279 

surprised  a  band  of  Indians  on  the  7th  of  November,  killini,'  3  Indians  and 
capturing  2  horses. 

A  detachment  under  Lieutenant  Wells,  on  the  13th  of  August.  1S68, 
engaged  a  party  of  Indians  near  Walnut  Grove,  killing  several  and  destroy- 
ing their  camp  supplies. 

On  November  9th  a  detachment  of  Troops  B  and  L,  under  Lieutenant 
Wells,  attacked  a  band  of  Indians,  killing  15  and  wounding  7  ;  and  on  the 
nth  surprised  a  band,  killing  6  and  capturing  4.  Privates  E.  R.  Aston  and 
William  Cubberly  were  slightly  wounded. 

A  detachment  of  4  men,  under  Sergeant  Rowalt,  in  pursuit  of  a  band  of 
17  Kiov/as,  overtook  them  February  26,  1873,  and  engaged  them,  killing  5 
and  wounding  3.  The  gallant  action  of  this  little  party  was  commended 
by  the  department  commander  in  G.  O.  No.  5,  Dep't  Mo.,  Series  of  1873. 

In  1874  the  troop  under  Captain  Morris  formed  a  part  of  the  command 
of  Major  Price,  participating  in  fights  on  the  Rio  Negro,  Muster  Creek,  etc. 

In  1888  it  marched  from  Fort  Hancock,  Texas,  to  Fort  Keogh,  Montana. 

Troop  M. — Until  1870  the  troop  was  stationed  in  Nevada,  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  at  Fort  McDermitt,  furnishing  escorts  and  guards  and 
making  frequent  scouts. 

From  iS7oto  1875,  while  stationed  in  New  Mexico,  much  of  the  time 
was  spent  in  field  duty.  In  1S75  the  troop  marched  from  Fort  Union,  New 
Mexico,  to  Ringgold  Barracks,  Texas.  Until  1881  it  occupied  camps  and 
posts  in  Texas,  from  Fort  Brown  to  Fort  Clarke.  From  1881  to  1885  it 
was  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  In  1886  and  1S87  it  was  at  Fort  Brown, 
and  in  1888  marched  to  Fort  Meade,  S.  D. 

The  foregoing  brief  notices  of  a  few  of  the  scouts  and  expeditions  par- 
ticipated in  by  the  different  troops  of  the  regiment  are  confined  to  those 
only  where  certain  results  were  accomplished  in  the  way  of  dispersing 
bands  of  Indians  by  actual  contact  with  them.  Numerous  hard  marches 
through  the  mountains  and  deserts  of  Arizona,  exposed  to  the  extremes  of 
heat  and  cold,  thirst  and  hunger,  were  made  by  troops  and  detachments 
when,  though  the  results  were  not  so  apparent,  the  work  was  equally  diffi- 
cult. Some  of  the  officers  and  men  who  experienced  the  trials  and  hard- 
ships of  those  comparatively  early  days  in  Arizona  are  still  in  the  regiment. 


THE    NINTH    REGIMENT    OF    CAVALRY. 
By  Lieutenant  GROTE  HUTCHESON,  Adjutant  gTH  U.  S.  Cavalry. 


T 


^"P^HE  subject  of  this  sketch  first  came  into  existence  by  virtue  of  an  act 
of  Congress  entitled  "  An  Act  to  increase  and  fix  the  military  peace 
establishment  of  the  United  States,"  approved  July  28,  1866.  To  the 
six  regular  cavalry  regiments  then  in  service,  this  Act  added  four 
additional  ones,  "two  of  which  shall  be  composed  of  colored  men,  having 
the  same  organization  as  is  now  provided  by  law  for  cavalry  regiments."  The 
organization  of  the  colored  regiments  was  modified  in  a  few  particulars, 
notably,  by  including  a  regimental  chaplain,  whose  duties  were  enlarged  to 
include  the  instruction  of  the  enlisted  men.  Up  to  this  time  all  chaplains 
had  been  appointed  in  the  army,  designated  to  posts,  and  known  as  post 
chaplains. 

The  original  vacancies  in  the  grades  of  first  and  second  lieutenant  were 
to  be  filled  by  selection  from  among  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  volunteer 
cavalry  ;  two-thirds  of  the  original  vacancies  in  the  higher  grades  by  selec- 
tion from  among  the  officers  of  volunteer  cavalry  ;  and  one-third  from 
among  officers  of  the  regular  army.  It  was  further  provided  that  to  be 
eligible  for  selection,  an  active  service  of  two  years  in  the  field  during  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  was  necessary  ;  also  that  applicants  should  have  been 
distinguished  for  capacity  and  good  conduct. 

Another  enactment  considerably  affecting  the  composition  of  the  reg- 
iment, and  which,  because  its  requirements  have  been  so  enlarged  by  re- 
cent legislation  as  to  embrace  nearly  the  entire  commissioned  force  of  the 
regular  army,  may  be  deemed  of  particular  interest,  is  that  referring  to  the 
examination  of  officers  prior  to  appointment.  It  directed  that  no  person 
should  be  commissioned  in  any  of  the  regiments  authorized  by  the  Act, 
until  he  had  passed  a  satisfactory  examination  before  a  board  to  be  com- 
posed of  officers  of  the  arm  of  the  service  in  which  the  applicant  was  to 
serve.  This  board  was  to  be  convened  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  was 
to  inquire  into  the  service  rendered  during  the  war  by  the  applicant,  as 
well  as  into  his  capacity  and  qualifications  for  a  commission  in  the  regular 
forces.  Appointments  were  to  be  made  without  reference  to  previous  rank 
but  solely  by  a  consideration  of  present  qualifications  and  past  meritorious 
services. 

On  August  3,  1866,  Major  General  Philip  H.  Sheridan,  then  command- 
ing the  Military  Division  of  the  Gulf,  at  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  was  author- 
ized to  raise,  among  others,  one  regiment  of  colored  cavalry  to  be  desig- 
nated the  9th  Regiment  of  U.  S.  Cavalry,  which  was  to  be  enlisted  within 
the  limits  of  his  own  command.  Men  serving  in  volunteer  colored  regi- 
ments who  desired  to  enlist  in  regular  regiments  were  authorized  to  be  dis- 
charged from  the  volunteer  organizations.     Thi^  class  of  men  was  desired 


THE  NINTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALR  V.         281 

and  many  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  join  the  regular  service, 
and  later  proved  of  some  value  as  noncommissioned  officers. 

The  mustering  officer  at  New  Orleans  was  directed  to  take  temporary 
charge  of  the  recruiting,  and  shortly  afterwards  it  was  transferred  to  Major 
Francis  Moore,  65th  U.  S.  Colored  Infantry.  The  men  obtained  by  Major 
Moore  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  enlisted  strength,  and  were  principally 
obtained  from  New  Orleans  and  its  vicinity.  A  little  later  in  the  autumn 
recruiting  was  established  in  Kentucky,  and  all  the  men  for  the  new  regi- 
ment were  obtained  from  that  State  and  Louisiana.  The  horses  were  ob- 
tained at  St.  Louis,  and  proved  to  be  an  excellent  mount. 

About  the  middle  of  September  all  recruits  were  assembled  in  New  Or- 
leans, and  preparations  made  for  organization.  Empty  cotton  presses  were 
used  as  barracks  and  the  ration  was  cooked  over  open  fires.  In  the  latter 
part  of  September  an  epidemic  of  cholera  caused  the  camp  to  be  moved  to 
Greenville,  and  later,  for  other  reasons,  it  was  moved  to  Carrollton,  both  of 
which  places  are  suburbs  of  New  Orleans. 

During  the  winter  of  1866-67,  every  efTort  was  made  to  bring  about  an 
efficient  state  of  drill,  discipline  and  organization.  The  orders  regarding 
stables  and  the  performance  of  that  duty  were  especially  strict.  Few  of- 
ficers had  as  yet  joined,  and  the  number  on  duty  with  the  regiment  was  so 
small,  that  a  scheme  of  squadron  organization  was  resorted  to  so  that  at 
least  one  officer  might  be  present  with  each  squadron  for  every  drill  or 
other  duty.  The  entire  enlisted  strength  was  woefully  ignorant,  entirely 
helpless,  and  though  willing  enough  to  learn,  was  difficult  to  teach.  By 
assiduous  labor  and  constant  drilling  much  headway  was  made,  however, 
and  by  the  end  of  March,  1867,  a  change  of  station  was  determined  upon. 
The  middle  of  this  month  found  the  regiment  with  nearly  its  full  strength, 
the  return  at  that  time  showing  a  total  of  885  enlisted  men,  or  an  average 
of  over  70  to  a  troop. 

The  regiment,  now  practically  organized  yet  still  far  from  being  in  any- 
thing approaching  a  perfected  state,  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  San  Antonio, 
where  it  arrived  early  in  April  and  formed  a  camp  of  instruction.  Troops 
L  and  M,  however,  proceeded  direct  to  take  station  at  Brownsville,  Texas, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  where  they  remained  several  years. 
This  command  was  under  ist  Lieutenant  J.  M.  Hamilton  (now  a  major  of 
the  1st  Cavalry),  then  an  officer  in  the  9th  U.  S.  Colored  Infantry,  he  being 
one  of  a  number  of  volunteer  officers  who  had  been  temporarily  continued 
in  their  volunteer  commissions  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  new  regiments  until  the  arrival  of  the  regularly  appointed 
officers.  Upon  these  officers  much  heavy  work  fell  during  the  winter  of 
1866-67,  as  the  regular  officers  arrived  slowly  until  after  the  camp  at  San 
Antonio  was  established,  when  they  began  to  report  rapidly. 

The  camp  near  San  Antonio  was  continued  for  some  three  months,  and 
the  time  spent  there  was  profitably  employed  in  completing  and  perfecting 
the  organization  and  drill,  already  well  under  way  from  the  efforts  of  the 
preceding  winter.  The  officers  of  the  regiment  were  now  nearly  all  ap- 
pointed, and  during  the  summer  of  1S67  they  were  as  follows: 

Colonel  Edward  Hatch. 


282  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Wesley  Merritt. 

Majors  James  F.  Wade,  George  A.  Forsyth,  and  Albert  P.  Morrow. 

Chaplain  John  C.  Jocobi. 

Captains  J.  S.  Brisbin,  Wm.  Bayard,  G.  A.  Purington,  J.  M.  Bacon,  G. 
H.  Gamble,  Henry  Carroll,  A.  E.  Hooker,  W.  T.  Frohock,  J.  C.  De  Gress, 
T.  A.  Boice,  F.  S.  Dodge,  and  E.  M.  Heyl. 

First  Lieutenants  Michael  Cooney,  L  F.  Moffatt,  J.  G.  Birney,  Charles 
Parker,  J.  L.  Humfreville,  Francis  Moore,  F.  W.  Smith,  L.  H.  Rucker,  Byron 
Dawson,  J.  S.  Loud,  Patrick  Cusack,  F.  S.  Davidson,  D.  H.  Cortelyou,  G. 
B.  Bosworth,  and  W.  B.  Brunton. 

Second  Lieutenants  L  W.  Trask,  F.  R.  Vincent,  L  M.  Starr,  F.  P.  Gross, 
E.  D.  Dimmick,  W.  W.  Tyler,  G.  W.  Budd,  T.  C.  Barden,  and  J.  C.  Edgar. 

It  is  difficult  now  a-days  fully  to  appreciate  all  the  work  and  labor  de- 
volving upon  the  officers  in  those  early  days.  The  men  knew  nothing,  and 
the  non-commissioned  officers  but  little  more.  From  the  very  circum- 
stances of  their  preceding  life  it  could  not  be  otherwise.  They  had  no 
independence,  no  self-reliance,  not  a  thought  except  for  the  present,  and 
were  filled  with  superstition.  To  make  soldiers  of  such  material  was,  at 
that  time,  considered  more  of  an  experiment  than  as  a  fixed  principle.  The 
Government  depended  upon  the  officers  of  those  early  days  to  solve  the 
problem  of  the  colored  soldier. 

The  colonel  of  the  regiment  was  Edward  Hatch,  a  young  man  full  of 
energy  and  enthusiasm.  He  went  right  manfully  to  work,  determined  to 
succeed,  and  in  this  he  was  ably  seconded  by  his  officers.  They  were  all 
equally  enthusiastic  in  proving  the  wisdom  of  the  experiment  of  colored 
soldiers,  and  in  forcing  the  issue  to  a  successful  solution  were  compelled, 
not  only  to  attend  to  the  duties  that  naturally  attach  to  the  office  of  a 
troop  commander  and  his  lieutenants,  but,  in  the  endeavor  to  make  fin- 
ished individual  soldiers  of  the  negro  and  to  feel  that  the  troop,  taken  as  a 
unit,  was  an  independent  fighting  force,  well  drilled,  well  clothed,  well  fed, 
suitably  armed  and  equipped,  and  thoroughly  able  to  take  care  of  itself  in 
garrison  or  campaign,  they  were  forced  to  enter  into  the  minutest  details 
of  military  administration,  and  personally  to  assume  nearly  all  the  duties 
of  the  non-commissioned  officer.  For  some  years  the  latter,  from  lack  of 
education,  were  such  only  in  name,  and  the  process  of  moulding  them  into 
a  responsible  and  self-reliant  class  was  a  slow  one.  Troop  officers  were  in 
fact  squad  commanders,  and  it  took  both  time  and  patience  to  teach  the 
men  how  to  care  for  themselves. 

The  amount  of  writing  devolving  upon  officers  during  the  earlier  years 
of  the  regiment  is  not  to  be  passed  over  lightly.  Fully  to  appreciate  this, 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  enlisted  men  were  totally  uneducated  ;  few 
indeed  could  read  and  scarcely  any  were  able  to  write  even  their  own 
names.  It  is  related  that  but  one  man  in  the  entire  regiment  was  found 
able  to  write  sufficiently  well  to  act  as  sergeant-major.  It  was  not  an  un- 
common thing  for  a  captain  to  assist  his  first  sergeant  in  calling  the  roll, 
and  every  record,  from  the  morning  report  to  the  monthly  return,  was  pre- 
pared by  an  officer.  In  time  the  simpler  reports  were  mastered,  but  it  is 
only  in  later  years  that  troop  clerks  are  found,  and  even  now  considerable 


THE  NINTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.         283 

difficulty  is  experienced  at  times  in  finding  reliable  men  of  sufficient  edu- 
cation to  conduct  properly  the  routine  clerical  work  pertaining  to  a  troop. 

Early  in  June  the  regiment  was  ordered  into  western  and  southwestern 
Texas  to  assist  in  opening  up  once  more  that  vast  territory,  extending  from 
Fort  Clark  to  El  Paso,  and  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Concho.  By  this 
time  the  regiment  was  deemed  sufficiently  well  organized,  equipped  and 
disciplined,  to  be  sent  to  the  extreme  frontier,  and  capable  of  undergoing 
the  long  and  trying  march  into  the  wild  and  unsettled  country  that  lay 
before  it. 

The  regiment  was  distributed  as  follows:  Headquarters  and  Troops  A, 
B.  E  and  K,  General  Hatch  commanding,  at  Fort  Stockton  ;  Troops  C,  D, 
F,  G,  H  and  I,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Merritt  commanding,  at  Fort  Davis. 
Troops  L  and  M  had  previously  been  sent  to  Brownsville. 

The  principal  duty  of  the  command  in  western  Texas  was  to  open  up 
and  protect  the  mail  and  stage  route  from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso  ;  to 
establish  law  and  order  in  the  country  contiguous  to  the  Rio  Grande  fron- 
tier, which  had  been  sadly  interfered  with  by  Mexicans  as  well  as  Indians 
during  the  Civil  War  ;  to  prevent  marauding  by  Indians  and  to  capture  and 
confine  to  their  reservations  all  roving  bands  ;  in  fact,  to  help  pave  the 
way  for  the  western  advance  of  civilization,  and  to  add  their  part  in  the 
great  work  of  opening  to  settlement  the  vast  resources  of  the  great  West. 

Having  landed  the  regiment  in  this  far  away  part  of  the  country,  a  word 
or  two  of  every-day  garrison  life  during  those  early  days,  when  the  nearest 
railroad  was  six  hundred  miles  distant,  may  be  of  interest.  In  many  respects 
the  every-day  life  of  the  men  in  garrison  was  similar  to  that  of  the  present 
time.  There  was  the  same  drill,  stables  and  parade;  the  amount  and  kind 
of  fatigue  bore  a  strong  resemblance  to  that  of  to-day  ;  there  were  logging 
teams  for  the  saw-mill  and  special  details  for  the  garden  ;  men  mixing  mud 
for  adobes  and  burnishing  brasses  for  orderly  ;  but  guard  duty,  though  no 
more  tedious  than  now,  was  spiced  with  an  element  of  danger  which  added 
zest  to  the  duty.  Strict  orders  prohibited  all  persons  from  leaving  the  im- 
mediate limits  of  a  garrison,  except  in  small  parties,  and  they  were  enjoined 
always  to  carry  their  carbines.  Heavy  herd  guards  were  detailed,  and  look- 
outs were  posted  on  high  ground  during  grazing  hours. 

The  appliances  for  the  personal  comfort  of  the  soldiers  were  few,  and 
should  the  improvements  now  surrounding  them  be  suddenly  exchanged  for 
what  they  had  then,  there  would  be  such  a  skurrying  off  of  recruits  that  I 
doubt  if  the  whole  State  of  Kentucky  could  furnish  satisfactory  material  to 
fill  the  depleted  ranks.  Ashen  slats  on  bunk  irons  and  a  bedsack  filled  with 
straw  made  a  very  good  bed  for  its  fortunate  possessor,  while  the  less 
favored  ones  were  often  at  their  wits'  end  to  improvise  a  comfortable  rest- 
ing place  out  of  two  blankets.  Sheets,  pillows,  white  shirts,  linen  collars 
and  barrack  shoes,  were  not  dreamed  of,  and  bath  tubs  were  unknown,  for 
the  water  system  was  limited  to  a  huge  tank  on  wheels,  with  eight  mules 
and  a  surly  driver. 

The  stomachs  of  the  men,  even  more  than  their  bodies,  were  subject  to  a 
Spartan  simplicity,  and  the  numerous  delicacies  now  supplied  them  could 
not  then  be  found  on  officers'  tables.     The  commissary  kept  only  the  com- 


2  84  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ponent  parts  of  the  regular  ration,  and  the  pound  of  fresh  vegetables  was 
not  a  part  of  it. 

The  banishment  from  the  gentler  influences  of  settled  communities  and 
separation  from  the  varied  society  of  large  cities  was  keenly  felt  by  officers, 
and  the  exiles'  life  they  were  forced  to  lead  caused  a  few  to  give  up  in  dis- 
gust and  resign  ;  but  the  majority  continued  in  service,  fighting  bravely 
against  the  hardships  surrounding  them.  Of  luxuries  they  had  none,  of 
comforts,  few  ;  but  the  canvas  homes  and  outdoor  life  furnished  good  diges- 
tions and  hearty  appetites  for  the  limited  bills  of  fare  presented  at  the  mess. 
Nearly  all  were  bachelors,  with  the  careless  habits  this  class  of  army  officers 
are  noted  for,  though  the  presence  of  an  occasional  lady  served  to  check  in 
part  the  familiarity  engendered  by  lack  of  privacy  and  constant  association, 
— serious  objections  to  any  long  continued  camp. 

Horse-back  riding  on  pleasant  days  was  almost  the  only  outdoor  amuse- 
ment, but  the  danger  from  Indians  so  contracted  the  safety  limits,  that  all 
ground  was  soon  visited,  and  only  the  hope  of  a  shot  at  a  stray  wolf  or 
coyote,  or  the  rare  advent  of  some  visitor  to  be  entertained,  kept  up  inter- 
est in  this  kind  of  outing.  A  great  event  was  the  distribution  of  the  mail, 
and  whether  weekly,  semi-weekly,  or  daily,  the  hour  of  its  arrival  was  looked 
forward  to  by  all,  and,  as  the  cloud  of  dust  in  the  distance  heralded  its  ap- 
proach, the  entire  garrison,  from  the  commanding  officer  to  the  latest  re- 
cruit, hastened  to  the  post  office  where  they  formed  an  eager  crowd,  anxious 
for  the  latest  news  from  the  States,  or  in  happy  anticipation  of  the  expected 
letter  from  sweetheart,  wife  or  mother. 

The  regiment  remained  in  Texas  for  eight  years,  spendmg  the  greater 
portion  of  the  time  in  the  field,  patrolling  the  vast  stretches  of  prairie  in 
innumerable  scouts  after  depredating  Indians,  and  gradually  freeing  the 
country  from  this  scourge  of  settlers.  There  is  not  space  to  describe 
minutely  even  the  more  important  of  these  expeditions,  and  I  shall  only 
summarize  the  following : 

1867. 

October  i,  near  Howard's  Wells,  Texas,  two  men  killed  while  escorting 
the  mail ;  December  5,  Eagle  Springs,  Texas,  one  man  killed  ;  December  26, 
Camp  Lancaster,  Texas,  Troop  K  persistently  attacked  for  two  days  by  a 
large  force  of  Indians  who  were  finally  driven  off,  three  men  killed. 

1868. 
January,  Fort  Quitman,  Troop  F  attacked  sixteen  times  by  a  large  band; 
August,  Fort  Quitman,  Troop  H  attacked,  Indians  driven  of?  without  loss; 
September  12,  Horsehead  Hills,  Texas,  Lieutenant  Cusack  with  60  men  sur- 
prised a  large  party  of  Indians,  killing  25  and  capturing  all  their  horses, 
ponies  and  supplies.  But  one  man  was  wounded  in  this  affair,  which  was 
reported  as  a  very  brilliant  and  successful  coup  against  the  wandering 
bands. 

1869. 

June  5,  Johnson's  River,  Texas,  Troop  L,  no  loss  ;  June  7,  on  Pecos  River, 
Texas,  32  men  of  Troop  G  under  Captain  Bacon;  September  15,  on  the 
Brazos  River,  Troops  F  and  M  under  Captam  Carroll,  had  a  skirmish,  and 


THE  NINTH  REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY.         2S5 

again  on  the  20lh  and  21st,  the  same  command  being  augmented  by  detach- 
ments from  Troops  B  and  iM,  engaged  the  same  band  of  Indians  ;  October 
28  and  29,  Troops  B,  E,  F,  G,  L  and  M  had  a  running  fight  of  40  miles  at 
the  head  waters  of  the  Brazos  River,  killing  a  number  of  Indians.  This  is 
the  affair  to  which  the  late  General  Sherman  so  often  referred  with  his  quiz- 
zical inquiry  as  to  which  way  Bacon  ran  ;  November  29,  head  of  Llanos 
River,  Texas,  Troops  L  and  M  under  Captain  E.  M.  Heyl  had  a  desperate 
fight  and  this  officer  was  seriously  wounded ;  December  25,  five  men  of 
Troop  E  defeated  a  band  of  20  Indians  which  attempted  to  surprise  the 
mail  coach. 

1870. 

January  6,  Guadaloupe  Mountains,  Texas,  Troop  H  ;  January  11,  Lower 
Pecos  River,  Troop  L  ;  January  16,  Troop  G  and  detachment  of  L,  under 
Captain  Bacon,  surprised  an  entire  village,  capturing  S3  head  of  stock  and 
all  supplies;  January  21,  a  command  of  Troops  C,  D,  I  and  K,  under  Cap- 
tain Dodge  engaged  in  a  skirmish  in  the  Guadaloupe  Mountains;  April  3, 
15  men  of  Troop  H,  under  a  non  commissioned  officer,  ran  into  some  In- 
dians near  San  Martin's  Springs,  killing  one  ;  April  25,  Crow  Springs,  Texas. 
50  men  from  Troops  C  and  K,  under  Major  Morrow,  captured  30  horses  and 
the  supplies  of  a  village  ;  May  19  and  20,  at  Kickapoo  Springs,  Texas,  Ser- 
geant Emanuel  Stance  with  five  men  of  Troop  F,  surprised  and  attacked  a 
small  village,  wounding  four  Indians  and  capturing  two  white  boy  prisoners 
and  15  horses;  May  29,  Bosaler  Canon,  Texas,  Troop  I. 

1872. 
April  20,  Howard's  Wells,  Troops  A  and  H,  Lieutenant  Vincent  killed. 

I  have  only  mentioned  the  affairs  in  which  an  actual  engagement  took 
place.  The  many  scouts,  long  marches,  the  weeks  and  months  spent  in 
campaign  are  omitted,  but  during  the  eight  years  of  duty  in  Texas,  as 
well  as  afterwards  and  until  the  regiment  was  sent  to  the  Department  of  the 
Platte,  more  time  was  spent  in  campaign  than  in  garrison,  and  the  troops 
covered  thousands  of  square  miles  of  territory. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1S75  the  regiment  was  transferred  into  New  Mexico, 
with  headquarters  at  Santa  Fe,  and  the  troops  scattered  all  over  that  terri- 
tory and  even  beyond.  The  general  duty  was  about  the  same  as  in  Texas, 
and  during  the  time  the  regiment  remained  there,  various  troops  and  de- 
tachments were  employed  in  capturing  and  returning  to  their  reservations 
innumerable  roving  bands  of  the  wily  and  treacherous  Apache  tribes,  the 
more  important  of  which  were  those  headed  by  Nana  and  Victoria,  During 
the  five  years  spent  in  this  section  the  more  important  affairs  were  as 
follows : 

1S76. 

April  15,  in  the  Florida  Mountains,  Troop  F,  one  Indian  killed  and  11 
horses  captured  ;  September  2,  in  the  Cuchillo  Negro  Mountains,  detach- 
ment of  Troops  C  and  E,  under  Lieutenant  Wright,  small  camp  captured 
and  number  of  lodges  destroyed. 

1877. 

January  23,  Florida  Mountains,  nine  men  under  Lieutenant  Wright  killed 


2  86  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

5   Indians  and  captured  6  horses  ;  January  28,  Sierra  Boca  Grande  Moun- 
tains, Mexico,  detachments  of  Troops  C  and  A  captured  a  small  camp. 

1878. 
August  6,  Dog  Caiion,  N.  M.,  Troop  H  was  engaged. 

1879. 
January  15,  Troop  A  under  Lieutenant  Day,  was  engaged  and  captured 
a  number  of  horses  and  mules  ;  March  8,  Ojo  Caliente,  Troop  I ;  May  28, 
in  the  Black  Range,  Troops  C  and  I  under  Captain  Beyer  captured  a  camp 
and  16  horses,  losing  one  man  killed  and  2  wounded  ;  September  4,  Ojo  Cali- 
ente, four  men  were  killed  ;  September  8,  West  Las  Animas  River,  24  men 
of  Troop  G  under  Lieutenant  Hugo  were  engaged  losing  one  man  ;  Septem- 
ber 18,  Las  Animas  River,  Troops  A,  B  and  C,  one  man  killed  and  2 
wounded  ;  September  29  and  30,  on  the  Cuchillo  Negro  River,  parts  of 
Troops  B,  C.  E  and  L,  under  Major  Morrow,  2  men  killed  ;  October  2  and 
3,  at  Milk  River,  Colorado,  Troop  D  went  to  the  relief  of  Thornburg's  com- 
mand and  succeeded  in  reaching  it,  losing  all  its  horses ;  October  27,  in  the 
Guzman  Mountains,  Mexico,  Troops  B,  C,  G  and  H,  under  Major  Morrow 
were  engaged,  losing  one  man  and  one  scout. 


January  12,  on  the  Rio  Percho,  Troops  B,  C,  D,  F,  H  and  M,  under  Major 
Morrow,  were  again  engaged,  losing  one  man  ;  January  17,  in  the  San  Mateo 
Mountains,  Troops  B,  C,  F,  H  and  M,  under  Major  Morrow,  were  again  en- 
gaged, losing  one  officer  (Lieutenant  French)  killed,  and  one  man  wounded  ; 
January  30,  in  Caballo  Mountains,  detachment  of  Troops  B  and  M,  under 
Captain  Rucker,  loss  3  men  wounded ;  February  3,  in  the  San  Andreas 
Mountains,  Troops  B,  C,  F,  H  and  M,  under  Major  Morrow,  were  engaged, 
losing  4  men  wounded  ;  February  28,  and  again  on  April  5,  in  the  San  An- 
dreas Mountains,  Lieutenant  Conline  with  Troop  A  was  engaged,  losing  one 
man  and  one  citizen  wounded  ;  April  6,  in  the  same  mountains.  Troops  A, 
D,  F  and  G,  under  Captain  Carroll,  were  engaged.  Captain  Carroll  and  6 
men  being  severely  wounded  ;  April  7,  Major  Morrow  with  Troops  H  and 
L  continued  this  affair;  May  14,  near  old  Fort  Tolerosa,  Sergeant  Jordan 
with  25  men  repulsed  a  force  of  more  than  a  hundred  Indians  under  Vic- 
toria ;  June  5,  Cook's  Canon,  Troop  L,  loss  2  men ;  May,  in  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Mountains,  Troop  C  and  detachment  scouts,  2  men  killed  and  one 
wounded  ;  June  11  and  12,  near  Fort  Cummings,  Troop  B ;  September  i,  in 
the  Sacramento  Mountains,  11  men  of  Troop  G,  2  men  wounded. 


In  February  and  again  in  April,  a  detachment  under  Lieutenant  Maney, 
15th  Infantry,  was  engaged  in  southern  New  Mexico,  one  man  wounded; 
July  25  at  White  Sands,  July  26  in  the  San  Andreas,  and  August  3  at  Santa 
Minica,  20  men  of  Troop  L  were  engaged. 

In  August  there  were  a  number  of  engagements  : — In  Carizo  Caiion,  19 
men  of  Troop  K,  under  Captam  Parker,  2  men  killed  ;  in  the  San  Mateo 
Mountains,  detachments  of  Troops  B  and  H,  under  Lieutenant  Taylor  ;  in 


THE  NINTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.         287, 

Cuchillo  Negro  Mountains,  Troop  I,  Lieutenant  Valois.  2  men  wounded; 
in  Cavilare  Pass,  detachment  of  Troops  B  and  H,  Lieutenant  Smith,  3  men 
and  one  citizen  killed,  3  men  wounded. 

October  4,  in  the  Dragoon  Mountains,  Troops  F  and  H,  3  men  wounded. 
1887. 

November  5,  Crow  Agency.  Montana,  Troops  D  and  H. 
1890. 

December  30,  Troop  D,  under  Captain  Loud,  was  attacked  while  escort- 
ing a  wagon  train  near  Pine  Ridge  Agency,  South  Dakota,  losing  one  man 
killed.  Later  in  the  same  day  Troops  D,  F,  I  and  K,  under  Major  Henry, 
were  engaged  near  the  Drexel  Mission,  S.  D.,  no  casualties. 

In  June,  1881,  the  regiment  was  moved  from  New  Mexico  to  Kansas  and 
Indian  Territory,  where  it  remained  until  1885.  Most  of  these  years  were 
spent  in  garrison,  though  the  intruders  upon  the  Oklahoma  Territory  which 
at  that  time  was  not  open  for  settlement,  kept  a  numberof  troops  busy  mov- 
ing over  that  country  and  patrolling  the  northern  portion  of  Indian  Terri- 
tory and  southern  Kansas. 

In  the  summer  of  1SS5  the  regiment  was  moved  to  the  Department  of 
the  Platte,  where  it  has  since  remained  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest  after  the 
many  scouts  and  campaigns  of  the  preceding  eighteen  years.  The  only 
campaign  worthy  of  mention  is  that  of  1890-91,  during  the  uprising  of  the 
Sioux,  when  the  regiment  was  the  first  in  the  field  in  November.and  the  last 
to  leave  late  in  the  following  March,  after  spending  the  winter,  the  latter 
part  of  which  was  terrible  in  its  severity,  under  canvas. 

At  present  (February.  1895)  the  regiment  is  commanded  by  Colonel 
James  Biddle  and  eight  trdtsps  garrison  the  post  of  Fort  Robinson,  Neb. 
Troops  B  and  F,  under  Major  Randlett,  are  at  Fort  Duchesne,  Utah  ;  while 
Troops  L  and  M  are  continued  with  a  skeleton  organization. 

Every  effort  is  made  to  keep  the  regiment  in  a  high  state  of  efficiency, 
and  with  nearly  all  its  officers  present  for  duty,— with  the  ranks  filled  to 
the  authorized  strength, — with  an  excellent  and  ample  mount, — the  Ninth 
Cavalry  stands  readyto-day  for  any  service  it  may  be  called  upon  toper- 
form,  filled  with  a  just  pride  in  its  past  achievements  and  anxious  again  to 
seek  "  the  bubble  reputation  even  in  the  cannon's  mouth." 


THE  TENTH   REGIMENT  OF  CAVALRY. 

By    lieutenant   JOHN    BIGELOW,  Jr.,   U.  S.  A., 

R.  Q.  M.  Tenth  Cavalry. 

^"^  ECTION  3  of  an  "  Act  to  increase  and  fix  the  military  peace  estab- 
^^  lishment  of  the  United  States,"  approved  on  the  28th  day  of  July, 
1866,  provides  "  That  to  the  six  regiments  of  cavalry  now  in  service, 
there  shall  be  added  four  regiments,  two  which  shall  be  composed 
of  colored  men.  *  *  * "  The  six  regiments  referred  to  as  already  in 
service  were  composed  of  white  men. 

The  colored  regiments  were  to  be  organized  on  the  general  plan  of  the 
white  regiments,  modified  in  a  few  particulars.  They  were  each  to  have  a 
regimental  chaplain  whose  duty  should  include  the  instruction  of  enlisted 
men  in  the  common  English  branches.  Up  to  that  time  all  chaplains  had 
been  appointed  not  in  regiments  but  in  the  Army.  The  colored  regiments 
were  also  given  two  veterinary  surgeons  each,  whereas  the  white  regiments 
had  but  one. 

Another  enactment  which  more  or  less  affected  the  composition  of 
these  additional  cavalry  regiments,  both  white  and  colored,  and  which  is 
deemed  of  peculiar  interest,  was  the  following  : 

"  That  no  person  shall  be  commissioned  in  any  of  the  regiments  author- 
ized by  this  act  until  he  shall  have  passed  a  satisfactory  examination  before 
a  board  to  be  composed  of  officers  of  that  arm  of  the  service  in  which  the 
applicant  is  to  serve,  to  be  convened  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  which  shall  inquire  into  the  services  rendered  during  the  War,  capa- 
city and  qualifications  of  the  applicant ;  and  every  such  appointment  when 
made,  shall  be  without  regard  to  previous  rank,  but  with  sole  regard  to 
qualifications  and  meritorious  services," 

The  six  white  regiments  already  in  the  service  were  numbered  consecu- 
tively from  I  to  6 ;  the  two  new  white  regiments  were  numbered  7  and  8 ; 
the  two  colored  regiments  9  and  10.  It  was  as  the  loth  regiment  of  cav- 
alry that  the  regiment  now  bearing  that  designation  came  into  the 
service  and  made  for  itself  the  record  which  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

General  orders  No.  92,  A.  G.  O.,  dated  November  23,  but  expressly  of 
effect  from  September  21,  announces  the  numerical  designation,  the  field 
officers  (so  far  as  they  have  accepted)  and  the  stations  or  headquarters  of 
the  new  regiments  of  cavalry,  also  of  certain  new  regiments  of  infantry 
forming  under  the  same  act. 

Congress  having  created  the  loth  Cavalry  in  law,  the  first  step  towards 
its  creation  in  fact  was  taken,  it  seems,  by  Lieutenant-General  Sherman, 
commanding  the  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi,  in  an  order  from  his 
headquarters  dated  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  August  9,  1866,  which  read  as 
follows : 


TENTH  REGIMEN  T  OF  CA  VALRY.  239 

G.  O.  No.  6. 

I.  Commanders  of  military  departments  witiiin  this  division  in  which  colored 
troops  are  serving,  will  proceed  at  once  to  enlist  men  for  two  regiments  of  colored 
regulars,  under  the  Act  of  Congress  approved  July  28,  1866.  entitled  "  An  Act  to 
increase  and  fix  the  military  peace  establishment  of  the  United  States  ;"  one  of  cavalry, 
to  be  entitled  the  loth  Regiment  United  States  Cavalry,  and  one  of  infantry  to  be 
entitled  the  3Sth  Regiment  United  States  Infantry. 

II.  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  is  hereby  named  as  the  headquarters  and  rendez- 
vous of  the  loth  Cavalry,  and  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri,  the  headquarters  and 
rendezvous  of  the  3Sth  Infantry. 

III.  Commanding-generals  of  the  Departments  of  the  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and 
Platte,  will  detail  one  or  more  officers  of  the  Regular  Army,  who  will  proceed  to  can- 
vass the  regiments  of  colored  troops  now  serving  in  their  respective  departments,  and 
enlist  men  for  the  new  regiments  above  named,  the  cavalry  for  five  years  and  the 
infantry  for  three  years.  The  men  so  enlisted  will  be  discharged  from  their  present 
obligation  and  grouped  into  companies  under  officers  to  be  selected  by  the  colonels  or 
regimental  commanders  hereafter  to  be  appointed,  but  will  be  retained  for  the  present 
at  or  near  their  present  station.  The  number  of  privates  allowed  to  a  company  is 
sixty-four.  The  men  of  existing  colored  regiments  not  willing  to  enlist  in  the  new 
organizations  will,  for  the  present,  be  consolidated  into  companies  under  the  direction 
of  their  immediate  commanders,  and  held  to  service  until  the  new  army  is  sufficiently 
organized  to  replace  them. 

IV.  The  field  officers  of  these  regiments  will,  on  arrival  at  these  headquarters, 
proceed  to  the  posts  herein  named  and  organize  their  new  regiments  according  to  law 
and  regulations,  but  will  not  withdraw  the  new  companies  from  their  present  stations 
without  consent  of  department  commanders,  or  orders  from  these  headquarters. 

V.  Blanks  will  at  once  be  sent  from  these  headquarters,  to  which  all  reports  will 
be  made  until  the  regular  field  officers  are  announced  and  recruitment  organized  under 
them.     By  order,  etc. 

The  first  regimental  return  was  rendered  on  the  30th  of  September, 
1866.  It  showed  the  aggregate  strength  of  the  regiment,  present  and 
absent,  to  consist  of  two  officers,— Colonel  Benjamin  H.  Grierson,  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Charles  C.  Walcutt,— and  gave  the  number  of  recruits 
required  as  1092.  Colonel  Grierson  was  reported  present  with  the  regi- 
ment, and  Colonel  Walcutt  absent  on  regimental  recruiting  rervice. 

The  first  commander  of  the  loth  Cavalry  is  doubtless  known  personally 
as  well  as  by  reputation  to  most  of  the  readers  of  this  sketch.  His  raid 
through  Mississippi  in  1863  is  the  historic  operation  on  which  his  reputation 
chiefly  rests.  It  has  placed  him  among  the  foremost  cavalry  leaders  of  the 
the  War,  and  seems  destined,  as  it  becomes  better  known  and  more  justly 
appreciated,  to  add  honor  and  distinction  to  his  name.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Walcutt  never  joined  the  regiment,  and  resigned  shortly  after  his  appoint- 
ment. The  recruiting  for  the  regiment  was  in  the  main  regimental,  that  is,  by 
officers  of  the  regiment  detailed  to  recruit  for  it.  At  the  end  of  the  year  1866, 
the  loth  Cavalry  consisted  of  two  field  officers,  one  company  officer,  and  64 
unassigned  recruits.  It  was  still  without  a  staff  or  a  single  organized  com- 
pany. For  seven  months  of  the  new  year  the  headquarters  of  the  regi- 
ment remained  at  Fort  Leavenworth.  The  work  of  filling  up  the  regiment 
went  on  but  continued  to  make  slow  progress.   This  was  due  in  the  main  to 


290  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

two  causes, — the  want  of  clerical  assistance  at  recruiting  stations,  and  the 
high  standard  fixed  for  the  recruits  by  the  regimental  commander.  Recruit- 
ing officers  were  not  allowed  to  hire  clerks  and  had  extreme  difficulty  in 
securing  any  among  their  recruits  or  the  members  of  their  recruiting  par- 
ties. With  a  view  to  securing  an  intelligent  set  of  men  for  the  ranks  the 
colonel  had  Captain  Louis  H.  Carpenter,  who  was  recruiting  at  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  ordered  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  to  open  a  recruiting  station  there. 
Writing  to  Captain  Carpenter,  the  colonel  says,  after  referring  to  the  cap- 
tain's knowledge  of  Philadelphia :  "  I  requested  you  to  be  sent  there  to 
recruit  colored  men  sufficiently  educated  to  fill  the  positions  of  non- 
commissioned officers,  clerks  and  mechanics  in  the  regiment.  You  will  use 
the  greatest  care  in  your  selection  of  recruits.  Although  sent  to  recruit 
men  for  the  positions  specified  above,  you  will  also  enlist  all  superior  men 
you  can  who  will  do  credit  to  the  regiment." 

During  its  last  month  at  Fort  Leavenworth  the  regiment  lost  heavily 
from  disease,  caused  in  the  main  by  a  cholera  epidemic.  From  a  death- 
rate  which  did  not  average  one  a  month  for  the  preceding  ten  months,  the 
loss  by  death  during  the  month  of  July,  1867,  rose  to  23.  On  the  6th  of 
August,  1867,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  left  Fort  Leavenworth  for 
Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  where  they  were  established  on  the  7th. 

Let  us  take  a  general  look  at  the  regiment  as  it  existed  just  prior  to  this 
change.  We  find  the  field  and  staff  still  incomplete,  being  composed  as 
follows:  Colonel,  B.  H.  Grierson ;  Lieutenant-Colonel,  J.  W.  Davidson; 
Majors,  J.  W.  Forsyth  and  M.  H.  Kidd  ;  Chaplain,  W.  M.  Grimes  ;  Adju- 
tant, H.  E.  Alvord. 

The  regiment  now  comprises  eight  troops.  Their  designation,  date  of 
organization,  original  composition  and  color  of  horses  are  as  below  : 

Troop  A, — Color,  bay.  Organized  February  18,  1867.  Captain  Nicholas  Nolan  ; 
Lieutenants  G.  W.  Graham  and  G.  F,  Raulston. 

Troop  B. — Color,  bay.  Organized  April  i,  1867.  Captain  J.  B.  Vande  Wiele  ; 
Lieutenants  J.  D.  Myrick  and  J.  W.  Myers. 

Troop  C. — Color,  bay.  Organized  May  15,  1867.  Captain  Edward  Byrne  ;  Lieu- 
tenants T.  C.  Lebo  and  T.  J.  Spencer. 

Troop  D. — Color,  bay.  Organized  June  i,  1867.  Captain  J.  W.  Walsh;  Lieu- 
tenants Robert  Gray  and  R.  H.  Pratt. 

Troop  E. — Color,  bay.  Organized  June  15,  1S67.  Captain  G.  T.  Robinson  ; 
Lieutenant  J.  T.  Morrison. 

Troop  F. — Color,  gray.  Organized  June  21,  1S67.  Captain  G.  A.  Armes  ;  Lieu- 
tenants P.  L.  Lee  and  J.  A.  Bodamer. 

Troop  G. — Color,  bay.  Organized  July  5,  1867.  Captain  H.  T.  Davis  ;  Lieu- 
tenants W.  B.  Kennedy  and  M.  J.  Amick. 

Troop  H. — Color,  black.  Organized  July  21,  1867.  Captain  L.  H.  Carpenter; 
Lieutenants  T.  J.  Spencer  and  L.  H.  Orleman. 

These  troops  are  posted  at  Fort  Hays,  Fort  Harker,  and  other  points 
along  the  Smokey  River,  Kansas,  on  the  line  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad, 
then  in  course  of  construction.  They  had  been  put  in  the  field  for  the 
protection  of  the  railroad  as  fast  as  they  were  organized.  The  strength 
of  the  regiment,  present  and  absent,  amounts  to  25  officers  and  702  enlisted 
men. 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALR  V.  291 

The  first  engagement  in  which  any  part  of  the  regiment  participated  oc- 
curred a  few  days  before  the  regimental  headquarters  left  Fort  Leavenworth. 
Troop  I,  under  Captain  Amies,  numbering  34  men  and  two  officers,  fought 
a  party  of  300  Indians  near  Saline  River,  40  miles  northeast  of  Fort  Hays. 
The  engagement  lasted  six  hours  and  resulted  in  the  troops  being  forced  to 
retreat  with  the  loss  of  Sergeant  \V.  Christy,  killed,  and  Captain  Amies, 
wounded.  On  the  twenty-first  of  the  same  month  Captain  Armes  had 
another  fight,  the  second  on  record  in  the  regiment.  Forty  men  of  his  troop, 
together  with  90  men  of  the  i8th  Kansas  Volunteers,  engaged  about  500  In- 
dians northeast  of  Fort  Hays.  The  losses  in  this  fight  were  one  soldier 
killed  and  scalped,  and  13  wounded  ;  fifteen  men  of  the  volunteers  and  two 
guides  wounded,  twelve  horses  killed  and  three  wounded. 

Troops  I,  K,  L  and  M,  were  organized  from  the  new  headquarters  at  Fort 
Riley  as  here  indicated  : 

Troop  I. — Color,  bay.  Organized  August  15,  1867.  Captain  G.  W.  Graham; 
Lieutenant  Silas  Pepoon. 

Troop  K. — Color,  bay.  Organized  September  i,  1867.  Captain  C.  G.  Cox  ; 
Lieutenants  R.  G.  Smither  and  B.  F.  Bell. 

Troop  L. — Color,  sorrel.  Organized  September  21,  1S67.  Captain  R.  Gray; 
Lieutenant  C.  E.  Nordstrom. 

Troop  ,')/.— Color,  mi.xed.*  Organized  October  15,  1867.  Captain  H.  E.  Alvord  ; 
Lieutenants  P.  L.  Lee  and  W.  R.  Harmon. 

In  September,  1867,  the  field  officers  were  increased  in  number  to  their 
full  complement  by  the  appointment  of  Major  J.  E.  Yard.  In  the  same 
month  the  position  of  regimental  quartermaster  was  taken  by  Lieutenant 
W.  H.  Beck,  Thus  were  filled  the  last  of  the  original  vacancies  in  the  field 
and  stall. 

The  headquarters  remained  at  Fort  Riley  until  April  17,  186S.  The 
troops  were  about  evenly  distributed  between  Kansas  and  Indian  Territory 
and  were  employed  in  the  perfection  of  their  drill  and  discipline,  and  in  the 
protection  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  exposed  settlements.  The 
only  engagement  of  this  period  took  place  about  45  miles  west  of  Fort 
Hays.  Sergeant  Davis  and  nine  men  of  Troop  G  were  attacked  by  fifty  or 
sixty  Cheyennes.  They  drove  the  Indians  ofif  in  confusion  losing  one  private 
wounded. 

From  Fort  Riley  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  went  to  Fort  Gibson, 
I.  T.  At  this  time  General  Sheridan  was  in  the  field  directing  military 
operations.  The  Indians  had  brought  on  a  war  by  their  characteristic  rest- 
lessness and  deviltry.  They  were  attached  to  agencies  to  which  they  came 
in  from  time  to  time  for  supplies,  but  they  were  not  confined  to  any  reserva- 
tions. General  Sheridan  determined  to  put  them  and  keep  them  on  reser- 
vations, or,  if  that  could  not  be  done,  to  show  them  that  winter  weather 
would  not  give  them  either  rest  or  impunity.  The  consequence  was  the 
winter  campaign  of  1867-68,  which  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  Black 
Kettle's  band  of  Cheyennes,  the  worst  lot  of  Indians  in  the  territory.     The 


*  Troop  M  got  all  the  horses  that  would  not  match  any  other  troop  and  was  called  the  "  calico  " 
troop. 


292  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

loth  Cavalry  was  in  the  field  and  came  in  for  a  good  share  of  hard  marching- 
and  fighting. 

On  the  15th  of  September,  1868,  Troop  I,  Captain  Graham,  was  attacked 
by  about  100  Indians.  It  fought  until  dark,  losing  ten  horses  killed  and 
captured,  and  killing  seven  Indians. 

On  the  17th  of  this  month  Lieut.-Colonel  G.  A.  Forsyth,  A.  D.  C.  to  Gen- 
eral Sheridan,  with  a  party  of  white  scouts,  was  attacked  and  "  corralled  " 
by  a  force  of  about  700  Indians  on  an  island  in  the  Republican  River.  Two 
of  Forsyth's  scouts  stole  through  the  Indian  lines  and  brought  word  of  the 
perilous  situation  of  the  command  to  Fort  Wallace.  Parties  were  soon  on 
the  way  to  its  relief.  First  and  last  the  following  troops  were  started 
towards  it  from  different  points.  Captain  Bankhead  with  about  100  men 
of  the  5th  Infantry,  Captain  Carpenter  with  Troop  H  and  Captain  Baldwin 
with  Troop  I,  of  the  loth  Cavalry,  and  two  troops  of  the  2d  Cavalry  under 
Major  Brisbin. 

Captain  Carpenter's  troop  was  the  first  of  these  commands  to  arrive 
upon  the  scene.  It  found  Forsyth's  command  out  of  rations,  living  on 
horse-flesh  without  salt  or  pepper.  All  its  officers  had  been  killed  or 
wounded.  Every  horse  and  mule,  too,  had  been  killed.  Forsyth,  who  had 
been  twice  wounded,  was  lying  in  a  square  hole  scooped  out  in  the  sand, 
within  a  few  feet  of  a  line  of  dead  horses  which  half  encircled  the  hole  and 
impregnated  the  air  with  a  terrible  stench.  Captain  Carpenter  immediately 
pitched  a  number  of  tents  in  a  suitable  place  near  by,  had  the  wounded  men 
carried  to  them,  and  the  rest  removed  to  a  more  salubrious  air.  Twenty- 
six  hours  later  Captain  Bankhead  arrived  bringing  with  him  the  two  troops- 
of  the  2d  Cavalry. 

On  the  14th  of  the  following  month,  two  weeks  after  he  had  returned  to 
Fort  Wallace  with  the  wounded  of  Forsyth's  command,  Captain  Carpenter 
was  ordered  to  take  his  own  troop  and  I  Troop  of  the  loth  Cavalry  and 
escort  Major  Carr,  of  the  5th  Cavalry,  to  his  command,  supposed  to  be  on 
Beaver  Creek.  On  the  march  he  was  attacked  by  a  force  of  about  500 
Indians.  After  proceeding,  regardless  of  the  enemy's  firing  and  yelling,  far 
enough  to  gain  a  suitable  position,  he  halted  his  command,  had  the  wagons 
corralled  close  together  and  rushed  his  men  inside  at  a  gallop.  He  had 
them  dismount,  tie  their  horses  to  the  wagons,  and  form  on  the  outside 
around  the  corral.  Then  followed  a  volley  of  Spencers  which  drove  the 
Indians  back  as  though  they  were  thrown  from  a  cannon.  A  number  of 
warriors,  showing  more  bravery  than  the  others,  undertook  to  stand  their 
ground.  Nearly  all  of  these,  together  with  their  ponies,  were  killed.  Three 
dead  warriors  lay  within  fifty  yards  of  the  wagons.  The  Indians  were  so 
demoralized  by  these  results  that  they  did  not  renew  the  attack  and  the 
troops  accomplished  their  march  without  further  molestation.  They  were 
back  at  Fort  Wallace  on  the  21st,  having  travelled  230  miles  in  about  seven 
days.  For  their  gallantry  in  the  fight,  which  took  place  on  Beaver  Creek, 
the  officers  and  men  were  thanked  by  General  Sheridan  in  a  general  field 
order,  and  Captain  Carpenter  was  breveted  Colonel. 

Regimental  headquarters  remained  at  Fort  Gibson  until  March  31,  1869, 
when  they  were  moved  to  Camp  Wichita,  I.  T.,  where  they  arrived  on  the 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALR  V.  293 

I2th  of  April.  Camp  Wichita,  an  old  Indian  village,  was  selected  by  Gen- 
eral Sheridan  as  a  site  for  a  military  post  and  the  loth  Cavalry  was  ordered 
there  to  establish  and  build  it.  Some  time  in  the  following  month  of  August 
the  post  was  given  the  name  of  Fort  Sill,  by  which  name  it  will  be  desig- 
nated in  these  pages. 

The  military  duty  of  the  regiment  was  now  that  of  an  army  of  occupa- 
tion, to  hold  the  country  from  which  the  Indians  had  been  expelled  and  to 
keep  the  Indians  within  the  bounds  assigned  them.  It  gave  rise  to  frequent 
scouting  for  trespassers  and  marauders  and  occasional  reconnoissance  and 
demonstration  in  considerable  force.  More  than  once  the  garrison  of  Fort 
Sill  had  to  apprehend  an  attack  upon  the  post. 

On  the  I  ith  of  June  Camp  Supply  was  alarmed  by  a  party  of  Comanches 
charging  through  it,  shooting  and  yelling,  with  the  object  of  stampeding  the 
horses  on  the  picket  line,  and  they  succeeded  in  stampeding  a  few.  These 
were  pursued  by  Troops  A,  F,  H,  I  and  K,  loth  Cavalry,  and  Companies  B, 
E  and  F,  3d  Infantry,  commanded  by  Lieut.-Colonel  Nelson,  3d  Infantry. 
The  Indians  turned  on  their  pursuers  and  attacked  them,  wounding  three 
soldiers  and  killing  two  horses.  Six  Indians  were  killed  and  ten  wounded. 
During  the  22d  and  33d  of  August  the  Wichita  Agency  was  subjected 
to  a  fierce  attack  by  the  Kiowa  and  Naconee  Indians.  The  Agency  was 
defended  by  Troops  C,  E,  H  and  L,  loth  Cavalry,  commanded  by  Lieut.- 
Colonel  Davidson.  The  main  object  of  the  attack,  as  expressed  in  the 
vigorous  language  of  the  hostiles,  was  to  "  wipe  out "  the  buildings  and 
settlement.  Attempts  were  made  to  do  so  by  setting  fire  to  the  prairie  at 
different  points,  but  the  tireless  and  well-directed  efforts  of  the  defenders 
succeeded  in  extinguishing  the  flames  and  saving  the  buildings.  Repeated 
assaults  were  made  by  the  Indians  in  numbers  ranging  from  50  to  500,  at 
different  points  of  the  line,  all  of  which  were  repulsed  with  the  infliction  of 
heavy  losses  and  great  disorder  upon  the  assailants.  The  decisive  feature 
of  the  engagement  was  a  charge  made  by  Captain  Carpenter's  troop.  His 
men  routed  a  body  of  over  1 50  warriors,  who  were  about  to  take  up  a  com- 
manding position  in  rear  of  the  troops.  The  loss  of  the  troops  was  only 
four  men  wounded.  That  of  the  Indians  was  quite  large,  but  owing  to  their 
well-known  custom  of  carrying  off  their  dead  and  wounded  could  not  be 
definitely  ascertained. 

From  Fort  Sill  the  regimental  headquarters  moved  back  to  Fort  Gibson. 
They  left  Fort  Sill  on  the  5th  of  June,  1872.  During  the  three  years  and 
two  months  of  their  stay  at  that  station  a  majority  of  the  regiment— for 
a  time  there  were  eleven  troops— was  constantly  at  headquarters.  The 
monthly  rate  of  desertion  fell  from  7  to  3 ;  the  rate  of  discharge  by  court- 
martial  from  2.5  to  1.5.  In  fact,  the  deportment  of  the  regiment  attested 
the  advantage  to  discipline  of  large  commands  and  varied  and  mteresting 
occupation  for  the  troops. 

Among  the  stations  other  than  Fort  Sill,  held  by  troops  of  the  loth 
Cavalry,  were  Forts  Dodge,  Gibson  and  Arbuckle,  Camp  Supply  and 
Cheyenne  Agency.  Having  remained  at  Fort  Gibson  until  April  23,  1873 
the  regimental  headquarters  then  returned  to  Fort  Sill.  In  the  meantime 
there  had  been  a  few  skirmishes  unattended  by  any  casualties. 


294  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

A  movement  of  troops  was  now  under  way  looking  to  a  transfer  of  the 
regiment  to  the  Department  of  Texas,  and  the  end  of  April  found  Troops 
E,  I  and  L  at  Fort  Richardson,  Texas ;  and  Troops  C,  D  and  F  en  route, 
the  two  former  for  Fort  Griffin,  the  latter  for  Fort  Concho,  Texas.  The 
headquarters  were  reestablished  at  Fort  Sill  on  the  4th  of  May,  1873,  and 
remained  there  until  the  27th  of  March,  1875.  During  this  time  the  regi- 
ment continued  serving  partly  in  Texas  and  partly  in  the  Indian  Territory. 
The  troops  that  were  serving  in  the  Indian  Territory  took  part  in  the  cam- 
paign of  1874-75  against  the  Kiowas  and  Comanches.  This  campaign  was 
but  a  continuation  of  the  campaign  of  1867-68,  and,  like  the  latter,  was 
directed  by  General  Sheridan.  There  were  four  columns  in  the  field  ope- 
rating separately  under  the  following  commanders  : 

Lieut.-Colonel  Neill,  6th  Cavalry  ;  Colonel  N.  A.  Miles,  5th  Infantry  ; 
Lieut.-Colonel  Davidson,  loth  Cavalry;  Colonel  R.  S.  Mackenzie,  4th 
Cavalry. 

The  first  capture  of  the  campaign  was  made  by  a  portion  of  Davidson's 
column.  On  the  25th  of  October,  1874,  Troops  B  and  M,  loth  Cavalry,  and 
one  company  of  the  nth  Infantry,  under  command  of  Major  Schofield, 
while  in  pursuit  of  Indians  near  Elk  Creek,  pressed  them  so  hard  that  the 
whole  band  surrendered.  They  numbered  68  warriors,  276  squaws  and 
children,  and  about  1500  ponies.  These  prisoners,  and  others  taken  subse- 
quently, were  put  in  camp  at  Fort  Sill,  the  more  dangerous  bucks  being 
closely  confined.  At  the  close  of  the  campaign  the  ringleaders  were  sent  to 
Fort  Marion,  Florida,  under  charge  of  Captain  Pratt.  This  officer  never 
returned  to  the  regiment.  He  is  now  justly  distinguished  for  his  work  as 
an  educator  of  Indians,  especially  in  the  superintendence  of  the  Carlisle 
Indian  School. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  1875,  Black  Horse,  one  of  the  Cheyenne  ringleaders 
who  was  billeted  for  Fort  Marion,  broke  from  his  guard  at  Cheyenne 
Agency  and  ran  towards  the  camp  of  his  people  near  by.  He  was  pursued 
by  Captain  Bennett,  5th  Infantry,  with  the  guard,  who  fired  upon  Black 
Horse  and  killed  him.  Several  shots  passed  beyond  him  and  wounded 
some  people  in  the  camp.  After  firing  a  volley  of  bullets  and  arrows  at  the 
guard,  about  one-half  of  the  Cheyenne  tribe  abandoned  their  camp  and  fled 
to  a  group  of  sand-hills  on  the  south  side  of  the  Canadian  River  opposite 
the  Cheyenne  Agency.  They  were  followed  by  a  company  of  the  5th  In- 
fantry, a  troop  of  the  6th  Cavalry,  and  Troops  D  and  M  of  the  loth  Cavalry, 
all  under  command  of  Lieut.-Colonel  Neill,  6th  Cavalry.  Being  well  armed 
and  well  posted,  the  Indians  held  their  ground  until  nightfall  and  then 
stole  away.  The  troops  took  up  the  trail  and  followed  it  about  ten  days, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  it  was  covered  up  by  rains.  Troops  from  other 
posts  were  ordered  to  assist  in  the  pursuit  and  eventually  most  of  the  fugi- 
tives gave  themselves  up.  In  the  fight  at  the  Agency  the  Indians  lost  eight 
killed.     The  loth  Cavalry  lost  12  men  wounded,  one  mortally. 

When  moved  for  the  second  time  from  Fort  Sill  the  regimental  head- 
quarters were  transferred  to  Fort  Concho,  Texas,  where  they  were  estab- 
lished on  the  17th  of  April,  1875.  The  ist  of  May  found  the  troops  of  the 
regiment  located  in  Texas  and  Indian  Territory  as  follows : 


TEN  TH  RE  GUM  EN  T  OF  CA  VA  LR  Y.  2  cj  5 

Troops  A,  F,  G,  I  and  L.  at  Fort  Concho  ;  B  and  E  at  Fort  Grifiin;  C 
and  K  at  Fort  McKavett ;  H  at  Fort  Davis ;  D  and  M  in  the  field  at  Buffalo 
Springs,  I.  T.  During  the  month  of  May,  troops  D  and  M  moved  from  the 
Indian  Territory,  the  former  to  Fort  Concho,  the  latter  to  Fort  Stockton. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  two  years  the  disposition  of  the  troops  was 
modified  so  as  to  scatter  the  regiment  over  the  length  and  breadth  of  West- 
ern Texas.  Its  headquarters,  however,  were  destined  to  remain  at  Fort 
Concho  for  more  than  seven  years.  During  this  period  the  regiment  con- 
tinued with  some  variation  its  past  experience  in  Indian  fighting.  Its  cam- 
paigning consisted  mainly  in  pursuing  small  bands  of  marauding  Apaches. 
This  carried  the  troops, — now  across  the  border  into  the  unknown  territory 
of  the  "Gringo  "-hating  Mexicans,— now  over  the  scorching  wastes  of  the 
Staked  Plains, — now  up  and  down  the  rocky  fastnesses  of  the  Guadalupe 
Mountains  and  the  bad  lands  bordering  the  upper  Rio  Grande. 

The  following  are  a  few  instances  of  this  kind  of  service  : 

In  July,  1876,  Troops  B,  E  and  K  crossed  into  Mexico  as  part  of  a  col- 
umn commanded  by  Lieut.-Colonel  Shafter,  24th  Infantry.  A  detachment 
of  this  command,  made  up  of  twenty  picked  men  of  Troop  B  under  Lieuten- 
ant Evans,  and  twenty  Seminole  scouts,  all  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Bullis,  24th  Infantry,  made  a  march  of  no  miles  in  twenty-five  hours  and 
thereby  succeeded  in  surprising  a  camp  of  twenty-three  lodges  of  hostile 
Lipans  and  Kickapoos  near  Saragossa,  Mexico.  They  killed  ten  Indians 
and  captured  four,  and  also  captured  about  100  horses.  They  then  made 
a  bonfire  of  the  camp  material  and  with  their  prisoners  and  captured  stock 
rejoined  the  main  column  as  fast  as  their  jaded  horses  would  carry  them. 

On  the  loth  of  July,  1S77,  Troop  A  left  Fort  Concho  under  command  of 
Captain  Nolan  for  a  scout  on  the  Staked  Plains.  The  command  got  lost, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  Captain  Nolan,  Lieutenant  Cooper,  Sergeant  Jack- 
son and  about  ten  privates  were  ninety-six  hours  without  water.  Four  of 
the  men  died.  Other  parties  were  from  twenty-four  to  thirty-eight  hours 
without  water.  The  command  was  found  and  brought  back  to  Fort  Concho 
by  a  party  sent  out  from  there  to  search  for  it. 

In  1880  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  what  is  known  as  the  Victoria 
campaign,  a  series  of  operations  direct  against  the  Mescalero  Apache  chief 
Victoria,  who,  with  his  whole  band,  had  escaped  from  the  military  authori- 
ties in  New  Mexico.  On  the  30th  of  July  Colonel  Grierson,  with  a  party  of 
only  six  men,  was  attacked  by  this  band  between  Quitman  and  Eagle 
Springs.  Lieutenant  Finley  with  fifteen  men  of  Troop  G  came  up,  engaged 
the  Indians,  and  held  them  in  check  until  the  arrival  of  Captains  V^iele  and 
Nolan  with  Troops  C  and  A.  In  an  engagement,  which  lasted  four  hours, 
seven  Indians  were  killed  and  a  number  wounded.  On  the  side  of  the 
troops  one  soldier  was  killed  and  Lieutenant  Colladay  wounded.  The  hos- 
tiles  were  driven  off  and  pursued  to  the  Rio  Grande.  In  the  course  of  the 
pursuit  a  running  fight  of  at  least  fifteen  miles  was  maintained  near  the 
Alamo  by  a  detachment  under  Corporal  Asa  Weaver  of  Troop  H.  Private 
Tockes,  Troop  C,  was  killed.  His  horse  went  to  bucking  and  then  ran 
directly  into  the  Indians.  When  last  seen  alive  this  devoted  trooper  had 
dropped  his  reins,  drawn  his  carbine,  and  was  firing  to  right  and  left.     His 


296  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

skeleton  was  found  months  afterwards.  For  his  gallant  conduct  in  this 
affair  Corporal  Weaver  was  promoted  to  a  sergeant  on  the  ground.  The 
same  day  Captain  Lebo,  with  Troop  K,  followed  an  Indian  trail  to  the  top 
of  the  Sierra  Diabola,  captured  Victoria's  supply  camp  of  twenty-five  head 
of  cattle,  and  a  large  quantity  of  beef  and  other  provisions  on  pack  animals. 

The  decisive  blow  of  the  campaign  was  struck  a  few  days  later  by  Colo- 
nel Grierson.  Being  on  the  trail  of  Victoria,  heading  northward  through 
the  Carriso  Mountains,  Grierson  switched  off  to  his  right,  and,  by  a  forced 
march  of  sixty-five  miles,  swung  around  the  flank  of  the  unsuspecting 
Apaches  and  struck  them  in  front,  forcing  them  southward  across  the  fron- 
tier. Victoria  never  went  raiding  again  on  American  soil.  He  was  subse- 
quently killed  by  the  Mexican  troops  near  Lake  Guzman,  Mexico. 

In  July,  1882,  regimental  headquarters  were  moved  from  Fort  Concho 
to  Fort  Davis,  where  they  remained  until  March  30,  1885.  During  this 
time  the  regiment  saw  little  active  field  service. 

In  the  spring  of  1885  the  regiment  moved  from  the  Department  of  Texas 
to  the  Department  of  Arizona,  marching  along  the  Southern  Pacific  Rail- 
road. When  the  column  took  up  its  march  from  Fort  Davis  it  comprised 
eleven  troops  and  the  band.  At  Camp  Rice  it  was  joined  by  Troop  I,  and 
from  this  point  to  Bowie  Station,  Arizona,  the  twelve  troops  continued 
together.  They  had  never  been  together  before  and  never  have  been  since. 
At  Bowie  the  troops  separated  to  go  to  their  several  stations.  The  head- 
quarters went  to  Fort  Apache,  where  they  arrived  on  the  20th  of  May. 

The  Geronimo  campaign  had  just  commenced,  and  on  the  19th  of  May 
a  battalion  formed  of  Troops  D,  E,  H  and  K,  under  Major  Van  Vliet,  was 
sent  out  from  Fort  Grant  in  search  of  hostiles.  They  marched  to  Fort 
Bayard,  N.  M.,  and  through  the  Mogollon  Mountains,  but  saw  nothing  of 
them.  The  greater  part  of  the  regiment  was  in  the  field  during  the  whole 
campaign.  Several  of  the  officers,  anxious  to  be  where  there  was  most  to 
be  done,  had  themselves  detached  from  their  troops  to  do  duty  with  Indian 
scouts  at  the  front.  Thus,  Lieutenant  Shipp  was  with  Captain  Crawford  in 
Mexico  when  that  officer  was  killed.  Lieutenant  Finley  accompanied 
Captain  Lawton  in  his  long,  hard  chase  of  Geronimo,  which  led  to  his  sur- 
render. Lieutenant  Clarke  patrolled  the  Mexican  border.  The  latter 
especially  distinguished  himself  in  an  engagement  which  Troop  K,  under 
command  of  Captain  Lebo,  had  with  Geronimo's  band  in  the  Pineto 
Mountains  in  Mexico.  His  conduct  on  this  occasion  has  recently  won  for 
him  a  medal  of  honor. 

After  Geronimo  had  surrendered  to  Captain  Lawton,  a  remnant  of  his 
band  under  Chief  Mangus,  who  was  still  defying  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  was  run  down  in  handsome  style  by  Troop  H,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Cooper. 

Such  instances  of  distinguished  service  are  the  more  creditable  as  the 
opportunities  therefor  were  extremely  rare.  To  the  greater  part  of  the 
regiment  the  Geronimo  campaign  was  a  dismal  succession  of  inglorious 
days  devoted  to  the  guarding  of  water-holes,  mountain  passes,  etc. 

In  1887  part  of  the  regiment  was  in  the  field  in  search  of  "  the  Kid,"  a 
former  follower  of  Geronimo,  who  had  never  been  caught,  and  has  not  been 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  CA  VALRY.  297 

yet.     Lieutenant  Carter  P.  Johnson  especially  distinguished  himself  by  the 
skill,  energy  and  perseverance  with  which  he  pursued  this  Indian. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1890,  the  regiment  lost  the  colonel  who  had  com- 
manded it  from  its  organization  by  his  promotion  to  a  brigadier-general. 
The  vacancy  was  filled  by  the  promotion  of  Lieut. -Colonel  J.  K.  Mizner, 
8th  Cavalry,  who  is  the  present  chief  of  the  regiment.  Regimental  head- 
quarters were  moved  by  Colonel  Mizner  to  Fort  Grant,  where  they  now 
(1S91)  are. 


Cbe  flrtillerv 


Major-General 
ALEXANDER     MACOMB 

Commanding  the  Army,   1828-1841 


RTTLT. 


ess  of  dait 


J  22,  1790.  "^ 

When  the  "  Legion  of  the  United  Stai 
')2,  one  of  these  companies  was  attache- 

:Lr-cori::na  .d  ^nt  of  artillery  (Henry  Br 
ommanding  the  Legi^ 


Artillerists  and  Eiiginccri,  '  v,-.i3  c 
'.^ies  of  artillery  then  in  service  c. 

th  a  lieutenant-colonel  comm;int-i.- 
i  regiment  of  "  Artillerists  and  I 


-•fprmed  as  inlai> 
In  i8i2  two^rej;. 
companies;  but  ; 
orged  into  a  "Coii- 
d  48  companies  in  i\\oi.> 
t  affected  by  this  change 
'  r,g  the  War  of  i;-'- 
i?  engagements 

■  Maguago,  Mici.. 

.-story  of  the   Firsi 


the  "  Ligi 

niery  wert 

:  later  the  Liiree  a.  uilet) 
^v•ith  six  lieutenant-col< 
r.'.a:>ons.    The  Light  Artiller>  regiment  v 


as  represented  in 


by  Brevet  M 


302  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Attack  on  Queenstown  Heights,  U.  Can..  Oct.  13,  1812  (L.  A.  and  2d  Art). 

Capture  of  York  (now  Toronto),  U.  C,  April  27,  1813  (L.  A.  and  3d  Art). 

Fort  Meigs,  Ohio,  May  5,  1813  (L.  A). 

Fort  George,  U.  C,  May  27.  1813  (L.  A.,  2d  Art.  and  3d  Art). 

Action  at  Stony  Creek,  U.  C,  June  6,  1813  (L.  A.  and  2d  Art). 

Battle  of  Chrystler's  Fields,  U.  C,  Nov.  11,  1813  (L.  A.,  2d  Art.  and  3d  Art). 

Defense  of  Fort  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  May  5  and  6,  1814  (L.  A.  and  3d  Art). 

Battle  of  Chippeway,  U.  C,  July  5,  18 14  (Corps  of  Art). 

Battle  of  Niagara  Falls,  U.  C,  July  25,  1814  (Corps  of  Art). 

Battle  of  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  11,  1814  (L.  A.  and  Corps  of  Art). 

Defense  of  Fort  McHenry,  Md.,  Sept.  13,  1814  (Corps  of  Art). 

Defense  of  Fort  Erie,  U.  C,  Aug.  15,  1814  (Corps  of  Art). 

Battle  of  New  Orleans,  La.,  Dec.  23  and  28,  1814,  and  Jan.  8,  181 5  (Corps 
of  Art). 

At  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812  the  army  was  reduced  and  the  Corps 
of  Artillery  retained  only  32  companies,  in  eight  battalions  ;  but  the  Light 
Artillery  again  escaped  reduction. 

In  1 82 1  the  army  was  again  reduced,  and  an  entire  change  of  organiza- 
tion was  effected  by  consolidating  the  Light  Artillery,  the  Ordnance,  and 
the  Corps  of  Artillery  into  four  regiments  of  artillery,  having  nine  com- 
panies and  ten  captains  each,  the  additional  captain  performing  ordnance 
duty.  One  company  in  each  regiment  was  to  be  a  light  battery,  but  until 
1836  it  was  so  only  in  name. 

With  the  following  modifications  these  are  the  organizations  now  in  ex- 
istence known  as  the  First,  Second,  Third  and  Fourth  regiments  of  Artil- 
lery. 

At  first  each  regiment  had  a  colonel,  lieutenant-colonel  and  one  major. 
A  major  was  added  to  each  by  the  Act  of  February  11,  1847,  and  still 
another  major  to  each  by  the  Act  of  July  28,  1866. 

In  1832  the  Ordnance  was  separated  from  the  Artillery,  the  ordnance 
captains  joining  the  new  corps,  but  artillery  lieutenants  doing  the  subordi- 
nate work  of  the  ordnance  under  four-year  details.  This  continued  until 
the  Act  of  July  5,  1838,  completed  the  severance. 

This  last  named  Act  added  Company  K,  and  the  Act  of  March  3,  1847, 
added  Companies  L  and  M  to  each  regiment. 

The  Artillery  has  been  united  with  the  Engineers,  the  Ordnance,  and 
the  Light  Artillery.  It  has  had  a  battalion,  regimental,  and  corps  organiza- 
tion ;  during  the  Civil  War  it  was  even  without  organization — into  any 
higher  unit  than  the  single  battery.  It  would  seem  that  the  entire  round 
of  experiments  had  been  tried.  The  present  organization  into  regiments 
has  lasted  far  longer  than  any  other  and  appears  to  have  sustained  the  test 
of  prolonged  trial,  in  peace  at  least,  fairly  well.  It  bids  fair  to  continue  in- 
definitely, for  it  is  impossible  to  obtain  any  degree  of  unanimity  among 
artillery  officers  as  to  what  should  take  its  place. 

THE   FIRST    REGIMENT   OF   ARTILLERY 

was  organized  under  the  Act  of  March  2,  1 821,  by  the  assignment  to  it  of 
officers  already  commissioned  in  the  Ordnance  Department,  Light  Artillery 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.  303 

regiment,  or  Corps  of  Artillery.  Its  ranks  were  filled  by  the  transfer  of 
whole  companies  from  the  Light  Artillery,  or  the  Corps  of  Artillery. 

Company  A  came  from  the  L.  A.  and  was  first  organized  as  a  company 
in  1812. 

Company  B  also  dated  from  1S12  and  had  been  Company  D,  Second  Bat- 
talion, C;  of  A. 

Companies  C  and  D,  dating  from  1S15,  came  from  the  L.  A. 

Company  E  had  been  Company  N,  Second  Battalion,  C.  of  A.,  organized 
in  1812. 

Company  F  had  been  Company  B,  Fourth  Battalion,  C.  of  A.,  and  dated 
from  1 81 2. 

Companies  G  and  H  came  from  the  L.  A.  ;  G  dating  from  181 2  and  H 
from  1808. 

Company  I  had  been  Company  A,  Second  Battalion,  C.  of  A.,  and  was 
first  organized  as  a  company  in  1798. 

Of  the  47  officers  of  the  regiment,  13 — including  Colonel  Porter — came 
from  the  L.  A. ;  23— including  Major  Walbach — from  the  C.  of  A. ;  8 — in- 
cluding Lieutenant-Colonel  Bomford — from  the  Ordnance  ;  and  three — 
Captains  Wm.  J.  Worth  and  Henry  Whiting,  and  Lieutenant  W.  S.  Harney 
— from  the  Infantry.  Harney  remained  in  the  regiment  less  than  two  years, 
but  Worth  belonged  to  it  until  he  entered  the  Ordnance  in  1832,  and 
Whiting  until  he  became  a  quartermaster  in  1835. 

Companies  A,  B,  E,  F,  G  and  H  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  War  of 
181 2,  and  brought  with  them  into  the  regiment  a  record  of  gallant  service 
already  performed. 

There  is  little  of  interest  in  the  history  of  a  regiment  in  time  of  peace, 
and  the  long  period  of  fifteen  years  which  elapsed  before  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Florida  War  was  almost  uneventful. 

The  regiment  was  at  first  stationed  at  the  posts  in  New  York  Harbor  and 
on  the  New  England  coast,  but  after  a  service  there  of  six  years  it  was  sent 
to  the  more  southerly  posts  between  Annapolis,  Md.,  and  Charleston,  S.  C, 
where  it  remained,  though  with  many  interchanges  of  station  by  the  several 
companies,  until  January,  1836,  when  eight  companies  reached  Florida,  fol- 
lowed in  October  of  the  same  year  by  the  ninth. 

The  Florida  War  brought  little  glory  to  any  who  took  part  in  it,  the 
difficulty  being,  not  to  fight  the  enemy,  but  to  find  him.  "  A  barren  war- 
fare, marches  without  battles,  scoutings  by  day,  alarms  by  night;  continual 
little  annoyances,  so  trifling  as  to  be  beneath  narration,  yet  in  their  fre- 
quency and  troublesomeness  as  bad  on  the  spirits  as  a  defeat  and  reducing 
the  duty  list  as  much  as  a  battle.  The  climate  was  an  enemy  more  success- 
ful than  the  Seminoles,  and  its  victims  counted  not  by  single  files,  but  by 
platoons  if  not  battalions." 

For  two  years  the  regiment  performed  its  share  of  this  work,  taking  part 
in  eleven  more  or  less  important  engagements  with  the  Indians. 

The  following  named  officers  were  present  with  the  regiment  during  its 
service  in  Florida  and  by  their  gallantry  in  action  and  fidelity  to  duty — in 
this  case  a  thankless  duty  bringing  no  other  reward  than  the  consciousness 
of  duty  well  done — reflected  credit    upon  the  regiment :— Colonel  Eustis. 


304  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Majors  Wn.  Gales  and  B.  K.  Pierce;  Captains  R.  M.  Kirby,  Giles  Porter, 
David  Van  Ness,  Justin  Dimick,  Lemuel  Gates  and  D.  D.  Tompkins  ;  and 
Lieutenants  Geo.  Nauman,  Francis  Taylor,  J.  R.  Irwin.  J.  H.  Prentiss, 
Geo.  Watson,  E.  A.  Capron,  D.  E.  Hale,  John  F.  Lee,  Alfred  Herbert, 
Wm.  H.  Betts,  P.  V.  Hagner,  M.  J.  Burke,  J.  S.  Hatheway  and  Wm.  H. 
Fowler. 

In  1838  the  regiment  was  sent  to  the  northern  frontier  of  the  U.  S.  in 
New  York  and  Vermont,  and  shortly  after  reaching  its  new  stations  a  com- 
pany was  added  to  each  of  the  regiments  of  artillery.  The  additional  com- 
pany of  the  First  was  mounted  and  became  Battery  K.  Although  Company 
A  had  been  the  designated  light  battery  since  1821  it  had  never  had  a  horse 
attached  to  it,  but  had  performed  the  same  duties,  and  in  the  same  way,  as 
the  other  companies  had. 

In  1840  the  regiment  was  moved  to  the  boundary  line  between  Maine 
and  New  Brunswick.  At  this  time  war  with  Great  Britain  was  threatened, 
the  chief  cause  for  the  dispute  being  the  location  of  the  bound- 
ary line  between  the  United  States  and  British  territory,  but  it  was 
fortunately  averted.  The  regiment  remained  on  this  line,  however,  unti' 
just  before  the  outbreak  of  the  Mexican  War,  when  four  companies  went  to 
Texas  and  six  to  Florida. 

In  the  campaign  of  1846-47  on  Taylor's  line  in  Texas  and  northern  Mex- 
ico, Companies  B,  C,  D,  E  and  Battery  K,  took  an  active  part,  the  regi- 
ment being  represented  by  one  or  more  of  its  companies  in  the  battles  of 
Palo  Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena  Vista. 

The  campaign  of  1847  in  central  Mexico  under  General  Scott  brought 
the  greater  part  of  the  regiment  under  fire,  and  Companies  B,  D,  F,  G,  H 
and  Batteries  I  and  K,  some  or  all  of  them,  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Vera 
Cruz  and  the  battles  or  skirmishes  of  Cerro  Gordo,  La  Hoya,  Oka  Lake, 
Contreras,  Churubusco,  Chapultepec  and  City  of  Mexico.  Company  I  was 
made  a  light  battery  after  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo. 

There  was  then  no  retired  list,  and  the  field  officers  of  the  regiment 
were  so  infirm  or  so  far  advanced  in  years  as  to  be  wholly  unable  to  undergo 
the  fatigues  of  active  service.  From  this  it  resulted  that,  after  Vera  Cruz 
and  Cerro  Gordo  had  been  fought,  the  senior  captain  present— Brevet  Major 
Justin  Dimick — commanded  the  battalion. 

The  campaign  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  recorded  in  history.  More 
recent  military  operations  on  a  very  much  larger  scale  have  dimmed  the 
memory  of  its  successes,  but  the  military  student  will  always  admire  the 
extreme  audacity  which  prompted  it,  and  the  manner  in  which  the  troops 
—the  whole  army— cooperated  to  make  it  a  success. 

The  First  Artillery  received  the  commendation  of  its  brigade  and  di- 
vision commanders  for  each  and  every  action  in  which  it  was  present,  and 
its  losses— 21  per  cent,  of  its  whole  strength  in  killed  and  wounded— attest 
its  military  zeal  and  fidelity  to  duty.  The  battle  of  Churubusco  was  espe- 
cially fatal,  for  it  cost  the  regiment  the  lives  of  Capt.  E.  A.  Capron,  Capt. 
M.  J.  Burke,  Lieut.  J.  F.  Irons,  and  Lieut.  Satterlee  Hoflman.  Lieutenants 
Martin  and  Boynton  were  among  the  wounded,  and  the  total  loss  in  officers 
and  men  was  45  out  of  a  total  of  less  than  300. 


THE  FIRST  REGIAfENT  OF  ARTILLERY.  305 

The  following  named  officers  of  the  First  were  present  during  the  Mex- 
ican War,  in  one  or  both  campaigns  : 

Majors  Levi  Whiting  and  Thos.  Childs. 

Captains  Justin  Dimick,  L.  B.  Webster,  Geo.  Nauman,  Francis  Taylor, 
J.  H.  Winder,  J.  B.  Magruder.  E.  A.  Capron,  M.  J.  Burke  and  J.  S.  Hath- 
eway. 

Lieutenants  J.  L.  Donaldson,  W.W.  Mackall.  B.  H.  Hill,  Wm.H.  French, 
Jos.  Hooker,  Henry  C.  Wayne,  Irvm  McDowell,  J.  A.  Haskin,  H.  D.  Grafton, 
J.  B.  Ricketts,  S.  K.  Dawson,  J.  G.  Martin,  J.  F.  Irons,  J.  M.  Brannan,  Isaac 
Bowen,  Seth  Williams,  Abner  Doubleday,  J.  P.  Johnstone,  Henry  Coppee, 
E.  C.  Boynton,  T.  J.  Jackson,  Truman  Seymour,  Satterlee  Hoffman,  J.  B. 
Gibson  and  A.  P.  Hill. 

Many  of  these  names  will  be  very  familiar  to  all  who  have  read  the  his- 
tory of  a  later  and  greater  war,  as  well  as  to  the  students  of  this  foreign 
war  in  which  these  men  were  such  prominent  actors.  At  this  date  (No- 
vember, 1894),  Professor  Henry  Coppee,  of  Lehigh  University,  is  the  sole 
survivor  of  all  of  "  Ours  "  who  took  part  in  the  War,  and  he  was  among 
those  who  entered  the  City  of  Mexico  with  Scott's  victorious  army. 

Upon  the  evacuation  of  Mexico  in  1848  the  First  Artillery  was  stationed 
upon  the  Atlantic  coast  from  New  York  to  Fort  Washington,  Md.,with  the 
exception  of  Companies  L  and  M,  which  were  sent  to  Oregon.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year,  however,  four  companies  went  into  the  interior  of  Florida,  and 
in  1850  four  additional  companies  went  to  the  Gulf  States  and  Battery  I  to 
California.  Companies  L  and  M  were  in  Oregon  but  four  years  when  they 
were  transferred  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  reorganized,  and  sent  to  Florida. 

Service  in  that  State  was  found  to  consist,  as  usual,  of  fruitless  marches 
and  countermarches,  scouts  in  this  direction  and  in  that,  and  in  years  of 
service  scarcely  an  event  worthy  of  record.  Filibusters  in  Louisiana  and 
Texas  in  1S51  made  some  slight  break  in  the  monotony  of  garrison  life  for 
several  of  the  companies,  and  in  1S56  the  Indians  were  fought,  once  in 
Florida  and  several  times  in  Texas.  In  1859  the  outlaw  band  of  Cortmas 
attacked  and  then  blockaded  Brownsville,  Texas,  but  was  in  turn  attacked, 
beaten,  and  broken  up  by  a  force  including  three  companies  of  the  First 
Artillery. 

With  the  closing  months  of  i860  the  regiment  completed  its  tenth  year 
of  continuous  service  in  the  Southern  States.  During  this  long  period  no 
foot  company  of  the  regiment  (except  the  Oregon  companies)  had  been 
stationed  farther  north  than  Fort  Monroe,  and  the  regiment  had  never  had 
less  than  four  companies  in  the  Gulf  States,  while  the  usual  number  was 
eight.  The  detail  for  the  Artillery  School  took  two  companies  northward, 
and  the  companies  in  Florida  were  occasionally  sent  to  Charleston  to 
recuperate,  but  the  regiment — generally — had  been  a  stranger  to  the 
northern  climate  for  ten  long  years. 

In  January,  1861,  Companies  A  and  C  were  at  Fort  Monroe  ;  B  at  Key 
West  Barracks ;  D  at  Baton  Rouge  Barracks,  La. ;  E  and  H  at  Fort  Sum- 
ter, S.  C. ;  F,  L  and  Battery  K  at  Eagle  Pass  (Fort  Duncan),  Texas ;  G  at 
Barrancas  Barracks,  Fla. ;  Battery  I  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  M  at 
Brownsville,  Texas. 


3o6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

The  excitement  throughout  the  South  at  this  time  in  regard  to  the 
secession  of  the  States  bid  fair  to  lead  to  violent  seizure  of  Government 
property,  and  made  it  necessary  for  individual  commanders  to  judge  for 
themselves  in  many  cases  as  to  the  proper  course  to  pursue  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  public  property  under  their  charge  or  the  preservation  of  their 
commands. 

In  the  exercise  of  this  judgment  Major  Robert  Anderson  had  just  trans- 
ferred his  command— Companies  E  and  H— from  Fort  Moultrie  to  Fort 
Sumter;  Company  B,  in  January,  occupied  Fort  Taylor;  and  Company  G, 
also  in  January,  moved  from  Fort  Barrancas  to  Fort  Pickens.  Company  D, 
at  Baton  Rouge  Barracks,  La.,  500  miles  from  any  possibility  of  support 
was  forced  to  leave  for  the  North  in  January  ;  and  the  garrison  of  Eagle 
Pass— Companies  F  and  L  and  Battery  K— just  escaped  being  included  i' 
Twigg's  surrender  by  marching  to  Brownsville,  where,  with  Company  M,  it 
embarked  for  loyal  territory  in  March. 

On  the  ist  of  April,  1861,  but  five  posts  within  the  limits  of  the  seceded 
States  were  still  occupied  by  United  States  troops.  These  were  Fort  Mon- 
roe. Va. ;  Fort  Sumter,  S.  C. ;  Fort  Taylor,  Key  West,  Fla. ;  Fort  Jefiferson, 
Tortugas,  Fla. ;  and  Fort  Pickens,  Pensacola  Harbor,  Fla.  Of  these  the 
four  last  named  were  garrisoned  wholly  or  in  great  part  by  the  First  Artillery, 
and  Company  C  was  among  the  troops  composing  the  garrison  of  Fort 
Monroe. 

The  story  of  Sumter  has  been  told  again  and  again.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of 
the  First  Artillery  to  fire  the  first  shot  in  defense  of  the  flag,  and  that  shot 
had  a  result  such  as  the  wisest  Southerner  could  not  have  foretold.  Few 
Northerners  even  could  foresee  that  it  announced  the  beginning  of  the  end 
of  human  slavery  in  North  America. 

At  an  early  period  of  the  war  it  became  evident  that  the  companies  of 
the  regular  artillery  were  all  or  nearly  all  to  serve  as  light  batteries.  No 
explicit  orders  to  that  efTect  appear  to  have  been  issued,  but  company  after 
company  was  mounted  until  the  twelve  companies  of  the  regiment  had  all 
been  equipped  either  as  mounted  or  as  horse  artillery.  The  practice  of 
uniting  the  batteries  by  twos  to  man  single  batteries  began  early  in  the  war 
and  continued  till  the  end. 

Until  May,  1864,  Batteries  E,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  served  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac ;  B,  C,  D  and  M,  on  the  southern  Atlantic  coast ;  and  A,  F 
and  L,  in  Florida  and  Louisiana;  but  in  the  latter  part  of  1864  all  were  in 
Virginia. 

It  is  not  possible  within  the  limits  to  which  this  sketch  must  be  confined 
to  give  any  adequate  account  of  the  98  battles,  sieges,  combats,  actions, 
skirmishes  or  affairs,  in  which  the  regiment  was  represented  during  the 
Civil  War.  Batteries  were  present  in  all  the  chief  engagements  in  Virginia, 
Maryland,  Florida,  Louisiana,  and  the  coast  of  South  Carolina.  They  were 
at  Antietam,  Appomatox,  Bull  Run,  Cedar  Creek,  Chancellorsville,  Cold 
Harbor,  Drury's  Bluff,  Fair  Oaks,  Fisher's  Hill,  Fort  Bisland,  Fort  Pickens, 
Fort  Sumter,  Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg,  Glendale,  Irish  Bend,  Mansura. 
Olustu,  Petersburg,  Pleasant  Hill,  Port  Hudson,  Trevillian  Station,  Win- 
chester and  Williamsburg. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY. 


j^/ 


Two  batteries,  one  of  the  First  and  one  of  the  Fifth,  were  in  the  very 
vortex  and  crisis  of  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  ;  a  battery  of  the  First  was  in 
action  nearly  all  day  not  far  from  "  Deadman's  Lane  "  at  Antietam  ;  in  the 
line  of  thirty  pieces  which  finally  checked  the  victorious  Confederates  on 
our  right  at  Chancellorsville  were  six  belonging  to  the  First ;  the  "  Crest  of 
the  Rebellion  "at  Gettysburg  found  two  batteries  of  the  First  in  the  line 
against  which  it  broke  ;  when  the  last  obstacle  to  the  free  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi  was  overcome  at  Port  Hudson,  three  batteries  of  the  First  Artil- 
lery could  claim  their  fair  share  of  credit  for  the  achievement ;  and  when 
Early  was  sent  "  whirling  through  Winchester  "  two  batteries  of  the  First 
were  there  to  assist  him  along. 

On  the  I2th  of  April.  1861,  a  First  Artillery  garrison  opened  the  war, 
and  on  the  9th  of  April,  1865,  a  battery  of  the  regiment  fired  the  last  can- 
non-shot at  the  principal  army  of  the  Confederacy  and  almost  the  last  shot 
of  the  war.  The  flag  of  the  United  States  which  was  first  lowered  to  the 
Confederate  forces  in  Charleston  Harbor,  was,  almost  exactly  four  years 
later,  raised  in  the  capital  of  that  Confederacy  by  an  officer  of  the  First 
Artillery. 

The  number  of  officers,  then  or  formerly  of  the  regiment,  who  were 
made  general  officers  during  the  Civil  War  is  so  considerable  as  to  merit 
notice.     On  the  Union  side  these  were  : 

Daniel  Tyler.  James  B.  Fry. 

Geo.  D.  Ramsay.  Jefferson  C.  Davis. 

Jacob  Ammen.  Absalom  Baird. 

Montgomery  C.  Meigs  Adam  J.  Slemmer. 

Israel  Vogdes.  Alvan  C.  Gillem. 

Wm.  H.  French.  Henry  W.  Slocum. 

Joseph  Hooker.  John  M.  Schofield. 

Irvin  McDowell.  John  W.  Turner. 

Joseph  A.  Haskin.  Robert  Anderson. 

James  B.  Ricketts.  Erasmus  D.  Keyes. 

John  M.  Brannan.  Richard   H.  Jackson. 

Seth  Williams.  Edmund  Kirby. 

Abner  Doubleday.  Judson  Kilpatrick. 

Truman  Seymour.  Lewis  G.  Arnold. 

On  the  Confederate  side  they  were: 

|.  B.  Magruder.  Daniel  Leadbetter, 

"h.  C.  Wayne.  J.  E.  Slaughter. 

J.  G.  Martin.  A.  R.  Lawton. 

Samuel  Jones.  F.  A.  Shoup. 

T.  J.  Jackson  (StonewalU.  I.  R.  Trimble, 

A.  P.  Hill.  W.  W.  Mackall. 

The  theory  upon  which  our  army  is  said  to  be  maintained, — for  the 
purpose  of  providing  trained  officers  for  higher  rank  in  the  militia  or  vol- 
unteers,—would  seem  to  have  been  justified  in  the  case  of  this  particular 
regiment,  since  it  was  able  to  furnish  40  general  officers  when  called  upon 
for  that  purpose. 


3o8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

Between  December,  s86i,  and  the  ist  of  January,  1S65,  sixty-eight  offi- 
cers are  named  upon  the  regimental  return,  and  38  of  these  were,  for  a 
part  of  their  service  at  least,  on  detached  duty.  This  number  includes  those 
serving  with  increased  rank  in  the  volunteers.  When  the  number  absent 
on  account  of  wounds  or  from  sickness  is  taken  into  account  it  becomes 
more  easy  to  comprehend  why  it  was,  that  during  the  Civil  War  it  was  very 
seldom  the  case  that  one-half  of  the  officers  belonging  to  the  regiment  were 
actually  serving  with  it. 

Up  to  the  date  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  the  average  number  present 
was  twenty ;  but  from  that  time  till  the  close  of  the  war  the  average  was 
only  thirteen,  and  there  were  at  no  time  so  many  as  twenty  officers  with 
their  batteries.  From  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  to  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
matox  the  average  number  present  was  only  16.57,  yet  the  regimental  re- 
turns for  that  period  show  a  total  of  19  killed  and  wounded,  and — what  is  a 
little  remarkable— «i9  deaths  from  disease. 

The  average  strength  of  the  regiment  in  enlisted  men  for  this  period  was 
770.  Of  these  54  were  killed,  216  wounded,  71  missing,  and  91  died  of  dis- 
ease ;  making  the  total  loss  432.  In  Fox's  "Regimental  Losses  of  the 
American  Civil  War  "  a  list  of  the  light  batteries  (regular  and  volunteer) 
which  sufTered  the  heaviest  losses  is  given  on  page  463.  Sixty-two  bat- 
teries are  named  and  among  them  are  Battery  M,  at  Olustee ;  I,  at  Bull 
Run  and  again  at  Gettysburg;  H,  at  Chancellorsville;  and  A,  at  Port  Hud- 
son. 

During  the  Civil  War  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  never  took  the 
field.  For  several  months  in  1861  there  was  actually  no  regimental  com- 
mander. The  sergeant-major  probably  received  and  filed  the  company 
monthly  returns,  but  no  regimental  orders  were  issued  nor  any  other  busi- 
ness transacted  such  as  properly  pertains  to  the  office  of  a  regimental  com- 
mander. Colonel  Erving  was  retired  in  October,  1861,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Colonel  Justin  Dimick  with  station  at  Fort  Warren,  Boston  Harbor.  In 
November  he  named  Lieutenant  Dimick  as  the  regimental  adjutant  but  in  the 
July  following  the  adjutant  applied  for  field  service  and  from  that  time  until 
the  close  of  the  war  there  was  no  officer  actually  serving  as  adjutant  of 
the  regiment.  There  had  been  no  regimental  quartermaster  since  June, 
i860,  and  none  was  appointed  till  June,  1876.  Colonel  Dimick  nominally 
commanded  the  regiment  until  the  close  of  the  year  1863,  when  Captain 
Wm.  Silvey,  the  senior  officer  in  the  regiment  not  holding  higher  rank  in 
the  volunteer  service,  was  directed  to  relieve  him.  He  acted  as  regimental 
commander,  with  station  at  Concord,  N.  H.,  until  January,  1866. 

Almost  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  therefore,  the  regimental 
organization  simply  went  to  pieces.  All  the  field  officers  held  higher  volun- 
teer rank  or  were  superannuated,  and  there  was  no  regimental  staff.  The 
sole  duty  left  to  the  nominal  regimental  commander  was  to  consolidate  the 
monthly  returns  of  the  individual  batteries.  Captains  appointed  and  mus- 
tered their  own  non-commissioned  officers  without  any  reference  to  him,  and 
he  exercised  no  control  of  any  kind  over  his  companies.  Yet  the  artillery, 
without  exception,  did  exceedingly  well  during  the  war  and  contributed 
largely  toward  the  final  result. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.         309 

The  natural  inference  is,  that  the  regimental  organization  is  wholly 
superfluous  when  artillery  is  called  upon  to  fulfil  the  principal  end  and  ob- 
ject of  its  existence,  though  very  good  and  even  necessary  during  peace 
times,  to  provide  for  the  systematic  conduct  of  afTairs  and  to  furnish  pro- 
motion to  the  oflicers  of  the  arm.  Whether  organized  in  regiments  or  as  a 
corps,  the  actual  result,  so  far  as  regimental  or  corps  control  is  concerned, 
would  undoubtedly  have  been  the  same,  with  the  resulting  inference  that, 
for  actual  service,  no  organization  higher  than  the  single  battery  is  neces- 
sary. 

It  is  simply  impossible  that  this  can  be  true. 

The  practice  which  obtained  from  the  very  outbreak  of  the  war  of  using 
the  single  battery  as  the  highest  organization  of  light  artillery  was  vicious 
in  theory  and  in  practice.  The  highest  authority  we  have  upon  artillery 
has  stated  this  fact,  and  our  practice  in  the  later  years  of  the  war,— the 
result  of  experience  in  the  field.— proved  that  the  battalion  of  batteries, 
under  a  responsible  head  and  with  still  higher  grades  of  authority  to  con- 
trol battalions,  would  give  results  wholly  impossible  of  attainment  with 
divided  commands. 

Had  the  colonel  of  a  regiment  of  artillery  taken  the  field  as  the  chief 
of  artillery  for  a  corps,  with  his  field  officers  in  their  proper  places  as  chiefs 
of  battalions,  to  serve  with  divisions  or  directly  under  the  corps  com- 
mander as  occasion  might  demand,  can  any  one  doubt  for  a  minute  the 
increased  efficiency  of  that  regiment  as  a  fighting  machine.' 

In  actual  practice  the  field  officers  of  the  regular  artillery  were  all  given 
volunteer  rank  to  command  infantry,  and  no  field  officers  for  volunteer 
batteries  (the  exceptions  were  very  few  in  number)  were  commissioned  ; 
and  when  it  was  found  by  experience  that  artillery  gained  power  in  a  geo- 
metrical ratio  by  concentration,  captains  were  taken  from  their  batteries  to 
act  as  the  field  officers  which  must  be  had,  but  never,  to  the  very  end,  was 
the  point  conceded  that  light  artillery,  fully  as  much  any  other  arm,  must 
have  its  field  officers  actually  with  it  in  the  field. 

The  necessity  for  experienced  officers  to  command  volunteers  was  unde- 
niable, and  the  gain  to  the  whole  service  by  depriving  the  artillery  of  its 
legitimate  leaders  was  greater,  perhaps,  than  the  loss  to  the  artillery  itself ; 
but  there  is  something  radically  wrong  in  the  system  which  brings  about 
such  a  crippling  of  one  arm. 

The  senior  officers  remaining  should  have  been  given  at  least  temporary 
rank  in  the  higher  grades  of  their  own  arm  to  command  artillery,  and  had 
this  been  done,  we  have  the  assertion  of  the  artillery  officer  best  qualified 
by  experience  to  express  an  opinion,  that  the  efficiency  of  our  arm 
great  as  it  was,  would  thereby  have  been  increased  from  one-third  to  one- 
half. 

Whether  the  organization  of  the  arm  should  be  regimental  or  corps  is  a 
subject  upon  which  there  will  always  be  wide  divergencies  of  opinion  ;  but 
the  assertion  that  artillery  should  be  so  organized  that  when  it  goes  into 
active  service  it  shall  have  its  complete  hierarchy  of  command  present  with 
it,  will  find  not  one  artillerist  in  opposition. 

This  can  be  secured  under  either  form  of  organization. 


3IO  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

With  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  the  companies  of  the  regiment,  except- 
ing the  two  which  were  light  batteries  before  the  war,  were  promptly  dis- 
mounted and  stationed  upon  the  Atlantic  seaboard  from  Maine  to  New  York 
Harbor.  The  light  batteries  went  to  Texas.  The  field  officers  rejoined  and 
the  regimental  staff  was  again  established,  so  that  the  regular  routine  of 
garrison  life  was  soon  in  operation  as  smoothly  as  though  it  had  never  been 
interrupted. 

The  artillery  had  had  a  double  line  of  first  lieutenants  ever  since  1821, 
but  about  this  time  the  President  was  authorized  to  give  it,  in  his  discre- 
tion, a  double  line  of  second  lieutenants  as  well.  He  availed  himself  of  this 
right  to  some  extent,  the  number  of  second  lieutenants  in  the  regiment  in- 
creasing from  12  in  1866,  to  22  in  1870.  This  was  the  greatest  number  on 
any  annual  register,  and  from  this  time  it  diminished  until  the  register  for 
1874  showed  but  7  in  all.  Since  1876,  however,  there  have  been  two  second 
lieutenants  for  a  light  battery  and  one  for  each  foot  battery.  The  second 
lieutenants  appointed  in  the  years  from  1867  to  1870  are  those  who  are  now, 
— more  than  23  years  later, — patiently  awaiting  their  captaincies,  and  even 
now  with  no  immediate  prospect  of  attaining  them. 

The  regular  monotony  of  garrison  life  in  the  years  following  the  war  was 
relieved  from  time  to  time  by  occurrences  of  more  or  less  importance  in- 
volving the  movement  of  companies. 

The  Fenians  required  the  presence  of  almost  the  whole  of  the  regiment 
upon  the  northern  boundary  of  New  York  in  1866  and  again  in  1870.  Light 
Battery  K  was  brought  out  to  overawe  a  mob  in  New  Orleans  in  1866.  A 
large  part  of  the  regiment  was  called  out  on  four  different  occasions,  in 
1869,  1870,  and  1 87 1,  to  protect  internal  revenue  officers  in  their  pursuit  of 
illicit  whisky  in  the  slums  of  Brooklyn  ;— and  large  details  were  made,  with 
ever  increasing  frequency,  for  funeral  escort  duty  for  the  veterans  of  the 
war. 

In  November  of  1872  the  regiment  left  its  northern  stations  for  those  on 
the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coast  from  Charleston,  S.  C,  to  Pensacola  Harbor, 
Fla.  Here  it  served  three  years,  suffering  each  summer  from  yellow  fever, 
but  in  1875  the  welcome  order  of  relief  came  and  by  the  ist  of  January, 
1876— the  Centennial  year — the  regiment  was  stationed  along  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  from  Fort  Adams,  R.  I.,  to  Fort  Preble,  Me. 

This  was  the  year  of  the  disputed  Presidential  election  and  in  November 
every  battery  of  the  regiment  left  its  station  for  duty  in  some  one  of  the 
disturbed  districts.  One  of  them  went  from  Maine  to  Florida,  and  all 
went  into  the  Southern  States.  The  mere  presence  of  the  troops  was  all 
that  was  required.  They  were  never  called  upon  to  act,  but  it  was  several 
months  before  the  batteries  were  finally  allowed  to  return  to  their  posts. 

The  labor  riots  of  1877  also  took  the  whole  regiment  out,  this  time  into 
Pennsylvania  ;  but  there  was  never  occasion  for  firing  a  shot.  The  appear- 
ance of  the  troops  sufficed  to  overawe  the  rioters. 

Late  in  the  year  1 88 1  the  regiment  left  New  England  for  the  Pacific 
coast  where  the  batteries  occupied  Fort  Canby  and  the  posts  in  San  Fran- 
cisco Harbor  for  more  than  eight  uneventful  years. 

In  May,  1890,  it  was  brought  back  to  the  Atlantic  coast  and  stationed  at 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  AR  TILLER  V.         311 

its  present  (November,  1894)  posts,  with  nine  batteries  and  one  light  bat- 
tery in  New  York  Harbor,  one  battery  at  Fort  Monroe,  and  one  at  Fort 
Sheridan,  111.  (first  at  Fort  Riley,  Kas.) 

Since  the  last  change  of  stations  there  has  been  but  one  event  in  its 
history  of  any  importance,  when  at  Wounded  Knee,  an  opportunity  was 
given  Light  Batterv  E  to  render  gallant  service  which  it  took  advantage  of 
to  the  fullest  extent. 


THE    SECOND    REGIMENT    OF    ARTILLERY. 


By  Lieut.  W.  A.  SIMPSON,  Adjutant  2d  U.  S.  Artillery. 

THE  Second  Artillery  was,  with  the  First,  Third,  and  Fourth,  organ- 
ized by  an  Act  of  Congress  dated  March  21,  1821.  Each  regiment 
was  to  have  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  one  major,  one 
supernumerary  captain  (for  ordnance  duty),  one  adjutant,  one  ser- 
geant-major, and  nine  companies.  Each  company  was  to  have  a  captain, 
two  first  lieutenants,  two  second  lieutenants,  and  fifty-seven  enlisted  men. 
One  company  was  to  be  designated  and  equipped  as  light  artillery,  but  for 
many  years  it  was  such  only  in  name.  The  list  of  organizations  (given  in 
the  Army  Register)  from  which  these  regiments  were  formed  is  misleading, 
as  some  of  the  organizations  mentioned  had  been  out  of  existence  for 
years.  The  four  regiments  were  formed  from  the  Corps  of  Artillery,  the 
Regiment  of  Light  Artillery,  and  the  Ordnance,  the  Second  being  taken 
mainly  from  the  Corps  of  Artillery.  All  ordnance  duty  was  to  be  done  by 
the  artillery.  There  was  a  second  regiment  of  artillery  during  the  War  of 
1812,  of  which  Winfield  Scott  was  lieutenant-colonel  and  then  colonel.  After 
the  war  it  was  merged  into  the  Corps  of  Artillery.  The  names  of  battles  of 
that  war  are  borne  on  the  regimental  colors  to-day,  a  few  of  the  officers  of 
the  new  Second  had  belonged  to  the  old,  and  some  of  the  companies  may 
have  belonged  to  both  regiments,  a  fact  I  am  unable  to  establish  ;  but  as  a 
whole  the  Second  Artillery  of  1812  was  a  different  organization  from  the 
Second  Artillery  of  1821. 

The  assignment   of  companies,   stations,    and  former   organizations    is 
given  in  the  following  table  : 


Company. 

Captain. 

Former  Organization. 

Station. 

Headquarters. 

Ft.  McHenry,  Md. 

"  A" 

Fanning. 

2  B.  N.  D.* 

West  Point,  N.  Y. 

"B" 

Gates. 

I  B.  N.  D. 

Watervliet  Arsenal. 

"C" 

Roach. 

3  B.  N.  D. 

Ft.  Mifflin,  Pa. 

"D" 

Heileman. 

I  B.  N.  D. 

Ft.  Niagara,  N.  Y. 

"E" 

Nourse. 

Made  up  of  recruits. 

Pittsburg  Arsenal. 

"F" 

Belton. 

3  B.  N.  D. 

Ft.  McHenry,  Md. 

"G" 

Zantzinger. 

4B.  N.  D. 

Plattsburg,  N.  Y. 

"H" 

Mountfort. 

4  B.  N.  D. 

Detroit,  Mich. 

"I" 

Legate, 

I  B.  N.  D. 

Mackinac,  Mich. 

*  B.  N.  D.  stands  for  Battalion,  Northern  Division. 

The  new  field  officers  were  :  N.  Towson,  colonel ;  James  House,  lieu- 
tenant-colonel ;  J.  Hindman,  major.  Colonel  Towson  had  distinguished 
himself  greatly,  while  a  captain  of  the  Second  Artillery,  in  the  War  of  181 2. 
At  the  time  of  his  nomination  to  be  colonel,  however,  he  was  paymaster- 
general,  then  a  civil  officer.     The  senate  refused  to  confirm  him  as  colonel 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.      313 

on  the  ground  that  selections  of  officers  for  the  new  regiments  should  be 
confined  to  the  army.  The  disagreement  between  the  executive  and  the 
senate  in  this  case  lasted  through  three  administrations,  and  was  finally 
settled  in  1832  by  the  nomination  and  confirmation  of  the  then  senior 
lieutenant-colonel  of  artillery,  William  Lindsay.  This  officer  had  been 
major  and  afterwards  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Second  Artillery  in  the 
War  of  181 2.     The  regiment  was  thus  without  a  colonel  for  ten  years. 

In  1824  headquarters  were  removed  to  Governor's  Island,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  regiment  was  brought  to  New  York  Harbor.  In  the 
same  year  ten  companies  of  artillery  (two  each  of  the  ist  and  3d,  three 
each  of  the  2d  and  4th)  were  to  be  assembled  at  Fort  Monroe  and  organ- 
ized as  a  regiment  under  the  name  of  "  The  Artillery  Corps  for  Instruc- 
tion. '  D,  G  and  H  were  the  companies  of  the  2d  Artillery  designated  for 
this  detail.  These  companies  were  to  be  relieved  by  others  at  regular  in- 
tervals. 

In  the  autumn  of  1S27  the  regiment  was  ordered  South,  exchanging  with 
the  1st  Artillery.  The  new  stations  were  at  first  Augusta  Arsenal  and 
Savannah,  Georgia  ;  Fort  Marion,  Florida  ;  Forts  Pike  and  St.  Philip, 
Louisiana.  In  the  order  making  the  change  it  was  stated  that  this  was  to 
be  regarded  as  the  beginning  of  a  system  of  periodical  changes.  The 
southern  tour  w^as  a  long  and  active  one.  The  stations  of  the  companies 
were  frequently  changed  on  account  of  sickness,  and  for  service  in  the 
Cherokee  and  Creek  country,  embracing  portions  of  Georgia,  Alabama,  and 
Tennessee.  About  this  time,  too,  the  relations  between  the  general  gov- 
ernment and  the  States  of  South  Carolina  and  Alabama  were  somewhat 
strained.  The  recent  tariff  legislation  was  very  unpopular  in  the  South  and 
"  nullification  "  feeling,  especially  in  the  former  State,  ran  high.  So  serious 
did  things  look  that,  in  the  latter  part  of  1832,  Major  Heileman,  2d  Artillery, 
commanding  in  Charleston  Harbor,  was  cautioned  from  Washington  to  be 
on  the  alert  and  hold  the  forts  belonging  to  the  United  States  against  any 
force  that  might  be  brought  against  them.  Seven  additional  companies,  of 
the  1st,  3d,  and  4th  Artillery,  were  ordered  to  Charleston  Harbor,  and  Gen- 
eral Scott  arrived  to  command  in  person  and  see  that  the  laws  of  the  L^nited 
States  were  enforced.  Happily,  no  collision  occurred.  A  terrible  fire  break- 
ing out  in  Charleston,  General  Scott  ordered  400  men  to  the  city,  without 
arms,  to  assist  in  subduing  the  fire,  They  arrived  just  in  time  to  relieve 
the  exhausted  citizens  at  the  pumps.  This  action  did  much  towards  allay- 
ing the  bitter  feeling  of  the  time. 

In  1832  the  Ordnance  was  separated  from  the  Artillery.  In  the  autumn 
of  1833  the  action  of  the  United  States  marshal  in  removing  white  settlers 
from  lands  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  the  Creeks  having  aroused  oppo- 
sition on  the  part  of  the  authorities  of  Alabama,  a  strong  force  of  United 
States  troops  under  Colonel  D.  E.  Twiggs  was  sent  to  Fort  Mitchell,  on  the 
eastern  border  of  that  State,  to  support  him.  The  2d  Artillery  was  repre- 
sented by  A,  B  and  C  companies.  The  legislature  passed  laws  giving  State 
courts  jurisdiction  in  this  territory,  and  the  State  officers  served  writs  on 
United  States  officers,  the  State  courts  adjudging  them  guilty  of  contempt 
in  refusing  to  obey  the  writs.     The  Governor  of  Alabama  went  so  far  as  to 


314  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

threaten  to  raise  an  army  of  State  troops  and  drive  the  Federal  troops  from 
the  State.  This,  however,  was  not  done,  and  the  Federal  and  State  forces 
did  not  me  to  blows.  These  events  show  the  extent  to  which  the  doctrine 
of  States'  rights  was  believed  in  at  the  time. 

According  to  the  treaty  made  with  the  Seminole  Indians,  their  removal 
to  the  West  was  to  begin  January  i,  1836.  The  actions  of  the  Seminoles  as 
that  date  approached  led  the  authorities  to  suspect  that  the  Indians  would 
not  act  in  good  faith,  and  measures  were  taken  to  increase  the  military  force 
in  Florida  and  compel  the  Seminoles  to  fulfill  their  treaty  obligations.  Of 
the  2d  Artillery,  A,  B,  C  and  G  companies  were  sent  to  Fort  Brooke,  Tampa 
Bay.  H  was  there  already.  D  was  at  St.  Augustine,  and  F  at  Fort  King, 
in  the  heart  of  the  Indian  country,  about  midway  between  St.  Augustine 
and  Fort  Brooke.  This  being  an  important  point.  Major  Dade,  4th  In- 
fantry, with  C,  2d  Artillery,  and  B,  3d  Artillery,  was  ordered  to  march  there 
from  Fort  Brooke.  The  command  left  Fort  Brooke  December  23.  On  the 
morning  of  December  28,  as  they  were  marching  along  a  lake,  they  were 
attacked  by  Indians  from  the  woods  on  the  other  side  of  the  road.  A  mo- 
ment before  they  were  surprised  Major  Dade  had  said  to  his  command, 
"  We  have  now  got  through  all  danger  ;  keep  good  heart  and  when  we  get 
to  Fort  King,  I'll  give  you  three  days  for  Christmas."  The  fight  lasted 
several  hours,  every  officer  and  all  but  two  of  the  men  being  killed.  The 
officers  of  the  2d  killed  were  Captain  Gardiner,  2d  Lieutenant  Basinger, 
and  Brevet  2d  Lieutenant  Henderson.  The  same  day  a  detachment  of  the 
same  band  of  Indians,  under  Osceola,  came  upon  General  Thompson,  Indian 
agent,  and  Lieutenant  Constantine  Smith,  2d  Artillery,  who  were  out  walk- 
ing near  Fort  King,  killed  them  both,  and  then  attacked  the  fort,  hoping  ta 
find  the  garrison  (F,  2d  Artillery)  unprepared.    The  attack  was  unsuccessful. 

December  29  General  Clinch,  who  had  not  yet  learned  of  the  Dade  mas- 
sacre, had  a  fight  with  the  Indians  on  the  Withlacoochee  River.  His  force 
was  made  up  of  detachments  of  the  ist,  2d  and  3d  Artillery.  The  Indians 
were  defeated.  D  and  F  of  the  2d  took  part  in  this  action,  losing  one 
man  killed  and  twelve  wounded.  On  February  27  there  was  another  fight 
on  the  Withlacoochee  in  which  A,  B,  D,  F,  G  and  H  were  engaged. 

Early  in  1836  General  Scott  took  command  in  Florida.  His  plan  was  to 
form  three  columns  ;  one  to  operate  from  Volusia,  on  the  St.  John's  River; 
one  from  Fort  King  or  Fort  Drane,  and  one  from  Fort  Brooke.  The  latter 
was  commanded  by  Colonel  Lindsay,  2d  Artillery.  Of  the  2d,  A,  B,  G  and 
H  were  in  Colonel  Lindsay's  column.  C,  D,  E  and  F  were  in  eastern  and 
central  Florida,  and  were  generally  scattered  at  small  posts.  I  was  not  sent 
to  Florida  until  December,  1837.  June  9,  1836,  the  Indians  attacked 
Micanopy,  commanded  by  Major  Heileman,  2d  Artillery.  The  attack  was 
repulsed  and  the  Indians  driven  two  miles.  D  and  E  took  part  in  the 
affair.  Major  Heileman,  who  was  breveted  lieutenant-colonel  for  his  con- 
duct in  this  action,  died  a  few  days  later  from  the  effects  of  over-exertion 
in  the  battle. 

In  August,  1836,  the  regiment  was  ordered,  as  soon  as  its  services  could 
be  dispensed  with,  to  the  New  England  coast,  with  headquarters  at  Fort 
Wolcott,  R.  I.  (now  the  navy  Torpedo  Station).     Headquarters  were  estab- 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.      315 

lished  at  Fort  Wolcott,  remained  there  a  few  months,  and  then  were  re- 
turned to  Florida,  but  the  rest  of  the  order  was  never  carried  out.  Detach- 
ments of  E  and  F  were  in  the  battle  of  Big  Wahoo  Swamp.  November  21, 
1836.  February  28,  1837,  the  Indians  attacked  Camp  Monroe,  on  Lake  Mon- 
roe, but  were  defeated.  In  this  action  one  sergeant  and  three  privates  of  C 
were  wounded  and  Captain  Mellon  was  killed.  C  company,  wiped  out  in  the 
Dade  massacre,  had  just  been  reorganized,  and  Mellon  promoted  to  its  com- 
mand. September  11,  1837,  a  battalion  of  mixed  troops,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Peyton,  2d  Artillery,  surprised  and  captured  two  camps  of 
Indians  near  Mosquito  Inlet. 

This  meagre  statement  gives  no  idea  of  the  hardships  incident  to  serv- 
ice in  this  war.  "  The  theatre  of  operations  was  a  wilderness  and  every 
hammock  and  swamp  a  citadel  for  the  enemy."  The  heat  the  greater  part 
of  the  year  was  so  intense  that  the  troops  could  not  make  even  ordinary 
marches.  The  men  had  often  nothing  but  winter  clothing.  The  water  was 
bad,  the  food  poor.  No  guides  could  be  had  and  transportation  was  very 
difficult.  General  Jesup  says,  in  his  official  report :  "  This  is  a  service 
which  no  man  would  seek  with  any  other  view  than  the  mere  performance 
of  duty.  Distinction  or  increase  of  reputation  is  out  of  the  question.  The 
difficulties  are  such  that  the  best  concerted  plans  may  result  in  absolute 
failure,  and  the  best  established  reputation  be  lost  without  fault.  If  I  have, 
at  any  time,  said  aught  in  disparagement  of  the  operations  of  others  in 
Florida,  knowing  the  country  as  I  now  know  it,  I  consider  myself  bound,  as  a 
man  of  honor,  solemnly  to  retract  it."  In  a  little  over  two  years  9  officers 
and  103  men  of  the  2d  Artillery  were  killed  in  action,  or  died  of  wounds 
received  or  disease  contracted  in  Florida.  Many  brevets  were  conferred  on 
officers  of  the  regiment  for  services  in  this  war.  The  roster  of  lieutenants 
of  the  regiment  in  1836-38  shows,  among  others,  the  names  of  John  Sedg- 
wick, C.  F.  Smith,  E.  D.  Townsend,  Henry  L.  Kendrick,  A.  A.  Humphreys, 
James  Duncan,  Lewis  G.  Arnold,  Edmund  Schriver,  Robert  Allen,  and 
Horace  Brooks. 

In  the  spring  of  1838,  after  eleven  years'  service  in  the  South,  the  regi- 
ment was  put  on  the  march  for  the  Cherokee  country  in  Alabama  and 
Tennessee.  A  small  part  of  the  regiment  went  up  the  Mississippi  and  Ten- 
nessee rivers  by  boat,  but  the  greater  part  was  brought  together  on  Black 
Creek,  East  Florida.  The  route  was  thence  by  water  to  St.  Mary's,  Savan- 
nah, and  Augusta,  and  thence  on  foot  to  Ross  Landing  (where  Chattanooga 
now  stands),  on  the  Tennessee  River.  The  Cherokees  were  to  be  moved 
West,  and.  as  trouble  with  them  was  anticipated,  a  large  force  of  regulars, 
of  which  the  2d  formed  a  part,  was  collected  in  their  country.  The  whole 
regiment  was  encamped  at  Ross  Landing,  and  remained  there  while  the 
Indians  were  being  collected  and  sent  West.  About  this  time  the  "  Patriot 
War  "  was  raging  in  Canada,  and  as  the  "  Patriots  "  had  the  sympathy  of 
a  large  number  of  Americans  along  the  border,  troops  were  needed  in  that 
region  to  enforce  neutrality  and  prevent  aid  and  reinforcements  going  to 
the  revolutionists  from  the  American  side.  Accordingly,  as  soon  as  its 
duties  in  the  Cherokee  country  were  completed,  the  regiment  was,  in  July, 
ordered  to  the  Niagara  frontier.     On   its    march    through    Kentucky,  it 


3i6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY, 

camped  at  Lexington  on  ground  owned  by  Henry  Clay,  who  did  all  in  his 
power  for  the  comfort  of  the  command.  On  reaching  the  Ohio  River  the 
regiment  went  by  boat  to  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  and  thence  across  the  state 
by  canal  to  Cleveland.  Here  the  regiment  separated,  a  battalion  under 
Major  Payne  going  to  Detroit,  while  the  rest  of  the  regiment  went  down 
Lake  Erie  to  Buffalo,  where  headquarters  were  established. 

b,i  1838,  another  company,  K,  was  added  to  the  regiment,  C.  F.  Smith 
becoming  its  first  captam.  Colonel  Lindsay  died  September  15,  and  James 
Bankhead  became  colonel.  Though  some  changes  were  made  from  time  to 
time,  eight  companies  were  at  headquarters  during  most  of  the  time  the 
regiment  was  on  the  Niagara  frontier.  As  there  was  no  fighting,  the  atten- 
tion of  the  officers  was  devoted  to  bringing  the  regiment  up  to  as  high  a 
standard  as  possible.  There  was  great  rivalry  between  the  companies,  and 
the  spirit  of  emulation  was  still  further  increased  by  the  presence  over  the 
border  of  some  crack  British  regiments,  whose  officers  worked  in  har- 
mony with  ours  in  defeating  the  schemes  of  the  would-be  liberators  of 
Canada.  In  1839  Secretary  of  War  Poinsett  ordered  the  establishment  of 
a  camp  of  instruction  at  Trenton,  New  Jersey  ;  one  company  of  each  artil- 
lery regiment  to  be  sent  there  and  equipped  as  a  battery  of  light  artillery. 
A  of  the  2d  was  selected  and  went  there  under  command  of  Lieut,  (after- 
wards Captain)  James  Duncan,  who  made  it  so  famous  in  the  war  with 
Mexico.  Three  months  later  it  returned  to  Buffalo  as  a  light  battery. 
In  August,  1841,  the  regiment  left  Buffalo  by  canal,  headquarters  and 
B,  D  and  G  going  to  Fort  Columbus,  A  to  Fort  Hamilton,  E  to  Fort 
Lafayette,  F  and  I  to  Fort  Adams,  and  C,  H  and  K  to  Fort  Mon- 
roe. These  stations  were  occupied  with  but  little  change  until  the 
Mexican  War. 

A  (Duncan)  left  New  York  Harbor  in  August,  1845,  and  C  (McKenzie). 
I  (Lowd)  and  K  (C.  F.  Smith),  left  in  September  for  Corpus  Christi.  Join- 
ing General  Taylor's  army,  they  marched  with  it  on  Matamoras.  I  was 
assigned  to  Fort  Brown,  took  part  in  its  defense,  and  was  left  in  garrison 
there.  C  and  K,  as  a  part  of  the  artillery  battalion,  and  A  were  engaged  at 
Palo  Alto  (May  8)  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma  (May  9).  Duncan  by  his  bril- 
liant advance  and  attack,  without  orders,  on  the  Mexican  right  at  Palo  Alto, 
did  much  towards  winning  the  battle  and  was  specially  mentioned  by  Gen- 
eral Taylor. 

G  (De  Hart)  and  H  (Swartwout)  left  New  York  in  June  and  joined  Tay- 
lor's army  on  the  Rio  Grande.  On  the  march  up  the  river,  C  was  left  at 
Camargo  and  H  at  Reynosa.  A,  C,  G  and  K  formed  part  of  Worth's  Divi- 
sion and  with  it  took  an  important  part  in  the  taking  of  Monterey  (Septem- 
ber 20-23),  Captain  C.  F.  Smith  commanding  the  storming  party  that  led 
the  attack  on  Federation  Hill.  When  Taylor's  army,  previous  to  the  battle 
of  Buena  Vista,  was  reduced  to  strengthen  General  Scott,  all  our  com- 
panies in  Mexico  were  brought  to  the  sea-board.  The  rest  of  the  regiment 
left  New  York  for  Mexico,  and  in  March,  1847,  the  whole  regiment,  except 
E,  which  was  sent  to  Fort  Brown,  was  assembled  before  Vera  Cruz.  On  the 
organization  of  the  Army  of  Invasion  the  regiment  was  assigned  to 
Worth's  regular  division.     The  reduction  of  Vera  Cruz  was  largely  the  work 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OE  ARTILLERY.      317 

of  the  artillery,  Col.  Bankhead,  the  senior  field  officer,  acting  as  chief  of 
artillery,  in  command  of  the  batteries. 

The  regiment  took  part  in  all  the  battles  of  the  campaign,  figuring  most 
prominently  and  suffering  the  heaviest  losses  at  Churubusco,  Molino  del 
Rey,  and  City  of  Mexico.  Col.  Bankhead  going  on  detached  service,  the 
Lieut.-Colonel  (Erving)  being  Superintendent  of  recruiting,  and  the  Major 
(Monroe)  being  chief  of  artillery  of  Gen.  Taylor's  army,  the  regiment 
started  on  the  advance  under  command  of  Capt.  McKenzie.  Major  Gait, 
promoted  to  the  2d  when  a  new  major  was  added  to  each  artillery  regi- 
ment, arrived  and  took  command  before  the  battle  of  Churubusco.  Capt. 
C.  F.  Smith,  on  leaving  Vera  Cruz,  was  given  command  of  a  battalion  of 
light  troops,  consisting  of  K  (his  own)  and  I  of  the  2d  and  one  company 
each  of  the  5th  and  8th  Infantry.  This  command  he  exercised  with  dis- 
tinction throughout  the  campaign.  B  (Kendrick)  was  left  at  Puebla  as  part 
of  the  garrison,  which  successfully  withstood  a  siege  of  28  days  by  a  vastly 
superior  force.  The  conduct  of  Capt.  Kendrick  during  this  siege  was 
spoken  of  by  his  commanding  officer  in  the  highest  terms. 

At  Molino  Del  Rey  Lieut.  Armstrong  was  killed,  Lieutenants  Daniels  and 
Shackelford  were  mortally  wounded,  and  all  the  lieutenants  of  Duncan's 
battery  (H.  J.  Hunt,  Wm.  Hays,  and  H.  F.  Clarke)  were  slightly  wounded. 
At  Chapultepec  Capt.  Horace  Brooks  commanded  one  of  the  siege  bat- 
teries erected  to  prepare  the  assault.  Capt.  McKenzie  led  a  storming  party 
of  volunteers  from  Worth's  division  and  after  the  enemy  fled  from  Chapul- 
tepec, took  part  in  the  pursuit  up  the  causeway  and  in  the  action  at  the 
Garita  San  Cosme.  In  this  action  Capt.  Brooks  commanded  what  was  left 
of  the  regiment  and,  jointly  with  a  detachment  of  the 4th  Infantry  under 
Lieut.  U.  S.  Grant,  attacked  and  carried,  after  an  obstinate  resistance,  a 
strong  breast-work,  turned  the  enemy's  right,  and  pursued  him  from  house 
to  house.  During  this  action  it  became  necessary  to  advance  a  piece  of  ar- 
tillery along  the  causeway,  which  was  swept  by  the  enemy's  fire,  against  a 
breast-work.  Lieut.  Hunt,  of  Duncan's  battery,  was  ordered  to  execute 
this  duty.  Advancing  at  full  speed  for  150  yards,  with  a  loss  of  more  than 
half  his  men,  he  accomplished  his  object  and  engaged  the  enemy  muzzle  to 
muzzle.  Gen.  Worth  says,  in  his  official  report,  "  It  has  never  been  my  for- 
tune to  witness  a  more  brilliant  exhibition  of  courage  and  conduct." 
Throughout  the  campaign  Duncan's  battery  (A)  was  splendidly  handled  and 
made  a  brilliant  record.  The  foot  companies,  though  necessarily  less  con- 
spicuous, contributed  their  full  share  to  the  fame  achieved  by  the  American 
armies  in  Mexico.  Even  the  band  took  part  in  the  fighting.  They  were 
trained  as  soldiers  and  served  in  the  ranks  with  muskets  in  every  battle,  re- 
suming their  musical  instruments  in  camp  and  garrison. 

In  December,  1847,  two  new  companies  (L  and  M)  were  added  to  each 
artillery  regiment,  too  late,  however,  to  take  any  part  in  the  war.  M  was 
made  a  light  battery.  The  regiment  was  now  so  reduced  in  numbers  that 
C,  G,  K  and  L,  were  broken  up  temporarily  and  the  personnel  distributed 
among  the  other  companies.  In  June,  1S48,  the  regiment  began  its  home- 
ward journey.  It  was  sent  first  to  Fort  Columbus,  and  was  then  distributed 
as  follows  :  Headquarters,  C  and  G  to  Fort  Monroe ;  A.  Fort  McHenry  ;  B 


3i8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

and  D,  Bedlow's  Island  ;  E,  Fort  Johnston,  N.  C. ;  F  and  I,  Fort  Moultrie; 
H,  Fort  Macon  ;  K,  St.  Augustine ;  L,  Augusta  Arsenal ;  M  (which  had 
been  dismounted),  Savannah. 

They  were  not  allowed  to  rest  long.  In  November,  1848,  B  and  D  were 
sent  to  St.  Louis,  thence,  marching  from  Leavenworth,  to  New  Mexico, 
where  they  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1857.  B  was  stationed  at  Santa 
Fe  and  afterwards  at  Fort  Defiance,  which  post  was  commanded  for  some 
years  by  Capt.  Kendrick,  who  showed  marked  ability  in  his  management  of 
the  Indians.  D  was  stationed  successively  at  Santa  Fe,  and  Forts  Union, 
Massachusetts,  and  Stanton.  Both  companies  were  out  frequently  after 
Indians  and  on  exploring  expeditions.  D  was  in  Loring's  Gila  expedition 
against  the  Apaches  in  1857.  In  1849,  E,  F,  H,  K,  L  and  M  were  sent  to 
Florida,  this  time  to  the  region  between  the  Indian  and  the  Kissimmee 
rivers,  where  they  were  actively  engaged  in  scouting  and  building  roads. 
About  the  latter  work  the  department  commander,  Twiggs,  was  very  par- 
ticular. He  required  the  roads  to  be  made  in  the  most  careful  manner,  and 
afterwards  refused  to  allow  brick  and  lime  to  be  hauled  over  them,  although 
greatly  needed  at  an  interior  post,  for  fear  of  cutting  them  up.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1850,  four  companies  were  sent  up  to  Charleston  on  account  of  seces- 
sion excitement,  and  returned  to  Florida  early  in  1852. 

"  M  "  (Hunt)  was  again  made  a  light  battery  in  1853,  and  was  sent  from 
Charleston  by  water  to  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  thence  overland  to  Fort  Washita 
where  it  took  station.  In  November  of  the  same  year  headquarters  went 
to  Pensacola  (afterwards  to  Fort  Brooke)  and  all  the  reigiment  except  the 
light  batteries,  the  companies  in  New  Mexico,  and  H  (which  went  to  Baton 
Rouge),  was  again  in  Florida.  Major  Munroe  commanded  in  the  Peninsula 
and  Major  Harvey  Brown  along  the  Caloosahatchie  River.  For  the  next 
three  years  the  theatre  of  operations  was  mainly  in  southwestern  Florida, 
between  Charlotte  Harbor,  and  Lake  Okeechobee  and  the  Everglades.  The 
troops  were  again  at  their  old  work  of  building  roads  and  scouting.  In 
1855-56  the  Indians  became  troublesome  and  there  was  considerable  fight- 
ing. December  20,  1855,  detachments  of  E,  G,  I,  K  and  L  had  a  fight  near 
Billy's  Town.  On  the  same  day  Lieut,  (afterwards  Major-General)  Hartsuff 
and  a  reconnoitring  party  were  attacked  by  the  Seminoles  in  the  Big 
Cypress  Swamp,  and  Hartsuff  was  badly  wounded.  January  18,  1856,  C 
and  L  were  engaged  near  Fort  Deynaud  and  March  29  E  had  a  fight  at 
Chocaliska  Key.  April  7,  1856,  a  detachment  of  3  officers  and  108 
men  of  the  ist  and  2d  Artillery,  under  Capt.  Lewis  G.  Arnold.  2d  Artil- 
lery, was  attacked  by  a  large  body  of  Seminoles  in  the  Big  Cypress 
Swamp.  The  Indians  were  repeatedly  charged  and  driven  from  the  strong 
positions  they  successively  held.  August  2,  1856,  E  had  another  fight  with 
the  Indians  at  Punta  Rasa. 

The  regiment  suffered  from  yellow  fever  during  this  southern  tour.  In 
1852  it  broke  out  at  Castle  Pinckney,  Charleston  Harbor,  and  Capt.  Roland 
and  several  men  of  M  died.  In  1854  yellow  fever  appeared  at  Baton  Rouge 
and  carried  off  Lieutenants  Mebane  and  Burns  (the  only  officers  present) 
and  the  ist  Sergeant  of  H.  It  appeared  there  again  the  following  year. 
Colonel   Bankhead   died   at  Baltimore,  November  11,    1856.     Mathew  M. 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  AR TILLER V.      319 

Payne,  formerly  major  of  the  regiment,  became  our  next  colonel,  but  he 
was  Governor  of  the  Soldiers'  Home  and  never  joined.  On  the  resigna- 
tion of  Colonel  Payne  in  1861,  John  L.  Gardner  became  colonel.  He  never 
joined,  and  was  retired  within  a  few  months  after  his  promotion,  so  the 
command  of  the  regiment  for  nearly  five  years  devolved  upon  the  Lieut. - 
Colonel,  Justin  Dimick,  who  was  also,  for  much  of  that  time,  in  command 
of  the  Artillery  School  at  Fort  Monroe. 

In  December,  1856,  the  regiment  began  to  move  North,  headquarters 
going  to  Fort  Hamilton,  then  in  May,  1857,  to  Fort  Monroe,  and  in  No- 
vember back  to  Fort  Hamilton.  C  and  L  went  to  Fort  Independence,  E  to 
Fort  Ontario,  F  and  I  to  Fort  Monroe,  G  to  Fort  Lafayette,  H  and  K  to 
Fort  Hamilton,  B,  D  and  M,  on  their  arrival  from  the  West  went,  B  and 
M  to  Fort  Monroe,  and  D  to  Fort  Hamilton.  Hardly  were  they  settled  in 
their  new  stations  when  several  of  the  companies  were  ordered  West,  where 
most  of  them  remained  until  1861.  A,  E,  F,  H  and  M  were  occupied  prin- 
cipally in  Kansas,  during  the  troublous  ante  bellum  times  in  that  State,  with 
Leavenworth  as  a  base.  Headquarters  were  established  at  that  post  for  a 
few  months  in  1859,  going  to  Fort  Monroe  in  November,  It  is  worthy  of 
note  that  one  company  (F)  was  sent  to  Lecompton  in  1857  in  search  of  a 
fugitive  slave.  The  two  light  batteries  started  in  May,  1858,  to  march  from 
Leavenworth  to  Utah.  They  got  some  distance  beyond  Fort  Kearney 
when,  the  Mormon  troubles  being  over,  they  were  recalled  and  returned  to 
Leavenworth.  During  a  part  or  all  of  the  period  from  1857  to  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war,  G,  I  and  L  were  at  one  or  the  other  of  the  northwestern 
posts,  Brady,  Snelling,  Mackinac,  Ridgely,  and  Ripley.  E  and  H  went  out 
there  before  going  to  Kansas.  During  the  John  Brown  excitement  in  1859 
B  and  a  part  of  L,  under  Captain  Carlisle,  were  sent  from  Fort  Monroe  to 
Harper's  Ferry  for  temporary  duty. 

In  pursuance  of  the  seeming  policy  of  the  War  Department,  not  to  pro- 
tect the  national  property  in  the  South,  but  to  guard  it  sufficiently  to  pre- 
vent its  seizure  by  hot-headed  secessionists  before  the  plans  of  the  leaders 
were  ripe,  D,  E  and  F  were,  m  i860,  sent  respectively  to  the  arsenals  at 
Fayetteville,  N.  C,  Augusta,  Ga.,  and  Little  Rock,  Ark.  In  due  course  of 
time  the  Southern  States  passed  their  ordinances  of  secession  and  each  of  the 
arsenals  mentioned  was  given  up  to  the  State  authorities,  whose  demands 
were  supported  by  such  a  show  of  force  that  armed  resistance  was  out  of 
the  question.  Receipts  for  the  public  property  were  given  and  the  officers 
and  men  were  allowed  to  make  their  way,  by  certain  specified  routes,  out  of 
the  South.  Light  Battery  M  (Hunt)  was,  in  April,  i860,  sent  from  Kansas 
to  Fort  Brown,  Texas,  and  was  part  of  the  force  that  Twiggs  tried  some 
months  later  to  turn  over  to  the  South.  They  had  to  leave  their  horses, 
but  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the  State  by  way  of  the  Gulf  with  their 
guns,  in  spite  of  extraordinary  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  Texans  to  get 
possession  of  them. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  Captains  A.  Elzey  and  S.  S.  Anderson, 
ist  Lieutenants  A.  Merchant,  J.  A.  de  Lagnel,  and  A.  L.  Long,  and  2d  Lieu- 
tenants J.  P.  Jones,  W.  Butler,  and  St.  C.  Dearing  resigned  and  took  part  in 
the  rebellion.    Colonel  Payne,  who  was  a  Virginian,  also  resigned  in  1861. 


320  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

In  November  W.  W.  Morris  was  promoted  colonel  and  headquarters  were 
moved  to  Fort  McHenry,  where  they  remained  throughout  the  war.  There 
was  an  unusual  number  of  staff  officers  appointed  from  the  2d  in  1861,  and 
under  the  laws  then  in  force  they  retained  their  regimental  commissions. 
In  December,  1861,  for  instance,  there  were  nme  officers  of  the  Adjutant- 
General  s,  Quartermaster's  and  Subsistence  Departments  on  the  list  of  ist 
lieutenants.  Other  officers  were  absent  from  their  batteries  exercising 
higher  commands  in  the  artillery  service  or  in  the  volunteers.  Add  to  these 
the  number  absent  from  ordinary  causes  and  it  will  be  seen  that  officers 
available  for  duty  with  their  batteries  in  the  field  were  very  scarce.  Bat- 
teries were  generally  commanded  by  lieutenants  and  sometimes  not  an  offi- 
cer belonging  to  a  battery  was  present  with  it. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  regiment  it  served  as  infantry  ;  occasionally,  in 
the  Florida  War,  serving  light  field  pieces.  In  the  Mexican  War  the  foot 
batteries  served  as  infantry,  and  at  Vera  Cruz  and  Chapultepec  served  siege 
artillery.  In  the  Civil  War  all  the  batteries  in  active  service  were  mounted, 
and  all  those  serving  continuously  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  became 
horse  batteries.  The  armament  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  was  far  from 
uniform,  E  Battery,  for  instance,  at  the  first  Bull  Run  having  two  13  pdrs., 
two  12's,  and  two  6's.  During  the  winter  of  1861-62  the  artillery  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  was  thoroughly  organized  by  Gen.  W.  F.  Barry,  and 
when  the  army  started  for  the  Peninsula,  the  armament  of  each  battery  was 
uniform.  In  1864  the  horse  batteries  were  reduced  to  4  guns  each,  two 
3-inch  and  two  Napoleons. 

The  successive  Chiefs  of  Artillery  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  W.  F. 
Barry  and  H.J.  Hunt,  had  been  officers  of  the  2d  until  1861.  The  first 
commander  of  the  Horse  Artillery  Brigade,  Wm.  Hays,  his  successor,  J.  M. 
Robertson,  and  the  first  commander  of  the  2d  Horse  Artillery  Brigade, 
J.  C.  Tidball,  were  all  captains  of  the  2d.  When  all  the  horse  artillery  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was,  in  1864,  consolidated  into  one  brigade,  the 
command  was  given  to  Capt.  Robertson.  This  brigade  organization  was, 
however,  apparently  only  for  administrative  purposes,  batteries  being  de- 
tached for  duty  with  divisions  or  brigades  of  cavalry,  the  whole  brigade 
never  acting  together  as  a  fighting  unit  under  command  o"f  its  chief.  As 
there  was  no  semblance  of  regimental  organization,  except  on  paper,  during 
the  war,  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  each  battery  separately,  and  although 
their  services  were  conspicuous,  as  shown  by  reports  of  commanding  gen- 
erals, the  space  allowed  for  this  sketch  permits  little  more  than  a  mere 
enumeration  of  the  battles  in  which  they  took  part.  These  sketches  follow 
in  order. 

"A"  battery  was  the  first  to  reach  Washington,  arriving  in  January, 
1861.  It  formed  a  part  of  the  expedition  for  the  relief  of  Fort  Pickens  in 
April,  but  returned  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  first  Bull  Run.  In  Septem- 
ber it  was  made  a  horse  battery,  the  first  in  this  country.  In  the  spring  of 
1862  it  went  to  the  Penmsula,  forming,  with  B  and  L  (Robertson),  and  M. 
(Benson)  of  the  2d  and  C  (Gibson)  of  the  3d,  the  famous  Horse  Artillery 
Brigade.  At  Yorktown  during  the  siege  it  was  in  pursuit  with  Stoneman's 
cavalry  after  the  evacuation,  and  was  engaged  at  Williamsburg,  New  Bridge, 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.      321 

and  Mechanicsvillc.  Il  ccvcicd  ihe  withdrawal  of  the  army  from  the  left 
bank  of  the  Chickahominy.  being  engaged  at  Gaines'  Mill.  It  was  engaged 
at  Malvern  Hill,  July  i,  and  at  Westover,  July  3.  While  at  Harrison's 
Landing  a  corporal  died,  and  permission  to  fire  the  usual  salute  being  re- 
fused, it  occurred  to  Capt.  Tidball  to  have  "  taps  "  sounded  instead  ;  whence 
the  origin  of  this  custom.  The 'battery  was  with  the  rear  guard  on  the 
withdrawal  from  the  Peninsula.  In  the  Maryland  campaign  it  was  in  the 
advance  with  Pieasanton's  cavalry,  and  was  engaged  at  Boonsboro,  An- 
tietam,  and  Shepherdstown,  It  was  v/ith  the  cavalry  in  advance  during  the 
movement  into  Virginia,  and  was  engaged  at  Piedmont,  November  3,  and 
Amissville,  November  10.  The  battery  was  out  with  Averell's  cavalry  in 
April,  1S63,  and  was  engaged  at  Rapidan  Station,  May  i,  and  with  Pleasan- 
ton  at  Uppervilie,  June  20.  It  went  to  Gettysburg  with  Buford's  cavalry,  at 
which  battle  it  fired  the  first  shot,  and  after  that  battle  was  engaged  at 
Williamsport,  July  4,  Boonsboro,  July  8  and  9,  and  Funkstown,  July  10.  The 
battery,  during  September,  was  in  action  at  Culpeper,  Raccoon  Ford,  and 
Robinson  River.  In  the  campaign  of  1S64  the  battery  was  engaged  at  Cold 
Harbor,  Bottom's  Bridge,  Trevilian  Station,  and  St.  Mary's  Church.  While 
with  the  army  before  Petersburg  it  was  several  times  detached  on  expedi- 
tions with  the  cavalry,  being  engaged  at  Deep  Bottom,  July  28,  Lee's  Mill, 
July  31,  Deep  Run,  August  16,  Vaughn  Plank  Road,  September  29,  Boyd- 
ton  Plank  Road,  October  27,  Stoney  Creek,  December  i,and  on  the  Weldon 
Railroad,  December  7-1 1.  The  battery  was  engaged  at  Dinwiddle  C.  H., 
March  31,  Farmville,  April  7,  and  Appomatox,  April  9.  After  Lee's  sur- 
render it  started  for  North  Carolina  with  Sheridan,  returning  when  John- 
ston's surrender  was  known.  The  battery  was  commanded  by  Capt. 
Tidball  until  June,  1863  ;  by  Lieut.  Calef  at  Gettysburg;  by  Lieut.  Clarke 
until  June,  1864;  by  Lieut.  Dennison  until  February,  1865  ;  then,  until  after 
the  surrender,  by  Lieut.  Lord. 

B  Battery  left  Fort  Monroe  in  August,  1861,  on  the  Hatteras  expedition, 
and  took  part  in  the  capture  of  Forts  Hatteras  and  Clark.  Reaching  Wash- 
ington in  September,  it  was  consolidated  with  L  Battery,  and  early  in  1862 
was  made  a  horse  battery.  The  battery  went  with  the  army  to  the  Penin- 
sula. In  front  of  Yorktown  during  the  siege,  it  was  with  Stoneman's  cav- 
alry in  pursuit  after  the  evacuation.  In  this  campaign  the  battery  was 
engaged  at  Williamsburg,  Slatersville,  New  Bridge,  Mechanicsville,  Gaines' 
Mill,  and  Malvern  Hill.  In  the  Maryland  campaign  the  battery  was  with 
the  advance  on  leaving  Washington,  and  was  engaged  near  South  Mountain, 
at  Antietam,  and  at  Shepherdstown.  The  battery  was  in  action  at  Hall- 
town,  October  3,  and  at  Warrentown,  November  6,  and  was  opposite  Fred- 
ericksburg, but  not  engaged,  during  the  battle.  The  battery  took  part  in 
Stoneman's  raid  in  the  spring  of  1863,  and  was  engaged  at  Beverly  Ford 
June  9.  It  was  under  fire  at  Gettysburg,  but  was  not  engaged.  It  was  en- 
gaged at  Funkstown,  July  9,  Falling  Waters,  July  14,  Chester  Gap,  July  22, 
Culpeper,  August  i.  Brandy  Station,  August  4,  Morton's  Ford,  October  12, 
Brandy  Station,  October  13,  Oak  Hill,  October  15,  and  Bealton  Station 
October  26.  In  the  campaign  of  1864  the  battery  was  in  the  battle  of  Todd's 
Tavern  and  took  part  in   Sheridan's  raids  in  May  and  Junf    fighting  at 


322  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Yellow  Tavern,  Hanovertown,  and  Trevilian  Station.  It  was  also  engaged 
at  Deep  Bottom,  July  z8.  The  battery  went  to  the  Valley  in  August,  1864, 
and  was  engaged  at  Newtown,  Front  Royal,  Shepherdstown,  Winchester, 
Milford,  Waynesboro,  Bridgewater,  Cabin  Hill,  and  Cedar  Creek.  It  win- 
tered at  Pleasant  Valley  and  remained  there  until  it  left  for  Washington 
after  Lee's  surrender.  The  combined  tattery  was  commanded  by  Capt. 
Robertson  until  October,  1862;  by  Lieut.  Vincent  until  June,  1863;  by  Lieut. 
Heaton  until  August,  1864;  thereafter  by  Lieut.  Peirce. 

C  Battery  went  to  Dry  Tortugas  in  January,  1861,  and  to  Fort  Pickens 
in  September.  It  was  in  action  on  Santa  Rosa  Island,  October  9,  and  in 
the  bombardment  of  Fort  Pickens,  November  21  and  22,  and  January  i, 
1862.  It  went  to  Pensacola  in  May  and  to  New  Orleans  in  September.  In 
December  it  was  made  a  light  battery  and  was  sent  to  Baton  Rouge.  The 
battery  took  part  in  the  Southern  Louisiana  expedition  in  April,  1863,  and 
was  engaged  at  Irish  Bend,  April  14.  It  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Port 
Hudson.  After  serving  at  various  posts  in  the  Department  of  the  Gulf,  but 
not  actively  engaged,  it  reached  Washington  in  August,  1864,  and  remained 
in  that  vicinity  until  the  close  of  the  war.  The  battery  was  commanded  by 
Capt.  L.  G.  Arnold  until  March,  1S62,  thereafter  by  Lieut.  J.  I.  Rodgers. 

D  Battery,  after  being  obliged  to  leave  Fayetteville  Arsenal,  reached 
Washington,  was  made  a  light  battery,  and  participated  in  the  first  Bull 
Run.  In  the  Peninsular  campaign  it  took  part  in  the  capture  of  West 
Point,  and  was  in  the  battles  of  Gaines'  Mill,  Glendale,  and  Malvern  Hill. 
In  the  Maryland  campaign  it  was  engaged  at  Burkettsville  and  Antietam. 
It  was  in  the  battles  of  Fredericksburg  in  December,  and  Salem  Church 
in  May,  1863.  At  Gettysburg  it  was  under  fire  but  not  engaged.  After  this 
battle  it  was  detached  from  the  6th  Corps,  of  which  it  had  until  now  formed 
a  part,  made  a  horse  battery,  and  assigned  to  Robertson's  Horse  Artillery 
Brigade.  During  the  fall  of  1863  it  was  actively  employed  with  the  cavalry, 
being  in  action  at  Raccoon  Ford  and  Robinson  River  in  September,  Mor- 
ton's Ford  and  Liberty  in  October,  and  Muddy  Run  in  November.  In  the 
campaign  of  1864  the  battery  was  engaged  at  Todd's  Tavern,  and  partici- 
pated in  Sheridan's  raids  in  May  and  June,  being  engaged  at  Yellow  Tavern, 
Matadequin  Creek,  and  Trevilian  Station.  In  August,  1864,  the  battery  went 
to  the  Valley  with  Sheridan.  It  was  in  action  in  September  at  Milford  and 
Luray.  Returning  to  Pleasant  Valley,  it  remained  there  until  the  end  of 
the  war.  The  battery  was  commanded  at  the  first  Bull  Run  by  Capt. 
Arnold,  5th  Artillery;  in  the  Peninsula  by  Lieut.  Upton,  5th  Artillery; 
thereafter  by  Lieut.  Williston. 

E  Battery  reached  Washington  from  Augusta  Arsenal  in  February,  1861, 
was  made  a  light  battery,  and  took  part  in  the  first  Bull  Run.  It  went  with 
the  army  to  the  Peninsula,  and  having  heavy  guns  (six  20-pdrs.)  garrisoned 
a  battery  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown.  During  the  campaign  it  was  in  action 
at  New  Bridge,  Golding's  Farm,  Turkey  Bend,  and  Malvern  Hill.  It  was 
then  attached  to  the  9th  Corps,  and  was  engaged  at  the  second  Bull  Run 
and  Chantilly.  In  the  Maryland  campaign  it  was  in  the  battles  of  South 
Mountain  and  Antietam.  On  the  march  through  Virginia  it  was  engaged  at 
Warrenton  Springs,  November  18,  and  at  Fredericksburg  occupied  the  right 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF-  ARTILLERY.      323 

of  the  artillery  line  on  the  north  bank.  The  battery  was  sent  West  in  April, 
1863,  and  took  part  in  the  sieges  of  Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  Mississippi.  It 
was  sent  back  to  Kentucky  in  September,  and  to  Knoxville  in  October. 
The  battery  was  engaged  in  the  operations  around  Knoxville  in  November 
and  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  successful  defense,  against  a  greatly  su- 
perior force,  of  Fort  Sanders,  which  terminated  the  siege.  The  battery 
came  East  with  Burnside  in  April,  1864,  and  was  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilder- 
ness, after  which  the  battery  was  sent  to  Washington,  and  was  not  again  in 
active  service  during  the  war.  The  battery  was  commanded  until  August, 
1862,  by  Capt.  Carlisle,  and  during  the  rest  of  its  active  service  by  Lieut. 
Benjamin. 

F  Battery,  after  being  obliged  to  give  up  Little  Rock,  went  to  St.  Louis, 
was  made  alight  battery,  and  took  part  in  the  capture  of  Camp  Jackson 
and  in  the  operations  in  Missouri  under  Lyon  and  Pope.  It  was  engaged 
at  Booneville,  June  3,  and  Wilson's  Creek,  August  10,  1861,  and  in  the  cap- 
ture of  New  Madrid,  March,  1862.  The  battery  crossed  the  Mississippi  in 
April  and  was  engaged  at  Farmington  and  in  the  operations  around  Corinth 
in  May.  It  took  part  in  the  advance  on  luka  in  September  but  was  not  en- 
gaged, and  in  the  battle  of  Corinth,  October  4.  The  battery  was  engaged 
at  Town  Creek,  Alabama,  in  April,  1863,  and  was  then  sent  to  Memphis, 
where  it  remained  until  October.  The  battery  took  part  in  the  Atlanta 
campaign,  being  engaged  at  Resaca,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  and  Ruff's 
Mills.  During  the  battle  on  the  Chattahoochee,  July  22,  the  battery  was 
ordered  to  another  part  of  the  line.  In  obeying  the  order,  and  while  moving 
unsupported  through  a  wood,  the  entire  battery,  the  ofBcers,  and  part  of  the 
men  were  captured.  The  remnant  of  the  battery  served  a  4  1-2  inch  siege 
gun  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta.  The  battery  was  reorganized  and  sent  back  to 
Nashville,  being  in  position  during  the  battle.  The  battery  was  stationed 
thereafter  at  Nashville,  Bridgeport,  and  Chattanooga  until  August,  1865.  It 
was  commanded  by  Capt.  Totten  in  the  first  part  of  186 1,  by  Capt.  Molinard 
for  a  few  months  in  1863,  by  Lieut.  Murray  from  July,  1863,  until  July,  1864, 
and  the  rest  of  the  time  by  officers  not  belonging  to  the  regiment. 

G  Battery  reached  Washington  from  Mackinac  in  May,  i86i,was  made  a 
light  battery,  and  took  part  in  the  first  Bull  Run.  In  the  Peninsular  cam- 
paign it  was  attached  to  the  3d  Corps  and  was  in  the  battles  of  Glendale 
and  Malvern  Hill.  It  went  into  Maryland  with  Couch's  Division  but  was 
not  actively  engaged.  After  Antietam  the  battery  was  attached  to  the  6th 
Corps  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  in  December,  and  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Fredericksburg  and  Salem  Church,  May  3  and  4.  1863.  It  was  in 
action  on  the  Rappahannock,  June  15.  The  battery  reached  Gettysburg 
with  the  6th  Corps,  July  2,  but  was  not  actively  engaged.  After  this  battle 
it  was  made  a  horse  battery  and  assigned  to  Tidball's  Horse  Artillery  Bri- 
gade. Crossing  the  Potomac,  it  was  actively  employed  with  the  cavalry  in 
Virginia  in  the  fall  of  1863,  being  engaged  near  Culpeper,  September  13, 
and  near  the  same  place  November  8.  In  the  latter  action,  Lieut.  J.  H. 
Butler,  commanding  the  battery,  received  a  wound,  necessitating  amputation 
of  the  leg.  The  battery  was  in  action  at  Burnett's  Ford,  February  7,  1 864,  and 
at  Cold  Harbor,  May  31  and  June  i.  In  June  the  battery  was  dismounted  and 


324  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

sent  to  Washington,  having  no  more  active  service  during  the  war.  The 
battery  was  commanded  at  the  first  Bull  Run  by  Lieut.  O.  D.  Greene  ;  until 
March,  1862,  by  Capt.  Thompson;  until  November,  1863,  by  Lieut.  Butler; 
and  thereafter,  until  dismounted,  by  Lieut.  Dennison. 

H  Battery  reached  Washington  from  Leavenworth  in  February,  1861, 
and  arrived  at  Fort  Pickens  in  April.  It  was  in  action  on  Santa  Rosa 
Island,  October  9,  and  in  bombarding  enemy's  works  November  22,  1861, 
and  January  i.  1862.  The  battery  remained  at  Pickens  and  Barrancas  until 
May,  1864,  when  it  went  North,  and  was  thereafter  stationed,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  months  in  New  York  Harbor,  at  Fort  McHenry  until  the 
regiment  left  for  California.  The  battery  was  commanded  during  most  of 
the  war  by  Capt.  Larned. 

I  Battery  arrived  at  Fort  McHenry  from  Fort  Ridgeley  in  April,  1861, 
and  remamed  thereuntil  May,  1864,  when  it  went  to  Washington.  It  was 
engaged  in  the  defenses  of  Washington  July  11,  12,  and  13,  1864.  In  April, 
1865,  the  battery  v/ent  to  Alabama,  as  infantry,  and  to  Chattanooga  in  June, 
returning  East  in  August.  The  battery  was  commanded  by  various  offi- 
cers, generally  by  the  regimental  adjutant 

K  Battery  arrived  in  Washington  from  Plattsburgh  in  February,  1861,  and 
went  from  there  to  Fort  Pickens  in  April.  The  battery  was  engaged  in  the 
bombardment  of  November  22,  23,  and  24,  1861,  and  January  i,  1862.  The 
battery  remained  there  until  May,  1864,  when  it  went  to  Fort  Hamilton.  It 
went  to  Fort  McHenry  in  August,  and  remained  there  and  at  Fort  Federal 
Hill,  Baltimore,  until  the  regiment  went  to  California.  The  battery  was 
commanded  by  Capt.  Allen  until  1863,  then  by  Capt.  Smalley. 

H,  I  and  K  batteries  had  no  service  as  light  batteries  during  the  Re- 
bellion. 

L  Battery  went  from  Fort  Monroe  to  Washington  in  September,  1861, 
and  was  consolidated  with  B  Battery,  already  mentioned. 

M  Battery,  after  getting  out  of  Texas,  went  to  New  York  and  thence  to 
Fort  Pickens,  whence  it  returned  and  took  part,  as  a  light  battery,  in  the 
first  Bull  Run.  It  was  made  a  horse  battery  in  November  and  took  part  in 
the  Peninsular  campaign.  After  the  evacuation  of  Yorktown,  the  battery 
went  in  pursuit  with  the  cavalry,  being  engaged  at  Williainsburg  and  Han- 
over Court  House,  It  was  engaged  at  Malvern  Hill,  July  i  and  August  5, 
Captain  Benson  being  mortally  wounded  in  the  latter  battle.  In  the  Mary- 
land campaign  the  battery  was  in  advance  with  the  cavalry  and  was  en- 
gaged near  South  Mountain  and  at  Antietam.  It  was  in  pursuit  after  the 
battle,  fighting  at  Martinsburg,  October  i,  and  at  Nolan's  Ford,  October 
12,  after  making  a  march  of  80  miles  in  a  little  over  24  hours.  Crossing  the 
Potomac,  it  was  engaged  with  the  cavalry  during  November  at  Purcellville, 
Philomont,  Upperville,  Barbee's  Cross  Roads  and  Amissville.  At  Freder- 
icksburg the  battery  was  in  reserve.  The  battery  took  part  in  Stoneman's 
raid  in  the  spring  of  1863,  and  was  engaged  at  Beverly  Ford,  June  9.  In 
the  Gettysburg  campaign  the  battery  was  engaged  at  Hunterstown  and 
Hanover,  and  on  the  right  at  Gettysburg,  July  3.  After  the  battle  the  bat- 
tery was  in  pursuit,  fighting  at  Monterey,  Smithsburg,  Williamsport,  Boons- 
boro,  Hagerstown,  and   Falling  Waters,  and  at  Battle  Mountain,  Va.,  July 


THE  SECOND  REGIMEN T  OE  AR  TILLER  Y.      325 

24.  It  was  engaged  at  James  City,  Brandy  Station,  and  Buckland  Mills  in 
October,  and  at  Raccoon  and  Morton's  Fords  in  November.  In  the  cam- 
paign of  1864  the  battery  was  engaged  at  Craig's  Meeting  House,  May  5, 
and  at  Todd's  Tavern,  and  took  part  in  Sheridan's  raids  in  May  and  June, 
being  engaged  at  Meadow  Bridge,  Strawberry  Hill  and  Trevilian  Station. 
The  battery  went  to  the  Valley  in  August,  and  was  engaged  at  Summit 
Point  and  Kearneysville  in  August,  at  the  Opequan  in  September,  and  at 
Lacy's  Springs  in  December.  The  battery  wintered  at  Pleasant  Valley. 
One  section  remained  there  until  the  close  of  the  war.  The  rifle  section 
(Lieut.  WoodrufT)  left  in  February  with  Sheridan  to  join  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  and  was  engaged  at  Waynesboro,  Dinwiddle  Court  House,  Five 
Forks,  Namozine  Church,  Sailor's  Creek,  and  Appomatox.  The  battery 
was  commanded  at  the  first  Bull  Run,  by  Maj.  Hunt,  in  the  Peninsula  by 
Capt.  Benson  until  mortally  wounded  in  August,  until  September  by  Lieut. 
Hains,  until  September,  1S64,  by  Lieut.  Pennington,  and  thereafter  by 
Lieut.  Woodruff. 

The  following  officers  of  the  regiment  were  killed  during  the  war:  ist 
Lieut.  John  T.  Greble  at  Big  Bethel,  June  10,  1861.  2d  Lieut.  Presley  O. 
Craig  at  the  first  Bull  Run.  ist  Lieut.  Guilford  D.  Bailey,  Chief  of  Artillery 
of  Casey's  division,  at  Fair  Oaks,  May  31,  1862.  Capt.  Henry  Benson  died 
August  1 1  of  wound  received  August  5,  1S62,  at  Malvern  Hill.  2d  Lieut. 
Samuel  D.  Southworth  at  Cedar  Creek,  October  19,  1864.  2d  Lieut.  Thomas 
Burns  at  Hatcher's  Run,  October  28,  1864.  ist  Lieut  Albert  M.  Murray, 
captured  near  Atlanta,  July  22,  1864.  died  in  a  rebel  prison  three  weeks 
later. 

The  regiment  was  assembled  at  Fort  McHenry  in  August,  1865,  and 
sailed  from  there  for  California  via  the  Isthmus,  under  command  of  General 
W.  H.  French,  the  lieutenant-colonel.  Arriving  at  San  Francisco  in  Sep- 
tember the  batteries  were  at  first  distributed  among  the  posts  in  the  harbor, 
with  headquarters  at  the  Presidio.  In  October  two  batteries  (C  and  L) 
were  sent  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  and  one  (I)  to  San  Juan  Island, 
which,  pending  the  settlement  of  the  boundary  question,  was  occupied 
jointly  by  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

General  Morris  died  at  Fort  McHenry,  December  11,  1865,  and  W.  F. 
Barry  became  colonel.  General  Barry  remained  on  detached  service  in  the 
East  and  when  the  Artillery  School  was  started  again  he  was  assigned  to 
its  command,  which  he  retained  until  1877,  General  French  meanwhile  com- 
manding the  regiment. 

On  the  purchase  of  Alaska  from  Russia,  United  States  troops  were  sent 
there,  and  during  part  of  the  Pacific  Coast  tour  of  the  regiment  portions  of 
it  garrisoned  Sitka,  Kodiak,  Tongass,  Wrangell,  and  Kenai,  beside  furnish- 
ing detachments  to  enforce  the  seal  fishery  regulations  on  St.  Paul's  and  St. 
George's  Islands  in  Behring  Sea.  Batteries  C,  E,  F,  G,  H  and  I  had  Alaska 
service.  In  July,  1868,  Battery  F,  Lieut.  McGilvray,  while  seeking  a  suit- 
able site  for  a  post  on  Cook's  Inlet  was  shipwrecked.  All  the  property  and 
records,  but  no  lives,  were  lost.  Battery  K  was  sent  to  Fort  Monroe  in 
November,  1867.  In  the  spring  of  1869  an  order  was  issued  dismounting 
Battery  M  and  sending  Battery  A  to   Fort  Riley,  where  a  light  artillery 


S26  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

school  was  ordered  established.  Indian  troubles  prevented  the  plans  for  the 
school  from  being  carried  out,  the  batteries  were  called  upon  to  go  into  the 
field  as  cavalry,  and  in  May,  1871,  the  battery  was  sent  back  to  the  Presidio, 
Late  in  1872  the  regiment  (except  C  and  H,  which  followed  in  January, 
1873)  came  East.  Headquarters  and  A,  C  and  H  went  to  Fort  McHenry  ; 
B  to  Fort  Foote;  and  the  other  batteries  to  posts  in  North  Carolina.  De- 
tachments were  sent  out  from  time  to  time,  principally  from  F,  at  Morgan- 
ton,  after  moonshiners. 

In  July,  1876,  after  the  Custer  massacre,  C,  G  and  H  were  sent  to  Indian 
Territory  and  I,  to  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas.  In  September  D,  L  and  M  were 
sent  to  into  South  Carolina  for  duty  in  connection  with  the  approaching 
election.  The  unsettled  state  of  affairs  arising  from  this  election  resulted 
in  bringing  to  Washington  the  batteries  that  had  gone  West,  and  later 
the  batteries  from  the  Carolinas,  except  M,  which  was  left  at  Fort  Johns- 
ton. Batteries  A,  C.  D,  G,  I  and  L  took  part  in  the  inauguration  of  Presi- 
dent Hayes. 

The  whole  regiment  was  out  during  the  labor  riots  of  1877.  Batteries  C, 
D,  E,  F.  G,  H,  I  and  L,  and  a  detachment  of  A,  all  under  command  of  Gen- 
eral French,  arrived  at  Martinsburg  on  the  morning  of  July  19,  and  were 
occupied  for  the  next  month  along  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  open- 
ing the  road  for  traffic  and  protecting  property.  A  was  on  duty  at  Camden 
Station,  Baltimore,  for  a  few  days  in  July.  B,  K  and  M  were  sent  out  on 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  and  were  for  some  time  at  Pittsburgh.  In 
August,  the  troubles  on  the  railroads  being  over,  most  of  the  regiment  was 
brought  together  at  Fort  McHenry,  whence  a  battalion,  consisting  of  E,  F, 
G  and  L,  was  sent,  the  last  of  August,  to  reestablish  the  post  of  Carlisle 
Barracks.  After  remaining  there  three  weeks,  disturbances  having  occurred 
in  the  coal  regions,  they  were  sent  to  Wilkesbarre,  where  they  were  joined 
by  Battery  C  from  McHenry.  There  were  also  in  camp  there  most  of  the 
22d  Infantry,  five  batteries  of  the  5th  Artillery,  and  Sinclair's  light  battery 
of  the  3d.  In  October  all  the  batteries  of  the  regiment  were  again  at  their 
regular  stations. 

In  December,  trouble  with  Mexico  being  thought  probable,  the  four 
Carlisle  batteries  were  sent  to  San  Antonio,  Texas.  In  January,  1878,  L  was 
made  a  light  battery,  F  was  afterwards  made  a  machine-gun  battery,  and 
horses  and  Catlings,  but  not  a  full  equipment,  were  temporarily  issued  to  E 
and  G.  In  May  Battery  F,  part  with  guns  and  horses  and  part  as  infantry, 
and  a  platoon  of  Battery  L  went  to  Fort  Clark,  and  in  June  accompanied 
General  Mackenzie  on  his  expedition  into  Mexico.  Battery  I  having  been 
sent  from  Fort  Foote  to  Fort  Ontario,  the  regiment  was  now  scattered 
literally  from  the  Canadian  to  the  Mexican  border. 

General  Barry  died  at  Fort  McHenry,  July  18,  1879,  and  Lieut.-Colonel 
Romeyn  B.  Ayres,  3d  Artillery,  became  colonel. 

In  October,  1880,  Battery  L  was  dismounted  and  after  several  changes 
arrived  at  Fort  McHenry.  Battery  F  was  designated  a  regular  light  bat- 
tery in  November,  and  after  some  changes  of  station  finally  settled  at 
Leavenworth.  E  and  Gwent  to  Fort  Brown  in  December,  1879,  ^"d  a  year 
later  to  Arkansas.     In  Janua/y,  1881,  headquarters  went  to  Washington 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.      327 

Barracks,  where  one  or  more  batteries  had  been  stationed  since  1877.  This 
became  a  five-battery  post,  and  three  batteries  were  left  at  McHenry,  Forts 
Foote,  Ontario,  and  Johnston,  no  longer  being  garrisoned  by  the  regiment. 

After  the  shooting  of  President  Garfield  in  July,  1881,  the  regiment  fur- 
nished guards  at  the  White  House  until  aftea-  the  removal  of  the  President 
to  Elberon  in  September,  and  at  the  jail  until  after  the  execution  of  Guiteau. 
In  September  a  detachment  under  Lieut.  Weaver  accompanied  the  Presi- 
dent's remains  to  Ohio. 

In  June,  1S85.  the  regiment  was  ordered  South,  exchanging  with  the  3d. 
Headquarters,  G  and  L  went  to  St.  Augustine,  and  B  and  H  to  Fort  Bar- 
rancas, Florida  ;  C  and  D  to  Mt.  Vernon  Barracks,  Alabama  ;  I  and  M  to 
Jackson  Barracks,  Louisiana  ;  A  joined  E  at  Little  Rock  Barracks,  Arkan- 
sas. In  the  summer  of  1888  yellow  fever  was  prevalent  in  the  South  and 
the  garrisons  of  St.  Augustine  and  Barrancas  went  into  camp  near  Hunts- 
ville,  Alabama.  K  and  M  from  Jackson  Barracks  (Battery  I  having  re- 
placed K  at  Fort  Monroe)  were  sent  in  September  to  Fort  Wadsworth,  New 
York  Harbor,  by  sea,  and  were  replaced  in  December  by  Battery  E  from 
Little  Rock. 

General  Ayres  died  December  4,  1888,  in  the  village  of  Fort  Hamilton 
and  Lieut. -Colonel  John  Mendenhall,  4th  Artillery,  became  colonel. 

In  May,  1889,  the  regiment  came  to  the  New  England  coast,  exchanging 
with  the  4th.  Headquarters,  C,  G  and  H  went  to  Fort  Adams  ;  E  to  Fort 
Preble  ;  B  and  D  to  Fort  Warren  ;  L  to  Fort  Trumbull.  A  went  from  Lit- 
tle Rock  to  Fort  Riley,  marching  through  Arkansas  and  Indian  Territory. 
In  May,  1890,  K  and  M  were  transferred  from  Wadsworth  to  Fort  Schuyler, 
and  in  November,  1891,  Light  Battery  F  changed  from  Leavenworth  to  Fort 
Riley.  In  April,  1892,  the  Schuyler  garrison  was  changed,  K  and  L,  and 
H  and  M,  interchanging  stations. 

Colonel  Mendenhall  died  at  Fort  Adams  July  i,  1892,  and  Lieut. -Colonel 
Richard  Lodor,  ist  Artillery,  became  colonel. 

The  whole  regiment,  since  its  organization  in  1821,  has  been  together  but 
twice, — in  1838  and  in  1865,  and  then  only  for  a  short  time,  and  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  there  is  no  prospect  of  its  soon  being  together  again.  At 
present,  besides  furnishing  garrisons  for  five  posts,  it  has  batteries  at  two 
other  posts,  and  the  same  has  been  true  for  the  past  eight  years. 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY. 

By  LIEUT.  WM.  E.  BIRKHIMER,  Adjutant  3D  U.  S.  Artillery. 

I.    ORGANIZATION. 

THE  history  of  the  Third  United  States  Artillery  dates  from  the  reor- 
ganization of  the  army  pursuant  to  Act  of  Congress,  March  2,  1821, 
This  act  reduced  the   military  establishment,  and  fixed  the  line  at 
four  regiments  of  artillery  and  seven  of  infantry.     It  marks  an  im- 
portant epoch  in  the  history  of  the  army. 

It  is  true  that,  prior  to  this,  there  had  periodically  existed  in  the  United 
States  army  a  third  regiment  of  artillery.  There  was  one  during  the  Revolu- 
tion ;  it  was  organized  originally  in  1775  by  Colonel  Richard  Gridley,  of  Mass- 
achusetts, a  half-pay  British  officer,  the  command  soon  passing  to  Henry  Knox 
and  finally  to  John  Crane.  Although  numbered  third  it  was  in  fact  the  oldest 
of  the  four  continental  artillery  regiments.  It  began  its  career  before  and 
lasted  longer  than  any  other.  Crane  ranked  all  the  other  artillery  colonels 
and,  when  the  artillery  was  consolidated  in  1783,  he  was  given  command  by 
General  Washington,  Excepting  one  company,  the  revolutionary  artillery  : 
was  soon  after  disbanded. 

The  reorganizing  Act  c,  March  16,  1802,  provided  for  one  regiment  of 
artillerists.  The  Act  of  January  11,  1812,  authorized  two  regiments  of  artil- 
lery. The  primary  object  was  to  utilize  these  regiments  as  sea-coast  defend- 
ers ;  a  light  artillery  regiment,  to  move  with  armies  in  the  field,  having  been 
authorized,  for  a  limited  time,  by  the  Act  of  April  12,  1808.  The  three  sea- 
coast  regiments  were,  in  so  far  as  promotions  and  other  details  of  service 
were  concerned,  kept  as  distinct  as  though  they  had  belonged  to  three  dif- 
ferent arms  ;  nevertheless,  officially,  they  were  designated  the  first,  second 
and  third  regiments  of  artillery.  Alexander  Macomb,  afterwards  General-in- 
chief  of  the  army,  was  colonel  of  the  Third  Regiment,  which  enjoyed  a  brief, 
though  highly  distinguished  career,  serving,  like  its  revolutionary  predeces- 
sor, from  first  to  last  in  the  face  of  the  enemy.  But  the  heavy  artillery,  in 
the  War  of  1812,  principally  did  duty  as  infantry,  taking  its  place  in  the 
works  on  the  sea-coast  or  in  line  of  battle  on  the  field,  as  occasion  de- 
manded. Pursuant  to  Act  March  30,  1814,  this  arm  was  reorganized  into  a 
so-called  corps,  and  here  the  new  Third  Artillery  disappeared. 

It  thus  will  be  seen  that,  if  the  hiatuses  from  1783  to  1812,  and  from  1814 
to  1821  be  bridged,  the  Third  Artillery  legally  may  trace  its  history  to  1775, 
when  the  Colonial  army  first  confronted  the  British  at  Boston.  The  regi- 
ment does  not,  however,  claim  the  right  to  do  this.  It  does  not  seek  thus 
to  span  two  such  periods  in  an  hypothetical  existence.  But  should  the  hal- 
cyon days  come  in  which  the  War  Department  sanctions  uniting  the  pre- 
historic with  the  present,  the  regiment's  genealogical  tree  will  be  found 
planted  near  the  source  of  the  stream. 

328 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY-        329 

The  army  had  been  reduced  in  181  5,  after  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  to 
10,000  men,  and  the  Act  of  1821  still  further  reduced  it  to  5600  enlisted. 
The  reorganization  consequent  upon  the  latter  reduction  was  based  upon 
no  well  considered  military  principle.  Alleged  economic  reasons  alone 
prompted  the  measure.  The  new  artillery,  however,  had  some  features 
worthy  of  notice.  The  Ordnance  Department — previously  a  corps  of  me- 
chanics— was  now  merged  in  that  arm,  and  a  supernumerary  captain 
attached  to  each  artillery  regiment  also,  assisted  by  detailed  artillery  lieuten- 
ants, was  to  perform  ordnance  duty.  It  was  further  provided  that  one  com- 
pany in  each  artillery  regiment  should  be  designated  and  equipped  as  light 
artillery.  Although  the  language  of  the  law  was  mandatory,  this  feature 
long  remained  a  dead  letter  on  the  statute-book.  The  companies  so  desig- 
nated continued  to  carry  muskets  and  serve  as  infantry  or  sea-coast  artillery 
for  many  years  ;  their  only  distinction  being  some  slight  differences  of  uni- 
form, and  the  fact  that  their  field-music  consisted  of  bugles  instead  of  the 
fife  and  drum.  In  later  years,  under  the  able  and  enlightened  administra- 
tion of  Secretary  of  War  Poinsett,  this  provision  of  the  law  was  given  ef- 
fect, and,  as  the  event  has  proved,  to  the  imperishable  glory  not  only  of  the 
artillery  but  of  the  army. 

Prior  to  the  reorganization  of  1821  the  artillery  embraced  the  light  regi- 
ment and  the  corps  ;  the  former  of  10  companies,  the  latter  of  32  arranged  to 
8  equal  battalions,  in  all  42  companies — 3860  enlisted  men.  The  four  new 
artillery  regiments  numbered  36  companies — 9  each — a  total  reduction  of  6 
companies,  but  of  1872  enlisted  men — nearly  50  per  cent.  Before  this  re- 
duction there  were  in  the  artilkry  i  colonel,  10  other  field,  and  190  company 
officers— or  i  officer  to  19.2  men  ;  afterwards,  4  colonels,  8  other  field,  and 
190  company  officers,  or  i  officer  to  lo.r  men.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  the 
skeleton  regular  peace  establishment  plan— many  officers  and  few  men,  to 
expand  in  time  of  war — was  put  in  operation  ;  a  veritable  military  ignis 
fattens  which,  as  to  the  regular  army,  in  practice,  has  never  materialized. 

After  the  reduction  of  181 5  the  8  artillery-corps  battalions — 4  companies 
to  each — were  arranged  with  strict  impartiality  to  the  geographical  military 
divisions.  In  each  division  the  artillery  companies  were  lettered  from  A 
to  O  inclusive,  excluding  J  ;  4  companies,  numbered  from  i  to  4  inclusive, 
constituting  a  battalion.  The  companies  of  the  disbanded  artillery  or- 
ganizations which  were  arranged  to  form  the  present  Third  Artillery  pursu- 
ant to  the  Act  of  1 82 1  were  as  follows : 

Letters  of  3d.    Former  designation.  Letters  of  3d.  Former  designation. 

A. .  .  .E  3d  Battalion  Northern   Division.  F  . . .  .E  ist  Battalion  Southern  Division. 

B  . . .  .B  2d  Battalion  Southern  Division.  G^.  . .  .P  2d  Battalion  Southern  Division. 

C  . . .  .F  3d  Battalion   Northern  Division.  H. . .  .F  Light  Artillery. 

D   . .  .K  2d  Battalion  Southern  Division.       I O  2d  Battalion  Southern  Division. 

E I  Lt.  Art.  and  Q  ist.  Bat.  So.  Div. 

The  staff  embraced  i  colonel,  lieutenant-colonel,  major,  adjutant,  ser- 
geant-major and  quartermaster-sergeant  each,  the  adjutant  being  a  company 
officer.  This  organization  remained  intact  until  the  Act  of  April  5,  1S32, 
took  away  the  supernumerary  captain  for  ordnance  duty,  while  organizing 


330 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


the  Ordnance  Department  anew,  although  artillery  lieutenants  continued  to 
be  detailable  under  the  Act  of  1821  for  duty  therein. 

There  was  here  perpetuated  in  the  artillery,  as  a  permanent  part  of  its 
organization,  a  feature  that  always  did  and  always  will  prove  a  curse, 
namely,  giving  each  company  a  double-row  of  both  first  and  second  lieu- 
tenants. This  as  to  first  lieutenants  has  remained  unchanged,  as  to  second 
leutenants  it  now  is  simply  authorized.  No  army  is  wisely  organized  which 
does  not,  by  the  ordinary  casualties  of  service,  furnish  the  officers  a  reasonable 
chance  of  promotion.  The  corps  as  organized  in  18 14  had  the  same  fault. 
In  both  cases  it  was  expected  that  the  extra  lieutenants  would  be  available  for 
ordnance  or  other  kindred  duties  directly  in  the  line  of  the  artilleryman. 
The  trouble  was  and  has  continued  to  be  that,  when  the  ordnance  depart- 
ment was  reorganized  in  1832  and  1838,  these  extra  lieutenants  were  not 
placed  therein  and  cut  off  from  the  regimental  organizations. 

It  was  a  fundamental  error  to  unite  the  light  and  heavy  artillery  as  was 
done  in  1821.  The  duties  of  these  two  branches  of  the  arm  are  so  dissimi- 
lar that,  to  be  most  efficiently  performed,  their  organizations  must  be  radi- 
cally different. 

It  would  naturally  result  that,  in  a  regiment  with  three  field  officers  to 
nine  companies,  and  four  lieutenants  to  each  captain,  promotion,  unless 
stimulated  by  a  bloody  war  or  sickly  season,  would  soon  come  to  a  stand- 
still. For  a  time  after  1821  stagnation  in  promotion  was  even  worse  in  the 
lower  branches  of  the  artillery  than  it  is  now.  In  greater  or  less  degree  the 
same  stagnation  affected  the  other  arms  of  service,  but  not  to  the  same  ex- 
tent as  the  artillery.  To  such  a  pitch  did  the  evil  attain  that  in  January,  1836, 
sixty-nine  graduates  were  attached  to  the  army  as  brevet  second  lieutenants. 
Plainly  the  supply  was  greater  than  the  demand.  As  a  natural  result  of 
this  state  of  affairs  again,  officers  began  to  turn  from  a  profession  which 
furnished  so  little  hope  of  advancement.  During  the  same  year  117  officers 
resigned,  and  seven  others,  including  a  lieutenant-colonel,  declined  commis- 
sions. Among  those  who  left  the  Third  Artillery  at  this  time  was  Lieuten- 
ant George  G.  Meade,  the  future  victor  at  Gettysburg. 

This  extraordinary  exodus  of  the  best  young  officers  in  service  attracted 
the  serious  attention  of  Congress.  It  was  seen  that  the  attempt  to  main- 
tain a  cheap  army,  when  all  avenues  to  promotion  were  practically  closed  to 
officers  of  subordinate  grades,  was  a  failure.  So-called  economy  had  over- 
reached Itself.  About  this  time  the  Florida  war  was  precipitated  and  for  years 
dragged  its  slow  length  along  amidst  miasmic  swamps  more  fatal  than  the 
weapons  of  the  concealed  and  savage  foe.  Regimental  officers  were  all 
required  in  the  field,  where  death  by  the  enemy's  bullet  or  sickness  greatly 
and  rapidly  depleted  their  numbers.  The  occasion  was  considered  propitious 
for  a  general  rectification  all  along  the  line  !  this  was  particularly  the  case 
with  the  staff,  which  then,  as  since,  found  the  hey-day  of  their  happiness 
when  the  regiments  were  fighting  the  enemy  in  the  field,  and  which  staff,  by 
Act  of  July  5,  1838,  was  very  largely  augmented.  The  artillery  was  at  the 
same  time  increased  by  one  company— K—m  each  regiment,  while  the  num- 
ber of  privates  per  company  was  temporarily  increased  by  16,  bringing  the 
number  up  to  58,  and  the  number  of  company  second  lieutenants  reduced  to 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        331 

one,  the  surplus  officers  being  absorbed  gradually  either  in  the  new  staff 
or  in  their  regiments.  But  in  truth  the  great  number  of  resignations, 
together  with  the  Florida  war,  had  so  reduced  the  army  that  there  were 
very  few  to  be  thus  absorbed.  The  increase  of  16  men  per  company  was 
only  for  the  Florida  war,  which  virtually  terminated  in  1842,  when,  by  Act 
of  August  23d,  that  year,  the  number  of  privates  was  reduced  to  the  same 
number,  and  the  artificers  to  one  less  per  company,  than  fixed  by  the  Act 
of  March  2,  1S21. 

The  Mexican  War,  soon  after  precipitated,  wrought  a  very  considerable. 
and,  contrary  to  expectation  at  the  time,  permanent  change  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  artillery.  The  expansive  idea  for  the  regular  army  was  now 
attempted  to  be  acted  upon,  and  the  President,  by  Act  May  13,  1846, 
was  authorized  to  increase  the  number  of  privates  to  100  in  each  company 
and  at  discretion  reduce  it  again  to  64;  the  Act  February  11,  1847, 
added  a  second  major  and  a  quartermaster,  the  Act  March  3,  1847,  gave  two 
principal  musicians  and  one  principal  teamster  to  each  regiment,  two 
teamsters  to  each  company,  two  additional  companies  to  each  artillery  regi- 
ment, authorized  the  equipping  another  company  in  each  as  light  artillery, 
and  gave  all  the  latter  mounted  pay.  These  acts  were  therefore  important 
for  the  artillery.  All  this  was  not  without  reason ;  and  the  immediate 
reason  was  the  approved  fighting  qualities  of  the  artillery  on  the  Rio 
Grande  and  in  Mexico.  The  country  wanted  more  troops  of  that  kind.  The 
increase  was,  however,  intended  to  be  temporary  only,  except  the  addi- 
tional two  companies.  The  extra  majors  were  wanted  for  recruiting  duty. 
The  regimental  quartermaster,  and  the  teamsters,  regimental  and  company, 
were  authorized  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Ouarterma>ter-General, 
after  reports  by  General  Taylor  of  the  inefficiency  of  that  department  in  the 
field.  The  quartermaster,  not  being  an  extra  officer,  was  not  afifected  by 
the  clause  providing  for  disbandment  after  the  war;  the  majors  were  retained 
permanently,  and  the  principal  musicians  temporarily,  by  Act  July  19,  1848, 
but  the  teamsters  disappeared  with  the  war. 

The  only  other  act,  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  affecting  the  artillery,  was  that 
of  June  17,  1850,  which  fixed  the  number  of  privates  in  a  light  company  at 
64,  but  authorized  the  President  to  increase  the  number  of  privates  in  any 
company  under  certain  circumstances,  to  74  at  the  expense  of  other  com- 
panies. 

The  organization  of  the  Third  Artillery,  like  that  of  all  the  four  old  regi- 
ments, remained  unchanged  until  after  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  when  by 
Act  of  July  28,  1866,  it  wasgiven,  with  slight  modification,  the  same  organi- 
zation as  the  Fifth  Artillery,  organized  by  Act  July  29, 1861.  The  effect  was 
to  increase  the  number  of  majors  by  one,  to  make  the  adjutant,  the  quarter- 
master and  commissary  extra  lieutenants,  increase  the  regimental  non-com- 
missioned staff  by  I  commissary  sergeant,  2  principal  musicians  and  i  hospital 
steward,  and  the  battery  by  i  sergeant,  4  corporals  and  a  number  of  privates  to 
raise  the  whole  number  to  not  exceed  122  at  the  discretion  of  the  President, 
who  was  also  authorized  to  add  to  each  battery  i  first  and  i  second  lieutenant, 
2  sergeants  and  4  corporals — battery  being  the  new  legal  designation  for  the 
old  company.  The  Act  of  March  3,  1869,  added  a  chief  musician,  while  that  of 


2,Z^  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

July  15.  1870,  abolished  the  grade  of  regimental  commissary  sergeant  and 
hospital  steward,  and  reduced  the  number  of  corporals  per  battery  to  four. 
Under  the  operation  of  these  laws,  therefore,  the  maximum  organization  of 
a  regiment  of  artillery  at  this  time  is:  i  colonel,  i  lieut-colonel.  3 majors, 
I  adjutant,  i  quartermaster  and  commissary,  i  sergeant-major,  i  quarter- 
master-sergeant, I  chief  musician,  2  principal  musicians,  and  12  batteries, 
each  battery  i  captain,  2  first  and  2  second  lieutenants,  ist  sergeant,  i  quarter- 
master-sergeant, 8  sergeants,  4  corporals,  2  musicians,  2  artificers,  i  wagoner, 
and  not  to  exceed  122  privates.  Such  remains  the  organization  of  the  artil- 
lery regiments  to-day.  The  vicious  feature  is  the  retention  of  4  lieutenants 
to  I  captain.  This  is  simply  annihilation  to  the  ambition  of  younger  officers, 
who  in  consequence  labor  under  disadvantages  which  do  not,  to  anything 
like  an  equal  degree,  affect  any  other  part  of  the  army. 

The  Fifth  was  organized  as  a  light  artillery  regiment.  But  its  organiza- 
tion was  a  mistake,  if  it  was  to  be  maintained  after  peace,  as,  though  the  act 
authorizing  it  did  not  so  contemplate,  was  actually  the  case.  From  1821  and 
before  then,  this  excessive  number  of  subaltern  artillery  officers  relatively  to 
others,  has  proved  detrimental  in  the  matter  of  promotion  ;  and  yet  no 
other  branch  of  service,  tested  by  the  demands  of  actual  warfare,  has  furn- 
ished a  greater  number  of  distinguished  commanders. 

II.    PERSONNEL. 

The  officers  arranged  to  the  Third  Artillery  in  1821,  were  a  distinguished 
body  of  men.  Colonel  W.  K.  Armistead,  a  soldier  of  twenty  years  service, 
was  transferred  from  the  position  of  chief  of  Engineers  to  make  way  for 
Macomb,  razeed  from  brigadier.  The  other  field  officers,  Mitchell  and 
Bankhead,  were  veterans  of  the  War  of  1812  ;  the  former  soon  resigned, 
serving  afterwards  in  Congress  ;  the  latter,  as  colonel  of  the  Second  Artillery, 
lived  to  distinguish  himself  again  in  the  war  with  Mexico. 

Of  the  captains,  Roger  Jones,  Samuel  B.  Archer  and  Felix  Ansart  had 
been  brevetted  for  gallant  conduct  in  battle.  The  former  was  afterwards 
for  many  years  Adjutant-General,  and  Archer  Inspector-General  of  the  army. 
Captain  Henry  Knox  Craig  became  chief  of  ordnance,  while  ist  Lieutenant 
John  A.  Dix,  the  distinguished  Union  general,  and  2d  Lieutenant  Samuel 
Ringgold,  who  subsequently  commanded  and  fought  with  the  first  company 
of  horse  artillery  equipped  in  the  United  States  Army,  were  among  the  sub- 
alterns. 

It  would  be  an  interesting  and  grateful  task  to  trace  the  honorable 
careers  of  officers  whose  names  from  time  to  time  have  graced  the  rolls  of 
the  Third  Artillery.  Space,  however,  will  permit  us  here  to  recall  but  a  few. 
The  oldest  living  graduate,  Mr.  Wm.  C.  Young  of  New  York  City,  whose 
labors  have  done  so  much  to  develop  the  railroad  system  of  the  country,  was  a 
2d  lieutenant  in  1 823  ;  George  S.  Greene,  the  gallant  old  soldier  who,  though 
threescore  years  of  age,  left  the  position  of  chief  engineer  Croton  Water  Works, 
when  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  and  served  with  highest  honors  as  colonel  and 
general  officer,  joined  the  Third  Artillery  as  lieutenant  in  1823;  Robert  P.  Par- 
rott,  so  well  and  favorably  known  to  the  world  through  his  invaluable  services 
to  the  Union  cause  by  a  new  system  of  ordnance,  was  a  lieutenant  from  1824 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        333 

101836;  so  also  from  1825  to  1832,  was  Benjamin  Huger.  subsequently  a 
major-general  in  the  Confederate  service  ;  Albert  E.  Church,  the  honored 
West  Point  Professor  of  Mathematics,  served  from  1828  to  1838;  Robert 
Anderson,  the  hero  of  Ft.  Sumter,  was  an  of!icerof  the  regiment  for  thirty- 
two  years,  from  iS25to  1857;  Erasmus  D.  Keyes,  afterwards  a  major-general 
of  volunteers,  from  1832  to  1858  ;  George  G.  Meade  from  his  entry  into  ser- 
vice until  he  resigned  as  before  mentioned.  Thomas  W.  Sherman  contin- 
uously from  1836  to  1 86 1,  and  again  from  1S63  to  1S70  as  colonel  ;  Braxton 
Bragg,  afterwards  lieutenant-general  in  the  Confederate  service,  from  1837 
to  1856;  William  T.  Sherman  from  1840  to  1850;  Stewart  Van  Vliet  from 
1840  to  1847  ;  Jubal  A.  Early,  the  Confederate  lieutenant-general,  from  1837 
until  he  resigned  ;  George  H.  Thomasfrom  1840 to  1855  ;  John  F.  Reynolds, 
who  was  killed  while  commanding  his  corps  on  the  first  day  at  Gettysburg, 
from  1841  to  1861  ;  E.  O.  C.  Ord  from  i839to  1861  ;  Samuel  G.  Field,  after- 
wards a  Confederate  major-general,  from  1843  to  1848  ;  A.  E.  Burnside  from 
1847  to  1853  ;  Romeyn  B.  Ayres  from  1847  to  1861,  and  as  lieutenant-colonel 
from  1870  to  1879;  Beekman  Du  Barry,  subsequently  commissary  general, 
from  1S50  to  1861  ;  Henry  J.  Hunt,  the  distinguished  chief  of  artillery,  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment  from  1863  to  1869, 
and  George  W.  Getty  colonel  from  1870  to  1883;  besides  many  others, 
whose  services  with  the  regiment,  though  rendered  in  less  conspicuous  sta- 
tions, have,  as  hereafter  will  more  fully  appear,  been  none  the  less  faithful 
or  honorable.  The  Army  Register  for  1866,  the  first  issued  after  the  close 
of  the  Civil  War,  sets  forth  the  proud  record  of  the  Third  Artillery.  The 
lieutenant-general,  2  major-,  and  i  brigadier-generals  of  the  17  general  officers 
of  the  fighting  part  of  the  army — nearly  one-fourth — served  their  novitiate 
and  received  their  first  practical  lessons  in  the  military  art  in  the  commis- 
sioned ranks  of  the  regiment.  Moreover,  not  one  of  these  generals  was  a 
mere  political  appointment.  Not  one  of  them  was  made  a  general  officer 
for  what  he  was  expected  to  do,  but  for  what  he  had  done. 

III.    SERVICES. 

From  1821  to  1S27  the  Third  Artillery  occupied  the  central  Atlantic  sta- 
tions from  Annapolis,  Md.,  to  Charleston,  S.  C.  This  was  a  season  of  quiet. 
The  arm  was  not,  however,  professionally  inactive.  In  1824  "the  artil- 
lery corps  of  instruction  "  was  established  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Va., — the 
forerunner  of  the  present  school  there — and  maintained  until  broken  up  by 
the  demands  of  the  Florida  War  for  troops. 

In  1827  the  stations  of  the  Third  were  changed  to  the  New  England 
coast,  headquarters.  Ft.  Independence,  Massachusetts.  Existence  was  tran- 
quil, duties  merely  routine.  The  early  thirties,  however,  brought  more  ex- 
citement. In  1831,  B,  E,  H,  took  station  at  Fortress  Monroe,  whence,  next 
year,  B  and  H  were  sent  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  to  put  down  the  nullification- 
ists ;  proceeding  thence  to  the  disturbed  Seminole  and  Creek  Indian  dis- 
tricts of  Florida  and  Alabama.  When  the  Florida  War  broke  out  C  and  I 
were  also  in  the  hostile  country.  This  was  precipitated  by  a  tragic  event — 
familiarly  known  as  Dade's  massacre.  On  December  28,  1835,  Brevet  Major 
and  Captain  Francis  L.  Dade,  4th  Infantry,  with  one  company  of  the  Second 


334  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

and  B  of  the  Third,  was  ambushed  near  the  crossing  of  the  Withlacoochee 
River,  Florida,  and  all  but  4  privates  killed,  one  of  whom  belonged  to  B. 
Captain  Upton  S.  Eraser,  2d  Lieut.  R.  R.  Mudge,  Brevet  2d  Lieut.  John  L. 
Keais,  and  thirty-one  enlisted  men  of  the  Third  fell  on  the  field. 

Upon  receipt  of  this  intelligence,  the  steps  of  the  whole  regiment  were 
at  once  bent  towards  the  theatre  of  hostilities — where  A,  D,  E,  F,  G  arrived 
in  June,  1836.  Meanwhile  the  companies  in  Florida  were  actively  engaged. 
On  December  31,  1835,  C,  H  were  with  General  Clinch  when  he  defeated 
the  Seminoles  near  Withlacoochee  ford.  On  March  29,  1836,  C,  H,  I,  part 
of  the  force  under  General  Clinch,  were  again  engaged  near  the  Withlacoo- 
chee. The  same  companies  met  the  Indians  again  on  June  9  and  19,  1836, 
the  former  near  Macinope,  the  latter  between  that  place  and  Ft.  Drane. 
Later  in  the  year,  A,  C,  H,  I  encountered  the  Indians  at  Ft.  Drane,  August 
2 1  St;  on  the  Withlacoochee  River,  October  13th  ;  and  in  the  Wahoo  swamp, 
on  November  2 1 , 1 836.  At  this  time  the  other  companies  of  the  regiment,  ex- 
cept B,  were  in  Alabama  assisting  to  overawe  the  Creeks.  B,  after  its  an- 
nihilation, was  reorganized  in  Massachusetts,  and  joined  the  regiment  in 
the  field  in  January,  1837,  being  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  Camp  Munroe, 
Fla.,  February  8th,  following. 

During  1837  all  the  companies  were  actively  employed  against  the  enemy, 
driving  them  from  one  fastness  to  another,  yet  rarely  seeing  them.  The 
service  was  distressing  beyond  description.  It  was  almost  impossible  to 
bring  the  Indians  to  bay  except  they  wished  it.  Besides,  the  bullets  of  a 
concealed  savage  foe  were  less  destructive  to  life  than  the  reptiles  abound- 
ing and  diseases  contracted  under  a  vertical  sun  in  the  almost  boundless 
and  impenetrable  swamps.  The  year  1837  was  the  season  of  General  Jes- 
up's  advent  upon  the  theatre  of  operations.  It  were  tedious  and  unprofitable 
to  follow  the  companies  of  the  Third  in  all  their  wanderings  through  the 
everglades.  Suffice  it  to  say  they  were  constantly  on  the  move,  drawing 
tighter  the  cordon  about  the  Indians  who  gradually  were  being  made  pris- 
oners or  exterminated.  All  the  companies  were  in  the  field,  traversing  the 
hostile  district  in  every  direction.  In  May,  1837,  C  was  mounted,  and  with 
B,  4th  Artillery,  performed  the  duty  of  scouts  until  the  12th  of  the  following 
December  when  the  horses  were  turned  in. 

The  termination  of  this  year  was  signalized  by  an  event  of  great  interest 
to  the  regiment.  For  the  first  time  since  its  organization  all  the  compa- 
nies were  united  ;  they  were  mustered  together  December  31,  1837,  at  Fort 
Christmas,  Florida. 

The  next  day  the  regiment,  under  Lieut.-Colonel  Gates,  marched,  in 
Brevet  Brigadier  Eustis'  brigade,  against  the  hostiles,  who  were  defeated, 
January  24th,  at  the  Locheehatchie.  The  Indians  -were  now  coming  in  rap- 
idly. But  the  Cherokees,  in  the  northern  part  of  Georgia,  were  now  to  be 
removed  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  troops  were  needed  to  start  them. 
Accordingly,  in  April,  1838,  A,  F,  H,  I,  under  Lieut.-Colonel  Gates,  fol- 
lowed. May  7th,  by  D,  C,  E,  G,  under  Brevet  Major  McClintock,  4th  Artil- 
lery, and  later  by  B,  marched  across  the  peninsula  from  Fort  Jupiter  to 
Tampa  Bay,  and  proceeded  via  New  Orleans  and  Tuscumbia,  Ala.,  to 
Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  where  the  regiment  was  again,  and,  so  far  as  known,  for 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  Ol'  ARTILLERY.        335 

the  last  time  united  ;  for,  although  K  was  authorized  at  this  time,  it  was  not 
yet  organized.  Here  the  Third  remained,  camped  on  the  sites  of  subse- 
quent famous  battle-fields,  until  the  Cherokees  started  west,  when  it  re- 
turned, piecemeal,  via  Augusta,  Georgia,  to  the  theatre  of  active  opera- 
tions in  Florida.  On  November  19,  1838,  C  was  broken  up,  the  men 
transferred  to  other  companies,  and  the  lieutenants  ordered  to  Carlisle,  Pa., 
where  the  company,  as  will  hereafter  be  narrated,  was  being  reorganized  as 
horse-artillery.  To  keep  up  the  equilibrium  in  Florida,  however,  K,  the 
newly  authorized  company,  jomed  December  24,  1838. 

During  the  remaining  years  of  the  Florida  War,  1839,  '40, '41,  '42,  there  was 
no  relaxation  in  the  arduous  nature  of  the  services  required  of  the  regiment, 
which  was  scattered  all  over  the  northern  part  of  the  peninsula,  building 
loads  and  posts,  following  and  skirmishing  with  the  Indians.  The  latter,  while 
ordinarily  small  afTairs,  judged  by  casualties  alone,  were  generally  brought 
about  only  after  great  suffering  on  the  part  of  the  troops,  to  whom  the  in- 
numerable annoying  and  venomous  insects  of  the  swamps  rendered  existence 
intolerable.  To  fight  the  Indian  was  a  relief,  for  it  had  at  least  the  charm 
of  excitement.  But  they  had  learned  by  dear  experience  that  they  were  no 
match  for  the  whites  in  the  long  run,  and  therefore  avoided  the  latter  ex- 
cept when  fortuitous  circumstances  gave  them  every  advantage.  Never- 
theless, the  Third  had  frequent  passages  at  arms  with  them  in  the  campaign 
of  1839  under  Brevt.  Brigadier-General  Z.Taylor  ,  again  on  July  26,  at  New 
River  inlet,  November  i,  on  the  Picolata  road,  December  3-24  in  fhe  Ever- 
glades, all  in  1840;  and  at  the  latter  place,  January  7,  1841.  The  campaign 
of  1840,  carried  on  through  the  tropical  heat  of  summer,  was  particularly 
trying. 

The  war  may  be  said  to  have  ended  August,  1842.  The  Indians,  origi- 
nally 7000  strong,  excepting  300,  95  of  whom  were  warriors,  were  killed  or  ex- 
pelled, and  those  excepted  were  compelled  to  live  within  certain  prescribed 
limits.  Eleven  officers  of  the  Third  died  in  Florida  during  that  war  ;  of  these 
three  fell  m  action,  and  one  died  of  wounds;  45  enlisted-men  were  killed  by 
the  Indians,  and  113  died  of  disease.  Nearly  every  officer  of  the  Third  was 
in  the  field.     Ten  were  brevetted  for  gallantry  in  specific  actions. 

The  war  being  over,  the  Third,  in  1842,  occupied  the  stations  from  Smith- 
ville,  N.  C.,  to  St.  Augustine,  Fla.,  where  it  remained  until  the  Mexican  War. 

The  re-organizing  act  of  March  2,  1821,  provided,  as  before  mentioned, 
that  in  each  regiment  of  artillery,  one  company  should  be  designated  and 
equipped  as  light  artillery.  In  1838  the  initiatory  steps  were  taken  to  carry 
this  provision  into  effect.  Brevt.  Major  Samuel  Ringgold,  captain  3d  Artil- 
lery, was  selected  by  Secretary  Poinsett  for  this  work.  Hitherto  the  great 
objection  to  carrying  the  law  into  execution  was  the  attendant  expense. 
But  now  a  number  of  horses  rendered  surplus,  after  some  of  the  south- 
ern Indians  had  been  removed,  were  available  for  the  purpose  of  mounting 
C  company  as  horse  artillery  in  which  role  it  served  until  after  the  Mexican 
War.  Companies  of  the  other  artillery  regiments  were  also  soon  afterwards 
mounted,  but  as  field  artillery.  In  Ringgold's  company  the  drivers  were 
armed  with  the  sabre  ;  all  other  enlisted  men  with  sabre  and  pistol.  In  the 
field  companies,  the  mounted  men  were  armed  in  the  same  way,  but  the  can- 


336  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

noneers  each  with  musketoon  and  artillery  sabre,  which  must  have  proved 
extremely  inconvenient. 

The  Mexican  War  soon  brought  every  officer  of  the  Third  into  the  field 
again.  As  during  the  Florida  War,  headquarters  moved  into  the  enemy's 
country.  The  action  of  the  Congress  and  President  of  the  United  States  in 
1845.  regarding  the  annexation  of  Texas,  precipitated  hostilities.  A,  C,  E,  I, 
with  other  troops,  were  sent  that  year  to  Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  forming 
General  Z.  Taylor's  army  of  occupation. 

A,  C,  I,  were  present  when  the  opening  gun  of  the  war  was  fired  at  Palo 
Alto,  May  8,  1846.  Ringgold,  while  skillfully  fighting  his  guns,  was  mortally 
wounded  by  a  cannon-shot,  dying  on  the  loth  of  the  same  month.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  accomplished  officers  of  the  regiment,  and  the  bean-ideal 
horse  artilleryman.  The  command  of  Cthen  devolved  upon  ist  Lieutenant 
Randolph  Ridgely  who  retained  it  until  after  the  capture  of  Monterey.  A 
and  I  formed  part  of  the  artillery  foot-battalion  both  at  Palo  Alto  and  the 
next  day  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma.  Lieut.  Churchill  of  the  Third  commanded 
two  heavy  i8-pounder  guns  from  this  time  until  after  the  army  crossed  the 
Rio  Grande.  In  his  report  of  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto  General  Taylor  states  : 
"  Our  artillery,  consisting  of  two  i8-pounders  and  two  light  batteries  (C, 
Third,  A,  Second)  was  the  arm  chiefly  engaged,  and  to  the  excellent  man- 
ner in  which  it  was  manoeuvred  and  served  is  our  success  mainly  due."  E 
during  this  time  was  at  Ft.  Brown  forming  part  of  the  garrison  which,  for 
160  hours  stood  ofT  and  finally  repulsed  an  overwhelming  besieging  force. 
Shortly  afterwards  it  was  mounted  as  light  artillery,  Braxton  Bragg  com- 
manding, with  George  H.  Thomas  and  John  F.  Reynolds  as  assistants. 
What  a  trio  that  was  !  the  first  the  victor  at  Chickamauga  ;  the  second  at 
Nashville;  the  third  the  incomparable  commander  of  the  first  Army  Corps 
who  fell  in  the  fore-front  at  Gettysburg  ! 

Under  the  Act  of  May  13,  1846,  authorizing  100  privates  per  company, 
many  companies  in  the  field  were  broken  up,  the  men  transferred,  and  an 
officer  sent  home  to  recruit.  This  happened  to  I,  July  7,  1846,  whose  cap- 
tain, Martin  Burke,  was  dispatched  to  North  Carolina  to  reorganize  the 
company,  which  he  did  and  then  rejoined  the  army  at  Perote  on  General 
Scott's  line  of  operations.  The  place  of  I  in  the  foot-battaliOn  was  filled  by 
B  which  arrived  at  Mier,  Mexico,  July  31,  1846,  officered  by  Capt.  Vinton, 
Lieuts.  Van  Vliet,  Joseph  Stewart  and  Francis  J.  Thomas. 

In  the  movement  on  Monterey,  A  and  B  were  part  of  the  foot-artillery 
battalion,  ist  Brigade,  Worth's  Division  ;  C,  marching  with  the  dragoons, 
formed  part  of  the  3d  Brigade,  Twiggs'  Division.  In  the  attack  upon  that 
place,  as  is  well  known,  the  army  was  divided.  Worth,  making  a  detour  to 
his  right  attacked  from  the  west :  Twiggs,  Butler  and  Quitman  from  the 
east.  Both  C  and  E  moved  with  Twiggs'  column.  The  gallantry  of  these 
two  light  companies  was  never  surpassed.  Impression  upon  the  substantial 
earth-works  and  heavily  built  houses  of  the  town  they  could  make  little ; 
but  whenever  the  enemy  showed  themselves  in  the  open  they  were  at  once 
assailed  by  the  light  artillery  in  such  manner  as  to  cause  them  soon  to  seek 
shelter.  The  part  taken  by  A  and  B,  while  not  so  brilliant,  contributed 
however  in  no  less  degree  to  the  success  of  our  arms.    They  formed  part 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        337 

of  the  storming  column  sent  against  Lomade  Federacion  ;  Captain  John  R. 
Vinton  commanding  the  artillery  battalion,  Van  Vliet,  B.,  and  Lt.  Francis 
Taylor,  A.  The  brave  fighting  of  the  troops  was  conspicuous,  and  was  con- 
tinued the  next  day,  September  22,  when  the  Bishop's  Palace  was  taken,  and 
thence  from  house  to  house  into  the  centre  of  the  city,  which  then  capitu- 
lated. 

Soon  after  this  event  both  Worth  and  Twiggs'  regular,  and  Butler's  and 
Quitman's  volunteer  commands  joined  General  Scott's  army  destined  to 
the  southern  line  of  operations.  Vera  Cruz— City  of  Mexico.  C  and  E 
alone  of  the  Third  were  left  to  General  Taylor,  their  commanders  having 
been  meanwhile  changed.  Ridgely  was  accidentally  killed  October  27, 
1846,  at  Monterey,  and  Bragg  was,  November  7th,  transferred  to  C  ;  Capt. 
Thomas  W.  Sherman,  who,  promoted  May  28,  1846,  to  E,  had  been  arbitra- 
rily kept  out  of  its  command  by  General  Taylor,  now  was  assigned  to  his 
proper  position,  joining  his  company  February  14,  1847,  just  in  time  to  take 
part  in  the  fighting  at  Buena  Vista. 

The  American  army  being  thus  divided,  and  Taylor  left  with  only  about 
4000  men,  Santa  Anna,  whether  by  instinct  or  accident,  determined  to  act 
upon  the  correct  military  principle  and  beat  the  widely  separated  parts 
in  detail.  Hence  resulted  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  which  shed  an  unfad- 
ing lustre  on  the  American  arms.  On  our  left,  the  volunteers  at  first  fled 
ingloriously.  The  torrent  of  defeat  was  stemmed  by  the  light  artillery, 
O'Brien  of  the  4th  Artillery  losing  his  pieces,  his  horses  being  killed  and 
the  infantry  supports  gone.  This  was  the  supreme  moment.  Santa  Anna 
launched  his  reserves  on  our  centre,  at  first  with  irresistible  force.  Every- 
thing gave  back  before  the  enemy's  masses.  But  E  was  there,  and,  although 
compelled  to  recede,  did  so  only  by  the  recoil  of  its  splendidly  served  guns. 
Bragg,  with  C,  had  gone  to  the  left  to  assist  righting  matters ;  but,  seeing 
the  movement  against  the  centre,  hurried  as  fast  as  his  jaded  horses  could 
travel  to  meet  it.  What  followed  is  best  described  in  the  language  of  Gen- 
eral Taylor's  report :  "  Captain  Bragg,  who  had  just  arrived  from  the  left, 
was  ordered  into  battery.  Without  infantry  to  support  him,  and  at  the  im- 
minent risk  of  losing  his  guns,  he  came  rapidly  into  action,  the  Mexican 
lines  being  but  a  few  yards  from  the  muzzles  of  his  pieces.  The  first  dis- 
charge of  canister  caused  the  enemy  to  hesitate,  the  second  and  third  drove 
him  back  in  disorder  and  saved  the  day."  Bragg  stated  that  he  expended 
250  rounds  of  ammunition  per  gun  that  day.  In  his  official  report  General 
Wool  stated  that,  "  without  our  artillery,  we  could  not  have  maintained  our 
position  a  single  hour." 

There  has  always  been  an  amiable  tradition  in  the  army  since  Buena 
Vista  that  General  Taylor,  when  Bragg  came  up  at  the  interesting  moment 
above  referred  to,  remarked  "A  little  more  grape,  Captain  Bragg."  This 
has  been  echoed  in  popular  histories  of  the  war,  until  the  incident  has  ob- 
tained general  credence.  Now  the  spirit  of  the  supposititious  occurrence 
is  above  criticism  ;  it  has  the  true  ring  of  the  battle-field.  Artillerymen  have, 
therefore,  permitted  it  to  pass  unchallenged,  not  knowing  but  that  it  might 
have  occurred,  and  not  wishing  to  spoil  a  good  story  ;  at  the  same  time,  as 
they  knew  very  well  that  Bragg  carried  no  grape  in  his  ammunition  chests. 


338  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

they  doubted  its  truth,  yet  with  a  conscious  look  of  commiseration, 
patronizingly  put  the  whole  thing  down  as  doubtless  the  not  unnatural 
mistake  of  an  infantry  general.  Fair  play,  however,  demands  that  this  re- 
flection on  old  "Rough  and  Ready's"  technical  knowledge  be  removed. 
Bragg  himself  has  furnished  the  evidence  that  the  incident,  as  narrated, 
never  transpired.  Afterwards  when  he  was  lieutenant  general,  his  atten- 
tion was  called  to  it,  and  he  said  that  he  remembered  the  circumstance 
perfectly;  but  that  General  Taylor,  far  from  wasting  any  time  on  imaginary 
grape,  called  out  in  clarion  tones,  "  Captain,  give  them  hell.  "  The  transi- 
tion was  doubtless  made  by  some  one  more  piously  than  truthfully  inclined. 
We  tender,  as  seems  fitting  in  this  year  of  jubilee  and  "historical  sketches" 
this  the  amende  honorable  to  our  infantry  brethren,  craving  pardon  for  hav- 
ing given  countenance  to  an  insinuation,  which  we  all  felt  was  probably 
unjust,  against  the  accuracy  of  the  professional  language  of  one  of  the  best 
and  truest  soldiers  they  have  ever  produced  ;  one  under  whom  every  ar- 
tilleryman loved  and  was  proud  to  serve ;  one  whose  indomitable  will  and 
honesty  of  character  triumphed  over  every  obstacle,  turning,  as  at  Buena 
Vista,  seeming  disaster  into  glorious  victory  ! 

One  more  word  aside  :  When  the  Mexican  reserves  pierced  our  lines 
just  before  Bragg  "  saved  the  day  "  there  fell,  gallantly  fighting  at  the  head 
of  his  regiment,  Col.  William  R.  McKee  of  the  2d  Kentucky.  An 
educated  soldier,  his  was  an  exalted  and  noble  spirit !  A  fitting  sire  of  that 
other  accomplished  ofiicer,  Major  George  W.  McKee,  whose  death  the  army 
and  a  host  of  devoted  friends  recently  have  been  called  upon  to  mourn. 
Stricken  down  in  the  prime  of  intellectual  vigor,  in  Major  McKee  the  army 
saw  pass  away  one  of  its  brightest  ornaments  and  most  useful  members, 
one  upon  whom  nature  had  showered  her  choicest  gifts ;  possessed  at  once 
of  every  attribute  which  renders  man  respected,  admired,  beloved. 

We  will  now  follow  the  companies  of  the  Third  on  other  theatres  of 
operation.  Before  General  Scott  left  the  Losbos  Islands  he  had  designated 
H  as  a  mounted  company.  It  served  as  such  during  the  war,  commanded 
first  by  Captain  Wall  and  then  by  Steptoe.  A,  B  and  G  arrived  at  Vera 
Cruz  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  siege,  March  9-28,  1847,  being  joined 
April  ii,by  K.  Colonel  Gates  with  headquarters  were,  with  D,  tempo- 
rarily established  at  Tampico.an  important  port  of  entry,  and  the  capital  of 
a  district  held  under  military  government  with  Gates  as  governor.  D  re- 
mained at  Tampico  and  vicinity  during  the  whole  war,  being  equipped  part 
of  the  time  as  horse  artillery.  F,  in  which  W.  T.  Sherman  was  a  subaltern, 
was  at  Monterey,  Upper  California.  I  was  being  recruited,  and  L  and  M 
not  yet  organized. 

At  Vera  Cruz  Captain  John  R.  Vinton  was  killed  in  the  trenches  by  one 
of  the  first  shots  from  the  enemy.  It  was  one  of  those  singular  cases  in 
which  death  results  from  the  close  proximity  of  a  projectile  in  its  flight. 
His  clothes  were  not  even  disarranged.  The  projectile,  afterwards  recovered 
unexploded,  now  rests  upon  his  grave  at  Providence.  R.  I.  It  was  a  Paix- 
han  shell,  and,  when  the  fuse  was  drawn,  was  found  to  contain  320  leaden 
bullets.  In  the  death  of  Captain  Vinton  the  Third  lost  another  of  its  most 
valuable  officers. 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        339 

In  organizing  the  army  for  the  advance  upon  the  City  of  Mexico  A,  B,  G, 
K,  formed  a  battalion  under  command  of  Lieut-Col.  Belton,  3d  Artillery,  in 
the  1st  (Garland's)  brigade,  Worth's  division,  and  here  the  battalion 
remained  during  the  war,  except,  that,  at  Perote,  A  was  stopped,  and  I,  under 
Captain  Burke  took  its  place.  In  the  advance  H  was  assigned  to  Patter- 
son's volunteer  division,  and  it  served  with  the  volunteers  until  the  army 
left  Mexico. 

Vera  Cruz  was  an  afTair  wholly  of  engineering  and  siege  artillery.  The 
next  battle,  at  Cerro  Gordo,  was  one,  on  our  side,  almost  wholly  of  in- 
fantry. Unfortunately,  moreover,  Worth's  division,  which  had  done  most 
of  the  work  at  Vera  Cruz,  did  not  get  into  position  at  Cerro  Gordo  until 
there  was  little  for  it  to  do.  By  one  of  those  accidents  which  sometimes 
happens.  Worth,  while  going  into  action,  was  halted  to  permit  Pillow  to 
file  in  front  of  him  into  position  on  the  extreme  left.  As  a  result,  when 
Worth  reached  the  Cerro  Gordo  hill  he  found  the  enemy  already  fleeing 
from  it,  and  could  therefore  only  join  in  the  unsatisfactory  duty  of  facilita- 
ting that  flight.  H,  however,  was  more  fortunate.  The  armament  of  the 
company  consisted  of  four  12-pdr.  brass  guns  and  two  24-pdr.  howitzers. 
The  battle  was  fought  on  the  iSth  of  April  1847.  During  the  night  of  the 
17th,  Steptoe  and  Lt.  H.  Brown,  3d  Artillery,  after  immense  toil,  in  which 
they  were  assisted  by  the  infantry,  placed  the  two  24-pdr.  howitzers  on  the 
hill  Atalaya  900  yards  from  the  Cerro  Gordo,  the  stronghold  of  the  Mexi- 
cans, and  from  which  next  day,  during  the  assault,  they  were  served  with 
great  effect  upon  the  enemy.  For  his  conduct  here  Steptoe  was  brevetted 
major. 

From  this  time  on  the  Third  took  part  in  all  the  battles  except  Contreras 
on  Scott's  line  of  operations.  That  battle  was  fought  by  Twiggs'  division. 
There  was  no  fighting  of  consequence  after  Cerro  Gordo  until  the  Ameri- 
can army  was  within  sight  of  the  Capital.  The  army  advanced  from  Puebla 
August  7,  1847.  B,  G,  I,  K,  formed  the  foot  battalion  of  the  Third.  Cap- 
tain Wall  of  H  was  left  sick  at  Puebla,  where,  August  13th  he  died,  and  the 
company  then  was  commanded  by  Steptoe,  being  attached  to  Quitman's 
volunteer  division.  The  officers  present  were  :  Lt.  Col.  Belton,  command- 
ing battalion  ;  B,  Lieuts.  Farry  and  Lendrum  ;  G,  Capt.  Anderson,  Lieut. 
Shields  ;  I,  Capt.  Burke,  Lieut.  Ayres  ;  K,  Lieut.  R.  W.  Johnston  ;  Light 
Company  H,  Capt.  Steptoe,  Lieuts.  Judd,  H.  Brown,  Francis  J.  Thorns,  and 
Welch.  Brevet  Major  R.  D.  A.  Wade  was  also  present,  sick,  not  com- 
manding his  company,  K,  but  acting  as  field  officer. 

While  Twiggs'  division  was  assaulting  the  enemy's  lines  at  Contreras, 
August  20,  1847,  Worth's  division,  on  the  right,  moved  against  Cherubnsco 
and  the  fortified  village  of  San  Antonio.  Here  the  Third,  particularly  K,  in 
its  advance  as  a  forlorn  hope  against  the  latter  place,  had  an  opportunity  to 
render  conspicuous  service.  San  Antonio  being  taken,  K  remained  tempo- 
rarily to  garrison  it,  while  the  other  companies  pressed  on  to  assail  and  cap- 
ture Cherubusco.  Seven  men  of  the  Third  were  killed,  and  Lieut -Colonel 
Belton  and  twenty-seven  men  wounded.  H  was  not  in  the  battle  ;  it  was 
back  in  San  Augustine  with  Quitman,  protecting  the  supply  depots,  and  the 
army  from  attack  in  rear  by  the  enemy's  cavalry. 


340  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

The  fruitless  armistice  which  followed  this  event  having  been  terminated, 
the  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey  was  fought  September  8,  1847.  Here  the 
brave  Farry  and  Ayres  fell.  Farry,  with  fifty  men  of  the  Third  joined  the 
storming  party  directed  against  the  fortified  centre  of  the  Mexican  position 
at  the  Casa  Mata.  The  attack  was  successful,  but  12  of  the  14  officers  of  the 
party  fell  in  the  assault.  The  battalion  of  the  Third  entered  el  Molino  on 
the  right  of  our  line,  and  here,  while  gallantly  leading  his  men,  Lt.  Ayres 
was  killed,  while  Captain  Anderson  and  Lieut.  George  P.  Andrews  were 
wounded.  H  was  not  present.  The  battle  was  fought  by  Worth's  division, 
to  which  it  was  not  attached. 

Chepultepec  alone  remained  to  be  fought.  Molino  was  preparatory 
thereto.  At  Chepultepec  all  the  Third  with  the  army  were  engaged.  H 
was  placed  on  September  nth  on  the  right,  to  threaten  an  attack  on  the  San 
Antonio  and  Candelaria  gates  of  the  city.  It  remained  there  constantly 
employed  until  the  evening  of  the  13th  when  it  rejoined  Quitman  who,  in 
the  general  battle,  had  stormed  the  Belen  gate,  but  without  artillery 
support,  could  not  advance  further  against  the  fire  from  the  Citadel  300 
yards  away.  Steptoe,  by  greatest  industry  placed  in  a  well  constructed  bat- 
tery some  heavier  guns,  but  at  dawn  of  day  a  white  fiag  bespoke  the  enemy's 
surrender.  H  then  moved  in,  being  the  first  light  company  to  enter  the 
City  of  Mexico.  Meanwhile,  the  foot-battalion  had  not  been  idle.  Details 
were  assisting  to  construct  the  batteries  to  play  on  the  fortifications  of  Che- 
pultepec. Lieut.  R.  W.  Johnston  with  a  party  of  the  Third  were  told  off 
to  the  storming  party.  The  remnants  of  the  Second  and  Third  Artillery, 
under  Lt.  Col.  Belton,  were  temporarily  formed  into  4  companies,  Shields 
and  Lendrum  commanding  those  from  the  Third.  They  moved  with 
Worth's  division  along  the  causeway,  driving  the  enemy,  until,  at  San 
Cosmo  garita,  night  put  an  end  to  the  conflict.  Next  morning  Santa  Anna 
had  fled  the  Capital. 

The  war  was  practically  ended.  The  light  companies  of  the  Third  had 
a  few  brushes  with  the  enemy  besides  those  mentioned,  but  the  heavy  fight- 
ing has  been  narrated.  And  it  was  heavy  fighting.  The  strength  of  the 
positions  occupied  by  the  enemy  was  remarkable.  The  nearest  approxima- 
tion in  this  century  to  the  style  of  fighting  our  army  there  did  was  exhibited 
by  Wellington's  war  against  fortified  places  in  the  Spanish  Penmsula.  The 
City  of  Mexico  was  ours  September  14,  1847.  But  before  this,  D,  under  Capt. 
F.  O.  Wyse  had  a  most  creditable  affair  at  the  Callabosa  River.  D  at  this 
time  was  equipped  as  horse  artillery.  A,  equipped  as  field  artillery,  was  present 
at  Huamantla,  October  9,  1847,  at  Atlixco,  October  19th,  and  at  Matamoras, 
near  Puebla,  November  23,  1847.  These  were  among  the  last  of  Santa 
Anna's  guerilla  efforts.  The  light  company — A —  won  high  encomiums  for 
its  conduct. 

The  army  evacuated  the  City  of  Mexico  June  12,  1848,  Worth's  division 
being  the  last  to  leave.  L  and  M  saw  no  fighting  in  that  war.  They  left 
New  York  City  for  the  scene  of  hostilities  October  12,  1847,  were  wrecked 
and  put  in  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  November  5,  left  Fort  Moultrie  December 
17,  and  arrived  at  the  Mexican  capital  early  in  1848,  where  also  was  estab- 
lished regimental  headquarters.    Colonel  Gates  remained  Governor  of  Tarn- 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY-         341 

pico,  and  Captain  Martin  Burke  temporarily  commanded  the  regiment.  At 
this  time  the  companies  of  the  Third  were  distributed  :  A,  Perote  ;  B,  G,  H. 
I,  K,  L,  M,  City  of  Mexico  ;  C,  E,  Walnut  Springs  near  Monterey,  Mex.  ;  F 
in  California;  D,  Tampico.  C,  D,  were  equipped  as  horse  artillery;  A.  E, 
H,  as  field  artillery;  the  rest  marched  as  infantry. 

The  companies  of  the  Third  on  Scott's  line  all  left  Vera  Cruz  July  16, 
1848.  The  regiment,  except  C,  E,  F,  was  concentrated  at  Fortress  Monroe, 
and  thence  distributed  to  the  New  England  stations  which  it  had  left  thir- 
teen years  before  for  the  Florida  War.  E  left  Ft.  Brown,  Texas,  October 
26,  1848.  for  Fort  Trumbull.  Connecticut.  C,  under  Lt.  Judd,  marched  via 
Chihuahua  to  Santa  Fe,  N.  M..  where  the  guns  were  soon  stored,  and  the 
company,  equipped  as  cavalry,  served  two  years  against  the  Indians, 
eventually  joining  Bragg,  with  the  few  men  whose  terms  of  service  had  not 
expired,  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri,  in  1850.  F  still  held  the  fort  at 
Monterey,  California. 

Soon  the  Seminoles  who  had  been  left  in  Florida  became  restive.  Ac- 
cordingly in  September,  1849.  B,  under  Geo.  H.  Thomas;  D,  under  Wyse ; 
H,  Steptoe  ;  L,  under  Austine,  embarked  for  Palatka,  Fla.,  near  the  scene  of 
disturbance.  Here  they  remained,  marching  through  the  swamps,  until 
order  was  restored,  when  they  returned  to  their  stations  in  1850. 

The  regiment  now  looked  forward  to  the  enjoyment  for  a  time  at  least 
of  a  quiet  life.  But  this  hope  was  short-lived.  In  the  nature  of  things  it 
could  not  long  be  indulged.  We  had  acquired  a  vast  and  unsettled  territory 
by  conquest;  it  was  inhabited  by  savages  or  semi-savages.  The  army  was 
needed  to  keep  them  in  subjection. 

Before  narrating,  however,  the  part  acted  by  the  Third  in  this  field  of 
duty,  it  will  be  best  hurriedly  to  glance  at  the  experiences  of  the  light  com- 
panies from  the  close  of  the  Mexican  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion  m  1861.  During  this  time  the  light  artillery  was  the  sport  of 
the  War  Department.  On  the  plea  of  retrenchment,  the  number  of  light 
artillery  companies  in  the  army  was  reduced  to  four,  including  C,  Third,  in 
September,  1S48.  April,  1849,  four  additional  companies  were  authorized; 
but,  in  the  Third,  mstead  of  E,  B  was  selected  and  ordered  to  West  Point, 
where  Shover,  its  captain,  was  mstructor  of  artillery.  Captain  T.  W.  Sher- 
man had  again  to  fight  for  his  rights.  But  he  triumphed ;  the  order  was 
modified,  and  E,  not  B,  was  mounted.  The  termination  of  this  controversy 
was  supposed,  at  the  time,  to  establish  the  legal  principle  "  once  a  light 
company,  always  a  light  company  "  ;  for  the  contention  then  was,  and  the 
War  Department  apparently  conceded  the  point,  that  when  the  President 
had  designated  two  companies  in  each  artillery  regiment  as  light  artillery, 
under  the  Acts  of  March  2,  1821,  and  March  3,  1847,  he  thereby  fixed  their 
legal  status  as  that  of  light  companies  until  the  law  should  be  changed. 
This  is  not  the  place  to  argue  regarding  the  correctness  of  the  proposition  ; 
more  recent  practices  have  not  been  in  accordance  therewith.  However,  in 
1851  E  was  dismounted  again,  in  1853,  Congress  having  appropriated 
money  expressly  for  the  purpose,  it  was  remounted,  took  station  in  Minne- 
sota, where,  excepting  some  expeditions  over  the  Western  Territories,  it 
remained  until  1861.     C,  after  being  remounted  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  1850. 


342  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

served  at  Forts  Gibson  and  Washita,  Indian  Territory,  where  the  expense 
of  maintaining  it  was  enormous,  and  where,  as  a  school  of  instruction,  it  was 
almost  valueless.  In  1856  it  was  dismounted,  and,  with  three  others,  one 
company  each  from  the  respective  artillery  regiments,  stationed  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  Va.,  to  reestablish  the  artillery  school  of  practice;  in  185S  it  was 
remounted,  ordered  to  Salt  Lake  to  take  over  the  light  artillery  armament 
which  the  Ordnance  Department  was  masquerading  with,  and  went  thence 
in  1859  to  Fort  Vancouver,  Washington  Territory,  where  it  remained  until 
1861. 

In  October,  1848,  M,  under  Lieut.  Geo.  P.  Andrews,  sailed  for  California 
around  the  Horn,  to  join  F.  The  movement  of  the  regiment,  though  con- 
templated, was  deferred.  But  our  recently  conquered  subjects  were  rest- 
less, and  had  to  be  kept  in  order.  With  this  object  in  view,  B  and  L  were 
sent  early  in  April,  1853,  to  Texas,  where  they  remained  until  early  in  1854. 
This  was  for  them  a  most  fortunate  circumstance,  as  they  thus  missed  one 
of  the  direst  calamities  that  has  ever  befallen  our  army  on  the  seas. 

How  this  was,  we  will  now  proceed  to  state.  Pursuant  to  General  Or- 
ders No.  2,  H.  O.  Army,  September  26,  1853,  Headquarters  and  the  band 
with  A.  D,  G,  H,  I,  K,  and  large  detachments  of  recruits  for  B  and  L,  em- 
barked December  21st,  that  year,  for  California,  via  Cape  Horn,  in  the 
commodious  steamer  San  Francisco.  The  vessel  was  new,  its  machinery 
excellent,  and  it  was  believed  to  be  seaworthy.  There  were  about  600  souls 
on  board,  including  500  belonging  to  or  connected  with  the  regiment.  On 
the  22d  the  vessel  was  at  sea.  The  23d  ended  with  a  fresh  breeze  and  cloudy 
weather.  By  that  time  the  weather  was  very  threatening.  An  ominous  calm 
prevailed.  At  9  P.  M.  that  night  the  wind  came  up  with  terrific  force  out  of  the 
northwest.  The  sea  rolled  mountains  high.  The  ship,  spite  of  all  efforts  of 
her  skillful  and  devoted  crew,  soon  became  unmanageable.  By  1.30  A.  M.  of 
the  24th  she  was  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves,  her  machinery  being 
disabled,  and  sails  blown  away.  At  9  A.  M.,  24th,  a  huge  wave  struck  her, 
stripping  everything  from  the  upper  deck,  including  the  saloon,  in  which, 
in  addition  to  the  regular  passengers,  a  large  number  of  soldiers  had  taken 
refuge.  It  was  estimated  that  175  souls  perished  at  this  time,  including 
about  150  soldiers  and  Major  Washington,  Captain  Francis  Taylor,  Captain 
Field  and  Lieutenant  Smith,  together  with  Mrs.  Taylor  and  Colonel  Gates' 
son.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  terror  of  the  situation.  Fortunately  there 
were  men  on  board  who  were  fit  to  command.  The  officers  of  the  vessel, 
and  of  the  army,  and  Lieut.  F.  K.  Murray  of  the  Navy,  set  an  example  of 
heroism.  The  men,  except  a  few  dastardly  souls,  nobly  seconded  their  ef- 
forts. To  add  to  the  horrors  of  the  storm  a  leak  was  sprung,  and  only  by 
intelligent,  systematic,  incessant  and  prolonged  exertions  was  the  vessel 
kept  afloat.  On  the  25th  the  brig  Napoleon  was  spoken  but  sailed  away. 
The  arrival  of  this  vessel  at  Boston  gave  the  authorities  their  first  knowl- 
edge of  the  disaster.  On  the  26th,  in  latitude  38°  20',  longitude  69^  another 
vessel  was  sighted,  but  lost  in  the  night.  The  men  now  began  to  die  from 
exposure  and  exhaustion.  On  the  2Sth  the  bark  Kilby  of  Boston  stood  by 
the  wreck,  and,  the  weather  moderating  on  the  29th  somewhat,  ran  a  haw- 
ser and  took  of?  108  passengers.     That  night  the  storm  freshened,  the  haw- 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        343 

ser  parted,  the  Sa)i  Francisco  drifted  out  of  sight,  and  the  Kilhy,  after  a  vain 
search  for  2><  days,  sailed  for  New  York.  At  9.30  a.  m.,  December  31st, 
the  British  ship  Three  Bells  of  Glasgow  was  spoken  and  lay  to.  The  storm, 
however,  was  unabated.  No  communication,  except  by  signals,  could  be 
had.  On  January  3,  1854,  the  Three  Bells  was  joined  by  the  Antarctic  of 
Liverpool.  On  the  4th  and  5th  all  survivors  were  tranferred  to  these  two 
vessels.  The  v4«/arr//f  carried  hers— 142— to  Liverpool.  The  Three  Bells 
hers  to  New  York.  On  January  12th  the  Kilby  transferred  most  of  her  pas- 
sengers to  the  Packet  Lticy  Thompson,  bound  to  New  York,  making,  herself, 
for  Boston.  Thus  ended  this  appalling  event.  The  ship  was  never  seen  or 
heard  of  more. 

A  Court  of  Inquiry,  of  which  General  Scott  was  President,  was  instituted 
to  examine  into  the  circumstances  of  this  wreck,  and  as  a  result,  whether 
justly  or  unjustly.  Colonel  Gates  was  relieved  from  command  of  the  regiment 
which  he  did  not  resume  until  November,  1861. 

Nothing  daunted,  the  Third  was  soon  again  en  route,  this  time  by  the 
Isthmus.  April  5,  1854,  headquarters  with  B  and  L,  embarked  at  New  York 
on  the  steamer  Illinois,  arriving,  L  at  the  Presidio,  and  B  and  headquarters  at 
Benicia,  California,  May  5th  following.  The  band,  with  D,  G,  I,  K,  were  not  so 
fortunate.  They  embarked  on  the  steamer  Falcon,  and  very  nearly  repeated 
the  experience  of  the  San  Francisco.  The  vessel,  though  disabled  in  a 
storm,  managed  to  make  Hampton  Roads,  where  the  troops  landed  at 
Fortress  Monroe.  In  May,  1854,  the  steamer  Illinois  picked  them  up,  and 
they  finally,  after  many  tribulations,  reached  the  California  stations.  Hand 
A  marched  overland,  via  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  where  they  wintered  1854-55,  ar- 
riving, July  25,  1855,  at  Benicia. 

From  1854  to  1861  the  Third  was  actively  employed  in  marching  and 
scouting  over  the  Pacific  Coast  throughout  its  length  and  breadth.  There 
was  not  an  Indian  tribe  from  the  Rockies  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  whom  they 
did  not  visit.  They  became  veritable  foot-cavalry.  In  this  school  some  of 
the  best  soldiers  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  were  developed. 

Scarcely  had  D  landed  at  Benicia  when  it  was  sent  on  an  expedition 
against  the  Indians  of  Pitt  and  McCloud  rivers.  L  marched  against  the 
LTmatillas,  and  both  B  and  L,  under  command  of  Major  G.  R.  Rains,  4th 
Infantry,  against  the  Yakimas  in  October  and  November,  1855.  During  the 
same  year  D  was  engaged  against  the  Klamath  and  M  against  the  Puget 
Sound  Indians.  In  the  action  at  Hungry  Hill,  Oct.  31-Nov.  i,  1855,  Lieut. 
H.  G.  Gibson,  since  colonel  of  the  regiment,  commanding  D,  was  wounded. 
In  the  winter  of  1855-56  the  Rogue  Rivsrs  went  on  the  war-path.  B  and  H 
formed  part  of  the  command  sent  against  them.  E.  O.  C.  Ord  commanded 
the  former,  John  F.  Reynolds  the  latter.  Ord  attacked  a  party  of  hostiles 
at  their  village,  Mackanootney,  Oregon,  March  26,  1856,  routing  them  and 
burning  their  town.  On  April  28th.  following,  he  met  and  defeated  them 
again.  Reynolds  was  fighting  the  same  enemy  elsewhere.  In  June,  1856, 
the  Indians  sued  for  peace.  General  Scott  in  orders  from  army  headquar- 
ters complimented  these  officers  and  their  commands  for  their  gallant  con- 
duct in  this  war.  In  the  same  order  the  services  of  M  under  Keyes  on 
Puget  Sound,  and  L  under  Piper  at  the  cascades  of  the  Columbia  were  men- 


344  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

tioned  with  commendation.  It  was  at  the  latter  affair  that  Lieut.  P.  H. 
Sheridan  so  distinguished  himself.  E  also,  under  its  indefatigable  captain 
T.  W.  Sherman  was  doing  good  service.  The  Indians  at  the  Yellow  Medi- 
cine Agency  began  to  manifest  an  ugly  disposition.  Sherman  took  their 
breath  away  by  appearing  among  them  with  his  battery,  thus,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  General  Order  before  mentioned  (14,  H.  Q.  A.,  1857)  "by  his 
promptness,  judgment  and  firmness  preserving  the  country  from  a  war  with 
the  tribes  of  the  Sioux  nation." 

The  Pacific  Slope  Indians,  having  been  severely  punished  all  around  in 
1856,  remained  quiet  during  the  next  year.  Not  so,  however,  in  1858.  May 
17,  that  year,  Steptoe,  now  a  major  9th  Infantry,  was  surprised  by  Indians  at 
Tohotsnimme  40  miles  north  of  Snake  River  on  the  road  between  the  present 
towns  of  Almota  and  Colfax,  Washington.  The  uprising  was  entirely  un- 
expected, but  the  news  spread,  and  the  neighboring  tribes  flew  to  arms. 
Safety  to  the  frontier  settlements  required  the  chastisement  of  the  Indians. 
Accordingly  an  expedition  was  fitted  out  for  this  purpose  under  Colonel 
Wright,  9th  Infantry.  The  Third  composed  the  major  part  of  the  troops, 
and  they  were  rapidly  concentrated.  A,  from  Yuma ;  B,  Rogue  River  ;  D,  San 
Diego ;  G.  San  Bernardino  ;  K,  Ft.  Miller:  M,  the  Presidio,  were  united  at 
Fort  Walla  Walla.  The  Indians  were  vastly  more  numerous  than  the 
troops,  but  the  latter  were  armed  with  rifle-muskets,  just  then  issued  to  the 
army,  the  former  with  smooth-bores.  The  superiority  of  the  rifle  was  at 
once  strikingly  manifest.  The  Indians,  waiting  until  their  smooth-bores 
were  effective,  found  themselves  mowed  down  by  troops  whom  their  own 
projectiles  could  not  reach.  They  were  signally  defeated  at  Four  Lakes, 
September  i,  Spokane  Plains  September  5,  and  Spokane  River,  September  8, 
1858.  Nine  hundred  ponies  were  shot  in  one  spot,  on  the  Spokane  River, 
which  to  this  day  is  marked  by  their  whitened  bones.  The  principal  chiefs 
were  captured  and  hr.nged,  and  the  tribes  so  humbled  that  they  have  never 
gone  on  the  war-path  since.  In  general  orders  from  headquarters  of  the 
army.  General  Scott  testified  his  appreciation  of  the  services  of  the  regiment 
in  this  campaign  in  most  eulogistic  terms. 

The  defeats  of  1858  had  the  effect  of  keeping  the  Indians  quiet  in  1859. 
But  the  dispute  over  the  boundary-line,  and  who  should  own  San  Juan 
Island  seemed  likely  to  precipitate  war  with  Great  Britain.  Accordingly, 
August  8,  1859,  A,  B,  D,  G,  left  Ft.  Vancouver  and  joined  other  troops  at 
Camp  Pickett  on  the  southern,  while  the  British  troops  occupied  the  north- 
ern end.  In  this  position  the  forces  of  the  two  countries  glared  at  each 
other  for  years  ;  but  as  there  was  no  fear  of  immediate  hostilities  after  Gen- 
eral Scott  arranged  for  joint-occupation,  the  companies  mentioned  returned 
to  Ft.  Vancouver  in  December,  1859. 

Early  in  i860,  Indian  hostilities  broke  out  in  another  quarter.  A  party  of 
prospectors,  headed  by  a  Mr.  Meredith,  were  massacred  near  Pyramid  Lake, 
then  in  Utah,  but  now  Nevada.  Young  Winnamucca  was  the  leading  spirit 
in  this  affair.  An  expedition  was  at  once  fitted  ont  to  punish  the  Indians 
involved.  D,  under  Lieutenant  Joseph  Stewart,  and  a  detachment  of  I,  under 
Lieutenant  H.  G.  Gibson,  formed  part  of  this  force.  The  Indians  were  at- 
tacked and  defeated  near  Truckee  River,  Carson  Valley,  June  2,  i860,  several 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        345 

soldiers  and  many  Indians  being  killed  and  wounded.  On  July,  9,  same  yean 
A,  B,  M,  left  Ft.  Vancouver,  W.  T„  to  scout  through  the  Snake  River  coun- 
try, returning  in  September.  In  August  they  met  and  routed  the  Indians  at 
Harney  Lake,  Oregon.  L,  during  the  same  year  left  Fort  Umpqua  to  scout 
through  the  Klamath  country,  the  theatre  of  the  Modoc  war  of  1873,  so 
often  traversed  by  the  Third  during  its  tour  on  the  Coast. 

This  practically  ended  the  campaigning  of  the  Third  on  the  Pacific. 
Events  soon  called  for  its  presence  elsewhere.  Meantime,  to  replace  C,  Co  K, 
(Capt.  Ord)  left  Ft.  Vancouver,  after  the  Spokane  campaign  of  185S,  arriving 
at  the  Artillery  School  of  Practice,  January  i,  1859;  and  as,  by  War  Depart- 
ment orders  in  1S58,  two  instead  of  one  company  from  each  artillery  regi- 
ment were  to  be  stationed  there,  F,  then  at  Ft.  Yuma,  was  sent  to  Fortress 
Monroe  also  arriving  September  28,  1859.  Here  they  remained,  being 
only  called  out  during  the  John  Brown  disturbance  at  Harper's  Ferry,  until 
they  joined  the  army  at  Washington  as  light  artillery  in  1861.  In  August, 
i860,  J.  F.  Reynolds  was  appointed  Commandant  of  Cadets,  West  Point,  and, 
in  October,  Captain  E.  O.  C.  Ord  transferred  to  light  company  C. 

When  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  was  precipitated,  the  Government  was 
extremely  anxious  about  the  temper  of  the  States  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  par- 
ticularly California.  This  led  at  once  to  energetic  measures  to  secure  the 
safety  of  San  Francisco.  All  the  companies  of  the  Third  on  the  Coast,  ex- 
cept D,  were  at  once  concentrated  in  that  harbor.  Much,  however,  as  they 
were  needed  there,  they  were  needed  in  the  east  more.  Accordingly,  Octo- 
ber 14,  1S61,  headquarters  with  H,G,  L,  M,  and  C,  the  horses  and  guns  being 
turned  in,  embarked  for  New  York  via  the  Isthmus.  This  left  A,  B,  I,  at 
San  Francisco  and  D  at  Ft.  Vancouver,  the  latter  proceeding  in  February, 
1862,  from  Camp  Pickett,  San  Juan  Island,  to  Alcatraz  Island,  San  Fran- 
cisco Harbor. 

Here  B  and  D  remained  during  the  whole  war.  I  came  east  in  1864  and 
was  equipped  as  a  light  battery.  A,  similarly  equipped,  joined  Colonel 
Carlton's  column  which  marched  in  1862  from  California  across  the  deserts 
to  Tucson,  Arizona,  to  secure  that  Territory  from  usurping  rebel  authority. 
This  task  having  been  successfully  accomplished,  it  marched  with  other 
Union  troops  into  New  Mexico  where  it  served  as  a  light  battery  until  1865 
when  it  was  transported  to  Boston  Harbor.  While  in  New  Mexico  the 
light  battery  saw  exceedingly  hard  service.  It  was  marching  much  of  the 
time,  when  not  as  artillery,  against  the  Indians  as  cavalry.  No  company  of 
the  regiment  saw  harder  service  during  the  war  than  A.  And  it  was  of  a 
nature  precisely  like  that  of  horse  company  C,  in  the  same  section  of  coun- 
try, from  1848  to  1850. 

We  now  turn  to  the  companies  on  the  great  theatre  of  war.  E  came  in 
from  Fort  Ridgley,  Minn.,  in  May,  1861,  and  was  present  at  Blackburn's 
Ford,  July  18,  and  again  at  the  first  Bull  Run  July  21,  1861.  Lieutenant  L. 
Lorain  was  wounded  at  the  former.  The  company  was  attached  to  W.  T. 
Sherman's  (ist)  brigade  of  Tyler's  (3d)  division.  In  the  battle  of  the  21st 
it  attacked,  with  Sherman,  at  the  centre ;  but  as  Bull  Run  was  not  there 
fordable,  it  had  to  content  itself  with  engaging  the  enemy  at  long  range. 
It   assisted,  with   other   batteries,   to   cover  the   retreat  of  the  army.     In 


346  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

these  engagements  it  lost  several  men  killed  and  wounded.  During  the  re- 
treat the  battery  lost  3  caissons  and  its  baggage  wagons,  these  having  been 
sent  ahead,  when  the  horses  were  cut  out  and  ridden  away  by  the  cowardly 
fugitives  fleeing  from  the  battle-field. 

Soon  after  this  E  started  on  an  expedition  to  the  South-Atlantic  coast, 
and,  as  its  services  thereafter  during  the  war  were  in  a  theatre  distinct  from 
the  other  companies  of  the  regiment,  they  will  be  mentioned  here.  Its  old 
and  honored  captain,  T.  W.  Sherman,  had  been  regularly  promoted  major, 
April  27,  1861,  appointed  Lieut. -Colonel  of  the  new  5th  Artillery  May  14,  and 
brigadier  general  of  volunteers  May  17,  1861.  He  was  now  to  command 
the  land  forces  of  the  joint  expedition  against  Port  Royal,  South  Carolina. 
From  this  time  until  January  1864,  E  served  in  the  Department  of  the 
South,  along  the  coast  of  South  Carolina  and  Florida.  It  had  six  guns,  and 
these  were  often  divided  up,  a  section  (2  guns)  going  hither  and  thither  in 
the  petty  warfare  constantly  carried  on  among  the  islands  of  the  coast.  It 
was  engaged,  June  10,  1862,  at  Secessionville,  S.  C,  at  Pocotaligo,  Oct.  22, 
where  hard  fighting  was  done.  In  the  latter  afTair  Lieutenant  Gittings  was 
wounded.  The  battery  was  attached  to  the  2d  brigade  of  Wright's  (2d) 
division.  It  joined  in  the  assault  and  repulse  at  Fort  Wagner,  S.C..  July  18, 
1863,  under  Myrick,  and  engaged  in  the  siege  of  that  place  July  18th  to  Sep- 
tember 7th,  1863.  On  February  20,  1864,  it  was  present  at  the  sanguinary 
battle  at  Olustee,  Fla.,  in  the  army  commanded  by  General  Truman  Sey- 
mour, and  suffered  great  loss.  All  the  officers,  Capt.  Hamilton,  Lieut. 
Myrick,  and  two  volunteers  attached  were  wounded  ;  11  men  were  killed,  18 
wounded  and  6  missing— a  loss  as  great  as  that  of  Senarmont's  famous 
battery  at  Friedland.  This  terminated  the  services  of  E  in  the  south. 
Pursuant  to  General  Grant's  plan  to  concentrate  all  the  available  forces  to 
move  against  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  it  left  the  Department  of  the 
South  in  April,  1864,  under  command  of  Lieut.  J.  P.  Sanger,  ist  Artillery, 
"/ith  the  loth  Army  Corps,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  with  the  Army  of  the 
James,  being  part  of  the  artillery  brigade  of  the  3d  division.  It  was  present 
at  all  the  battles  in  which  that  "  bottled  up  "  army  was  engaged,  on  the  7,  16, 
19,  20,  April,  1864,  afterwards  in  the  intrenched  lines  at  Bermuda  Hundred, 
and  on  both  sides  of  the  James  River,  and  in  the  works  before  Petersburg 
from  August  to  September.  Lt.  Myrick  was  again  commanding.  It  was 
present  at  Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  October  7,  1864,  when  the  loth  Corps  repelled 
Longstreet.  It  was  present  at  both  the  attacks  on  Fort  Fisher,  North 
Carolina.  After  the  successful  issue  of  the  second  attack  it  marched  with 
the  army  against  Wilmington,  N.  C,  having  several  skirmishes  with  the 
enemy.  In  March,  1865,  E  with  the  loth  Corps  joined  W.  T.  Sherman's 
army,  engaging  in  the  pursuit  of  J.  E.  Johnston,  until  the  final  surrender  of 
the  rebel  armies. 

When  McClellan's  army  moved  to  the  Peninsula  in  1862,  the  other  light 
batteries  of  the  Third  were  attached  to  the  artillery  reserve.  H,  however, 
after  being  some  time  equipped  as  light  artillery,  was  broken  up  just  before 
the  army  started,  and  sent  out  to  San  Francisco  under  Captain  Joseph 
Stewart  to  recruit.  Captain  John  Edwards  had  transferred  to  M  from  B 
with  George  P.   Andrews.     This  left  C,  E,  F.  G,  K,  L,  M,  on  the  Atlantic 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY-         347 

Coast.  The  artillery  reserve  was,  however,  not  a  reserve  as  that  term  j^ener- 
ally  is  understood.  The  idea  was  not  to  retain  its  batteries  necessarily  in  the 
hands  of  its  commander  until  their  guns  could  be  launched  a<;ainst  the 
enemy  at  the  supreme  moment.  It  is  true  that  they  might  be  so  used. 
But,  aside  from  this  use,  it  was  expected  that  the  reserve  was  to  be  a  source 
of  artillery  supply  whence  the  divisions  could  draw  batteries  for  their  needs, 
to  be  returned  when  this  temporary  service  had  been  rendered. 

From  the  first,  consolidation  of  companies  was  necessary,  because  of  the 
difficulties  of  recruiting  for  the  regular  army,  and  the  demand  for  regular 
officers  for  other  duties.  The  companies  of  the  Third  which  marched  with 
McClellan  were  (C-G)  consolidated,  equipped  as  horse-artillery,  under  H.  G. 
Gibson,  (F-K)  under  Capt.  Livingston,  and  (L-M)  under  Capt.  Edwards,  the 
two  latter  consolidated  companies  as  field  artillery.  (C-G)  was  soon  de- 
tached with  Stoneman's  cavalry,  and  (L-M)  with  Sykes'  brigade  of  regulars. 
The  first  was  hotly  engaged  at  Williamsburg.  Va.,  May  4,  1862,  2d  Lieut.  W. 
De  Wolf  being  mortally  wounded,  and  the  battery  losing  one  piece,  several 
caissons,  and  seventeen  horses.  When  the  army  made  the  flank  march  from 
the  Chickahominy  to  James  River,  (C-G)  was  cut  off  with  Stoneman's  com- 
mand toward  the  old  base  of  supplies  at  the  White  House,  and,  after  its 
destruction,  rejoined  the  army  via  Gloucester  Point.  (L-M)  was  engaged 
at  Newbridge  June  19,  Mechanicsville  June  26,  and  Gaines'  Mill  June  27, 
1862.  At  Mechanicsville  it  was  attached  to  Griffin's  brigade,  McCall's  divi- 
sion, on  the  extreme  left.  At  Gaines'  Mill  it  was  on  the  right,  about  500 
yards  in  front  of  the  line,  where  it  fought  with  great  gallantry,  and,  it  truth- 
fully can  be  said,  under  great  disadvantages  ;  for  at  that  early  day,  the  neces- 
sity for  concentrating  artillery  fire  was  not  understood  by  subordinate 
infantry  generals.  Nevertheless,  both  our  own  and  the  enemy's  general 
officers  praised  the  conduct  of  the  artillery  on  that  day.  (L-M)  lost  one 
section,  Lieut.  Hayden,  its  commander,  being  wounded,  and  the  horses  all 
killed.  During  the  change  of  base  to  the  James  River  (L-M)  fought  at  Tur- 
key Bend  June  28-29,  at  Turkey  Bridge  June  30,  and  side  by  side  with  (F-K) 
at  Malvern  Hill  June  30-July  i,  1862,  during  which  all  its  lieutenants  were 
wounded.  At  Malvern  Hill  the  artillery  acted  a  decisive  part.  The  enemy 
attributed  their  repulse  to  our  superiority  in  that  arm.  The  Union  artil- 
lery that  day  illustrated  the  truth  of  the  maxim  that  artillery,  under  favor- 
able circumstances,  can  defend  itself  against  a  frontal  attack. 

The  Third  was  not  present  at  the  second  Bull  Run.  When  the  army 
after  that  disaster  moved  into  Maryland,  (C-G)  was  with  Pleasanton's  cavalry, 
and  (L-M)  with  the  9th  Army  Corps,  though  unattached.  On  the  13th  and 
also  at  South  Mountain  on  September  14th,  the  former  rendered  excel- 
lent service,  as  it  did  also  at  Antietam,  where,  with  the  other  horse  batteries, 
it  filled  the  gap  in  the  centre  of  the  main  line  of  battle  between  Hancock's 
division  and  Burnside's  corps. 

Soon  after  this,  by  War  Department  orders,  G  was  formally  broken  up 
and  the  officers  and  men  attached  to  C.  For  two  years  G  remained  a  paper 
company  only. 

At  Fredericksburg  (December  ii-i  5,  18^2),  C  was  attached  to  the  Cavalry 
brigade,  left  grand  division  of  the  army.     Livingston,  captain  (F-K),  com- 


348  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

manded  the  artillery  3d  Corps,  to  the  first  division  of  which  this  battery 
(F-K),  under  Lieut.  Turnbull  was  attached.  When  the  Union  army  crossed 
the  Rappahannock  to  the  attack,  it  was  stationed  to  cover  the  crossing,  at 
the  middle  bridge.  After  the  repulse  of  the  right  grand  division  it  moved 
to  the  left  and  joined  in  the  battle  with  its  proper  command  ;  (L-M)  crossed 
the  river  with  General  Sumner,  but  the  jammed  condition  of  the  streets 
and  character  of  the  country  prevented  its  coming  into  action. 

In  March,  1863,  the  9th  Corps  was  sent  west,  (L-M)  accompanying  it.  The 
corps  arrived  at  Vicksburg  in  season  to  take  part  in  the  siege  of  that  place, 
and  afterwards,  July  10-16  in  the  siege  of  Jackson,  Miss.  From  this  time 
until  March  16,  1864,  (L-M)  operated  in  the  west.  On  May  24,  that  year,  it 
again  rejoined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  All  this  time  it  formed  part  of 
the  artillery  of  the  9th  Corps.  It  took  part  meanwhile  in  Burnside's  cam- 
paign in  east  Tennessee,  in  1863.  It  was  engaged  at  Philadelphia,  Tenn., 
October  16,  Campbell  Station,  Tenn.,  November  16,  was  in  position  in  the 
trenches  during  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  November  17-December  5,  in  pur- 
suit of  Longstreet's  army  at  Blain's  cross-roads,  Tenn.,  December  17,  1863, 
and  again  at  Strawberry  Plains,  Tenn.,  January  21,  1864.  Its  next  fighting 
was  in  the  Wilderness,  under  General  Grant,  from  May  5th  to  14th,  1S64, 
whence  it  was  sent  back  to  the  defences  of  Washington. 

When  Hooker  made  his  march  around  the  left  flank  of  Lee's  army,  before 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  C,  under  Lieut.  Meinell,  was  left  with  the  force 
which  was  intended  to  cross  below  Fredericksburg  and  hold  the  enemy  in  his 
works.  It  thus  missed  the  battle.  (F-K),  under  Turnbull,  was  more  fortu- 
nate. On  the  2d  of  May  it  rendered  the  Union  cause  most  opportune  ser- 
vice. It  was  still  attached  to  the  ist  division  3d  Army  Corps.  When  the 
nth  Corps  was  routed,  a  battery  of  22  guns  was  hastily  thrown  together  at 
Hazel  Grove,  on  ground  dominating  the  enemy's  advance.  (F-K)  was  of 
this  battery,  the  fire  from  which,  at  short  range,  hurled  back  the  victorious 
enemy  discomfited.  Of  this  struggle  General  H.  J.  Hunt,  chief  of  artillery 
of  the  army,  remarked  in  his  ofl[icial  report :  "  When  the  enemy,  flushed 
with  success,  appeared  before  this  battery,  they  were  met  with  a  storm  of 
canister  first  checking  and  then  driving  them  back  from  whence  they  had 
emerged  at  three  hundred  yards  distance.  It  was  a  desperate  combat  be- 
tween artillery  and  infantry,  in  which  the  forme*-  repulsed  the  latter,  flushed 
as  they  were  with  a  great  success,  which  they  were  following  up  when 
checked  by  this  battery." 

At  Gettysburg,  July  1-3,  1863,  (F-K)  again  acted  a  distinguished  part, 
losing  Lt.  Manning  Livingston  and  8  enlisted  men  killed,  14  wounded,  i  miss- 
ing and  45  horses  killed.  It  was  on  the  Emmittsburg  road  supporting 
Humphreys'  division  when  Sickles'  corps  was  attacked  at  Peach  Orchard. 
This  was  about  3.30  p.  M.  July  2d.  Here  Captain  D.  R.  Ransom  while  placing 
(F-K)  in  position  was  wounded.  When  Sickles'  corps  fell  back,  (F-K)  was 
rescued  with  only  the  greatest  difficulty.  It  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight 
when  A.  P.  Hill  took  Birney's  division  in  flank.  Humphreys  speaks  in 
highest  terms  of  the  performance  of  the  battery  that  day. 

When  Lee  moved  from  in  front  of  Hooker  on  the  ofTensive  campaign 
which  terminated  at  Gettysburg,  C  was  with  Gregg's  cavalry  guarding  the 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.         349 

Union  right  flank.  It  was  in  the  engagements  at  Brandy  Station  June  8, 
Aldie  June  17,  Middleburg  June  1S-19.  Upperville  June  21st.  Detached 
with  General  Huey's  brigade  it  marched  for  York,  Penn.,  in  which  general 
direction  the  rebel  army  seemed  bent.  It  was  upon  this  service  when  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg  was  fought.  Being  recalled,  it  arrived  near  the  battle- 
field just  in  time  to  harass  the  retreating  enemy.  In  doing  this  it  was  en- 
gaged at  Smithburg,  Maryland,  July  5  ;  Williamsport,  Md.,  July  6  ;  Boons- 
borough,  Md.,  July  8  ;  Antietam  and  Funkstown,  Md.,  July  10  and  1 1  ;  near 
Port  Royal,  Va.,  September  ist;  at  Brandy  Station,  Culpepper  and  Rapid- 
an  River,  September  12-14,  at  Madison  Court-house  and  Robertson's  ford 
September  22-23.  1S63. 

C  was  early  in  the  field  in  1864.  It  accompanied  Kilpatrick  in  his  raid 
to  Richmond,  being  engaged  at  Mechanicsville,  Va.,  March  ist,and  stopped 
long  enough  in  passing  to  throw  150  shells  into  the  works  guarding  the 
enemy's  capital.  Soon  after  this  (C-F-K),  consolidated,  became  one  battery, 
serving  with  the  cavalry.  Under  Sheridan  it  was  actively  employed.  It 
accompanied  him  in  his  raid  on  Richmond,  May  9-24,  1864,  passing  the 
right  of  the  enemy's  army,  defeating  his  cavalry,  rejoining  General  Grant 
June  24,  near  Chesterfield,  Va.  During  the  flank  march  to  the  James 
River,  the  battery  was  engaged  at  Hanover  Court  House,  May  31  ;  Ashland, 
June  I,  Bethesda  Church,  June  3,  and  in  the  works  at  the  White  House, 
June  20,  1864. 

The  next  service  of  (C-F-K)  was  with  Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  It  was  attached  to  the  horse  artillery  brigade,  commanded  by 
Captain  L.  L.  Livingston.  Engaged  near  Winchester,  August  1 1,  on  road  to 
Front  Royal,  August  16,  at  Woolperth's  cross-road  and  Sheperdstown,  August 
25,  and  Smithfield,  August  29,  1864.  The  character  of  these  affairs  presaged 
the  nature  of  the  fighting  that  was  to  follow.  Each  commander,  but  particu- 
larly Early,  seemed  anxious  to  test  the  capacity  and   mettle  of  his  opponent. 

In  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  October  19,  1864,  (C-K-F)  was  present. 
After  this  it  was  engaged  with  others  of  Sheridan's  troops  in  sweeping  the 
Shenandoah  Valley  of  the  enemy,  the  engagement  at  Mount  Jackson,  Va., 
being  the  severest  in  which  the  battery  took  part.  This  practically  closed 
the  fighting  of  the  battery  during  the  war.  That  winter  it  went  into  quarters 
at  Pleasant  Valley,  Maryland,  and  the  next  spring  moved  to  the  vicinity  of 
Washington  City. 

When  the  9th  Army  Corps  came  east  in  March,  1864,  it  was  increased, 
before  joining  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  by  several  regiments  and  batteries, 
and  among  the  others,  G,  equipped  as  field  artillery.  This  battery  accom- 
panied the  corps  to  the  Wilderness  where  it  partook  in  all  the  fighting  of  the 
latter  until  May  14.  As  is  well  known  the  country  was  not  favorable  for 
the  manoeuvre  of  light  artillery,  and  consequently  General  Grant  sent  a 
large  part  back  to  the  defences  of  Washington,  and  amongothers  G.  (L-M) 
arrived  at  the  same  time.  Later  they  were  joined  by  I.  They  remained  in 
a  condition  of  preparedness  for  active  service  ;  but,  from  this  time  on,  ex- 
cept when  Early  made  his  attempt  on  Washington  in  July,  1864,  nothing 
seriously  demanding  their  attention  occurred. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  B  and  D  alone  were  not  at  some  time  equipped 


350  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

as  light  artillery  with  the  armies  in  the  field.  They  remained  at  San  Francisco 
harbor,  where  their  services  were  deemed  to  be  of  more  importance  than 
they  could  be  elsewhere.  And  when  we  reflect  upon  the  absolute  necessity 
that  existed  for  preventing  that  city  from  falling  into  the  enemy's  possession, 
through  their  cruisers,  it  must  be  conceded  that  these  companies  best  served 
their  country  as  garrison  artillery  in  the  city's  defences.  D,  as  has  been  seen, 
was  equipped  as  horse  artillery  during  the  Mexican  War,  so  that  B  remains 
the  only  organization  in  the  Third  which  at  some  time  has  not  been 
equipped  as  light  artillery. 

Here  terminates  the  "  historical  sketch  "  of  the  Third,  for  the  pages  of 
the  Journal  of  the  Military  Service  Institution.  It  would  be  in- 
teresting to  pursue  the  subject  to  later  periods  ;  yet  subsequent  events  can 
scarcely  be  spoken  of  as  "  historical,"  but  what  is  of  determinative  importance 
in  the  matter,  we  have  already  occupied  to  the  full  the  limits  permitted  us 
in  the  Journal's  pages.  The  Third  Artillery  stands  on  its  record.  It  has 
ever  done  its  whole  duty.  Neither  the  regiment  nor  any  of  its  officers  has 
sver  intrigued  to  impose  that  duty  on  another. 


Major-General 
WINFIELD     SCOTT 

Commanding  the  Army,   1841-1861. 


THE  FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY. 

By  first  LIEUT.  ALEXANDER  B.   DYER. 
Fourth    Artillery. 

IN  obedience  to  the  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  May  1 1, 
1820,  Mr.  Calhoun,  then  Secretary  of  War,  submitted  to  the  House  on 
the  1 2th  of  the  following   December  a  plan  for  the  reorganization  and 
reduction  of  the  Army.     Since  the  reorganization  of  the  artillery,  in 
1814,  this  arm  of  the  Service  had  consisted  of  a  regiment  of  light  artillery  and 
the  corps  of  artillery. 

The  views  of  Mr.  Calhoun,  in  so  far  as  they  related  to  the  artillery,  were 
adopted  by  Congress  ;  and  in  accordance  with  the  act  of  March  2,  1821,  the 
first  four  regiments  now  m  service  were  organized  from  the  regiment  of 
light  artillery,  the  corps  of  artiller)-,  and  the  ordnance.  Each  regiment  was 
to  consist  of  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  one  major,  one  adjutant, 
one  supernumerary  captain  to  perform  ordnance  duty,  one  sergeant-major, 
one  quartermaster-sergeant,  and  nine  companies  ;  and  each  company  was  to 
consist  of  one  captain,  two  first  lieutenants,  two  second  lieutenants,  and 
fifty-five  enlisted  men.  One  company  was  to  be  equipped  as  light  artillery  ; 
and  A  company  was  designated  as  the  light  company  for  many  years, 
but  continued  on  foot  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  The  general  order 
of  May  17,  1 82 1,  from  the  adjutant  and  inspector-general's  office  contains 
the  names  of  the  officers  of  the  4th  Artillery,  their  assignment  to  companies, 
and  their  stations. 

John  R.  Fenwick,  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  regiment  of  light  artillery, 
was  made  colonel  of  the  "  Fourth,"  with  headquarters  at  Pensacola  ;  and  the 
companies  were  assigned  to  the  stations  on  the  Florida  and  Gulf  coasts,  ex- 
tending from  Saint  Augustine  to  New  Orleans.  The  following  table  indi- 
cates the  organizations  from  which  the  companies  of  the  regiment  were 
taken  : 


Companies  and  Captains 
Fourth  U.  S.  Artillery. 

Old  Organization. 

Captains   of  old  Organiza- 
tions. 

A.     (Bell's) 

Co. 

K.  Light  Artillery. 

Bell. 

B.     (Humphrey 

■s) 

Co. 

C,  3dB.,  S.  D.* 

Humphrey. 

C.     (Burd's) 

Co. 

D,     4th  B.,     S.    D. 
part  of  L). 

(and 

Fanning. 

D.     (Pierce's) 

Co. 

G,  3d  B.,  S.  D. 

Root. 

E.     (Payne's) 

Co. 

M,  1st  B.,  S.  D. 

Payne. 

F.t  (Hayden's) 

Co. 

A,  3dB.,  S.  D. 

Sands. 

G.     (Hobart's) 

Co. 

E,   Light  Artillery. 

Hohart. 

H.    (Irving's) 

Co. 

I,    1st  B.,  S.  D.  (and  part 

Mason. 

of  E). 

I.     (Sands) 

Co. 

M,  4th  B.,  S.  I). 

Biddle. 

*B.,  S.  D.  in  the  table  stands  for  "  Battalion,  Southern  Division." 
f  Organized  by  Alexander  Hamilton  in  1776. 
351 


35^  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  table  that  the  companies  were  then  serving  in  the 
South  with  the  exception  of  A  and  G  ;  which  were  sent  South  from  Boston. 
Some  of  the  lieutenants  were  afterwards  exchanged  to  other  regmients,  so 
that  the  student  of  the  personnel  of  the  Fourth  Artillery  will  have  to  con- 
sult the  War  Department  order  of  August  i6,  1821. 

Under  the  order  of  the  War  Department,  dated  April  15,  1824,  estab- 
lishing the  Artillery  Corps  of  Instruction  at  Fortress  Monroe,  Colonel  Fen- 
wick  was  ordered  to  that  post  in  command  of  the  new  school,  with  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Eustis  of  the  4th  Artillery  as  the  second  in  command.  Compa- 
nies C,  Dand  I  were  selected  from  the  regiment  as  its  quota  to  the  Corps  of 
Instruction. 

In  April,  1826,  regimental  headquarters  returned  to  the  South,  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Eustis  being  left  in  command  at  Fortress  Monroe.  Two  of  the 
companies  of  the  regiment  were  changed  at  the  same  time.  Soon  after  its 
organization  the  regiment  suffered  severely  from  the  ravages  of  yellow  fever, 
and  the  records  for  several  years  indicate  great  mortality.  The  southern 
stations  were  regarded  as  unhealthy,  and  in  1827  General  Jacob  Brown 
ordered  a  general  transfer  of  regiments  "as  the  commencement  of  a  sys- 
tem promising  to  the  artillery  generally  the  advantage  of  a  biennial  ex- 
change, and  the  garrisons  of  the  sickly  stations  in  particular  (on  the  south- 
ern frontier)  the  hope  of  periodical  relief." 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  ordered  to  Fort  Columbus,  with 
the  companies  distributed  to  stations  at  Forts  McHenry,  Delaware,  Colum- 
bus, Monroe,  and  at  West  Point.  The  total  expense  for  moving  all  the 
regiments  was  $15,680,  an  outlay  that  must  have  astonished  Congress,  as 
the  House  called  for  the  reasons  for  such  an  expenditure.  In  his  letter  of 
reply  General  Brown  says  ;  *  *  *  "  it  will  be  only  necessary  to  state  the 
fact  that  one  of  our  regiments,  lately  relieved  from  the  Gulf  Frontier,  has 
constantly  furnished  garrisons  for  the  dreary  and  sickly  posts  in  that  quar- 
ter since  the  organization  of  the  Army  in  1821.  The  number  of  deaths 
among  the  officers  of  that  regiment  within  this  period,  six  years,  has 
amounted  to  sixteen,  being  four  times  greater  than  the  average  number  in 
all  the  other  regiments  of  artillery." 

He  should  have  added  that  the  regiment  lost  two  hundred  and  twenty 
enlisted  men  by  death  during  that  tour. 

During  the  next  few  years  there  were  changes  of  station  between  com- 
panies of  the  regiment,  and  at  the  opening  of  the  year  1829,  regimental 
headquarters  were  transferred  to  Philadelphia. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  practice  of  separating  the  headquarters 
from  the  companies,  and  was  continued,  at  times,  for  many  years.  The 
Black  Hawk  War,  in  1832,  necessitating  the  concentration  of  more  troops 
in  the  West,  in  June  of  that  year  Brevet-Major  Payne  (captain  of  E  com- 
pany) was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Chicago  with  E,  F  and  H  companies  of 
the  regiment ;  and  at  the  same  time  five  companies  from  Fortress  Monroe 
were  ordered  West.  This  battalion  included  C  and  G  companies  of  the 
regiment,  and  was  under  the  command  of  Major  Crane,  of  the  4th  Artillery. 
Lieut.-Colonel  Eustis,  4th  Artillery,  commanding  Fortress  Monroe,  was 
ordered  to  the  frontier  to  take  command  of  all  the  artillery. 


FO UR TH  RE GIMEN T  OF  AR  TILLER  V.  353 

These  troops  formed  part  of  Scott's  forces  ;  and  instead  of  arriving  in 
time  to  fight  the  Indians,  they  were,  while  en  7-oiite,  assailed  by  a  more 
dreadful  foe  ;  for  on  the  passage  up  the  lakes  the  cholera  broke  out  among 
them. 

After  terrible  sufferings  the  depleted  battalions  arrived  at  Chicago  in 
August,  and  finally  reached  Rock  River ;  but  too  late  for  active  hostilities. 

The  artillery  troops  returned  to  their  stations  that  fall,  excepting  com- 
panies E  and  H.  which  remained  at  Fort  Gratiot  until  May,  1834,  when  E 
took  station  at  Fort  Trumbull  and  H  at  Fort  Hamilton. 

The  political  aspect  of  affairs  in  South  Carolina  demanded  the  attention 
of  the  Government,  and  some  troops  were  sent  to  that  section  ;  companies 
B,  C  and  G  taking  station  at  Fort  Moultrie  for  a  few  months  in  1832-33. 

Regimental  bands  had  been  merely  existing;  but  in  1832  the  regiments 
of  artillery  were  given  "  a  sergeant  to  act  as  master  of  the  band,  and  one 
corporal  or  private  in  addition  to  the  ten  men "  allowed  to  act  as 
musicians. 

In  the  winter  of  1833-34,  companies  A,  B  and  C  were  part  of  the  forces 
under  Colonel  Twiggs,  in  Alabama.  The  necessity  for  troops  having  passed, 
they  returned  to  Fortress  Monroe  in  March.  Regimental  headquarters 
moved  temporarily  to  Fort  Hamilton,  but  in  November,  1835,  were  estab- 
lished at  Fort  McHenr)'.  The  annual  return  of  the  regiment  for  that  year 
contains  the  following  pertinent  remark  :  •'  It  is  the  opinion  of  the  colonel 
that  were  the  regiment  concentrated  under  the  command  of  its  own  officers, 
its  discipline  as  well  as  its  instruction  might  be  improved  and  the  number 
of  desertions  might  be  diminished,  and  a  higher  spirit  of  pride  and  emula- 
tion created." 

The  Seminole  War  in  Florida,  began  in  the  fall  of  1S35,  and  that  winter 
and  spring  the  Creek  Indians,  in  Georgia  and  Alabama,  also  gave  trouble  ; 
so  that  in  May,  1836,  seven  companies  of  the  regiment  were  ordered  to  Fort 
Mitchell,  Alabama. 

Companies  B,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H  and  I,  reached  Fort  Mitchell  in  June,  and 
General  Fenwick  was  ordered  to  command  all  the  troops  concentrated 
there ;  but  being  in  poor  health  he  soon  after  returned  to  Fort  McHenry. 
During  that  summer  the  companies  were  constantly  engaged  in  marching 
through  the  swamps  on  service  against  the  Indians:  and  when  no  longer 
required  in  the  Creek  Countr>%  were  transferred  to  Florida.  Companies  A 
and  C  had  been  sent  to  Florida  the  preceding  July,  so  that  the  entire  regi- 
ment was  concentrated  in  the  Seminole  Country  that  fall. 

Company  C.  under  Lieutenant  Pickell,  was,  August  21,  1836,  in  the  fight 
at  Fort  Drane,  where  it  had  four  men  severely  wounded.  The  same  com- 
pany, and  part  of  A,  were  with  Governor  Call,  October  13,  1836.  when  he 
was  opposed  by  the  Indians  in  attempting  to  cross  the  Withlachoochee 
River,  and  Companies  A,  C.  D.  E,  F.  G  and  H,  were  with  his  second  expe- 
dition and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Wahoo  Swamp,  November  21.  1836. 
where  one  sergeant  of  H  Company  was  killed.  General  Jesup  relieved  Gov- 
ernor Call  and  opened  his  campaign  in  Januar\%  1837,  with  Companies  B,  C, 
D,  E,  F,  G,  H  and  I,  forming  part  of  his  command.  E  Company,  under 
Lieutenant   Brent,  was   engaged   at   A-ha-pop-ka   Lake,  January   23d,  and 


354  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

again  at  Hatchee-Lustee,  four  days  later,  as  were  other  companies  of  Hen- 
derson's Brigade,  Company  I  losing  one  man  killed. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Fanning  and  Lieutenant  Thomas  were  engaged  in 
the  defense  of  Fort  Mellen,  February  8,  1837. 

The  war  seemed  over  in  the  spring  and  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  New 
York  harbor,  excepting  D  and  I  Companies,  which  were  to  take  station  at 
Fort  Mifflin.  But  the  flight  of  the  Indians  under  Osceola,  in  June,  renewed 
hostilities,  and  many  months  elapsed  before  the  regiment  left  Florida.  That 
summer,  B  Company  was  mounted  and  did  duty  as  light  artillery  during 
active  operations.  A,  B,  D  and  H  Companies  were  in  Taylor's  fight  at 
Lake  Okecho-bee,  in  December,  1837,  when  the  Indians  were  routed,  and 
B,  D  and  H  Companies  were  in  the  fight  at  Locha-hat-chee,  January  24, 
1838. 

Companies  D  and  G  were  part  of  Bankhead's  farces  when  he  made  an  ex- 
pedition into  the  "  Everglades,"  in  March,  and  fought  so  successfully  the 
band  of  Arpieka.  Company  I  under  Lieutenant  Soley,  was  engaged  at 
Tuscawilla  Pond,  April  29,  1838,  losing  one  private  killed.  At  the  close  of 
the  campaign,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Cherokee  Country,  western 
North  Carolina,  and  after  assisting  in  the  removal  of  the  Cherokee  Indians 
came  north  to  Fort  Columbus,  New  York.  Its  period  of  rest  was  short,  for 
in  September  it  was  ordered  back  to  Florida  for  service.  The  act  of  July 
5,  1838,  added  K  Company  to  the  regiment.  It  was  organized  at  Governor's 
Island,  July  24th,  and  went  to  Florida  in  October.  The  same  act  cut  of?  one 
second  lieutenant  from  each  company,  but  more  than  compensated  therefor 
by  the  addition  of  sixteen  privates. 

The  regiment  remained  in  Florida  until  April,  1839,  and  was  constantly 
engaged  in  scouting  and  in  building  roads  and  forts.  The  only  action  we 
find  reported  was  the  successful  defense  of  Fort  Maitland,  in  May,  1839,  by 
a  detachment  of  ten  men  under  the  command  of  Lance  Sergeant  Thomas 
Baldwin,  a  corporal  of  D  Company. 

May  27,  1839,  the  entire  regiment  was  at  Fort  Columbus,  and  was  sent 
from  there  to  the  Grand  Camp  of  Instruction  held  at  Trenton  that  summer, 
at  which  B  Company  was  mounted  as  a  light  battery  September  27th,  re- 
ceiving its  horses  from  the  Dragoons.  On  the  breaking  up  of  the  encamp- 
ment, the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Lake  Frontier  and  the  headquarters 
and  seven  companies  took  station  at  Detroit,  A  and  K  at  Fort  Gratiot,  and 
G,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  H  Company  was  subsequently  sent  to  Fort  Macki- 
nac. During  the  summer  of  1840,  Companies  C,  F  and  I,  under  Captain 
Gait,  and  a  detachment  of  Light  Company  B,  acting  as  cavalry,  under  Lieu- 
tenant Soley,  were  engaged  in  guarding  the  emigrants  passing  through  the 
Indian  Country,  and  collecting  the  Pottawattomie  Indians  for  emigration. 
The  companies  exchanged  stations  at  different  times,  and  in  August,  1841, 
regimental  headquarters  were  removed  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  with  companies  as 
far  east  as  Madison  Barracks.  March  19,  1842,  General  Fenwick,  who  had 
been  in  bad  health  for  a  long  time,  died  at  Marseilles,  France,  and  John 
De  B.  Walbach,  then  seventy-eight  years  of  age,  became  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment. In  May,  the  regiment  was  ordered  from  the  northern  frontier  to 
the  seaboard.     Headquarters  and  all  the  companies,  excepting  B,  arrived  at 


FO  UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  AR  TILLER  V.  355 

Fort  Columbus  in  June  and  July,  only  to  be  again  transferred,  for  the  order 
had  already  been  issued  for  headquarters  and  six  companies  to  take  station 
at  Fortress  Monroe,  with  two  companies  at  Fort  Washington,  one  at  Fort 
McHenry,  and  one  at  Fort  Severn.  Some  change  in  the  order  must  have 
been  made,  for  eight  companies  went  to  Fortress  Monroe  and  none  to  Fort 
Washington. 

The  "light  companies"  of  the  Third  and  Fourth  Artillerj'  regiments 
were  to  garrison  Fort  McHenry.  The  Act  of  August  23,  1842,  reduced  the 
strength  of  each  company  by  seventeen  men,  so  that  in  order  to  keep  the 
light  batteries  efficient  they  were  reduced  to  four  guns;  and  under  orders 
17,  of  1844,  two  companies  of  each  regiment  were  to  be  associated  together 
for  instruction  in  light  artillery.  Light  Company  B  was  then  at  Carlisle, 
Penn.,  and  Company  K  was  sent  there  to  join  it  in  November,  and  they 
remained  together  until  the  following  September. 

Space  will  not  permit  us  to  give  more  than  a  brief  sketch  of  what  the 
regiment  did  in  the  Mexican  War.  In  the  fall  of  1845  Lieutenant-Colonel 
M.  M.  Payne,  4th  Artillery,  and  companies  D,  G,  E  and  I,  of  the  regi- 
ment, were  sent  to  join  the  "  Army  of  Occupation  "  at  Corpus  Christi. 
G  Company  took  from  Fortress  Monroe  the  materiel  for  a  light  bat- 
tery, and  the  other  companies  were  armed  with  fiint-lock  muskets  ;  but  ex- 
pected to  have  the  new  percussion  muskets  sent  to  them  in  Texas.  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Payne  was  appointed  inspector-general  of  the  army  of 
occupation,  G  Company  was  relieved  of  the  field  guns,  and  all  four  compa- 
nies were  assigned  to  Child's  artillery  battalion.  In  the  battles  of  Palo 
Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  May  8th  and  9th,  1846,  the  companies  above 
mentioned  did  their  share  of  the  work,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Payne  being 
wounded  and  eight  enlisted  men  killed  and  wounded.  Major  Gardner, 
with  F  and  H  companies,  joined  Taylor's  army  in  July  ;  and  in  September 
Light  Company  B  arrived  at  San  Antonio  and  joined  Wool's  forces.  E  com- 
pany was  broken  up  in  July,  and  A  and  K  companies  left  Fortress  Monroe 
in  October  for  the  seat  of  war. 

During  the  year.  A,  D,  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K  companies  were  armed  with 
the  percussion  musket,  "which  have  so  far  proved  a  very  efficient  weapon, 
far  superior  to  the  fiint,"  says  the  report  of  the  regimental  commander  for 
the  year  1846.  When  Taylor  moved  from  Camargo  and  from  there,  on 
Monterey,  D,  G,  H  and  I  companies,  with  Harvey  Brown  acting  major  of 
the  battalion,  formed  part  of  Child's  battalion  of  the  first  brigade,  second 
division,  F  company  having  been  left  at  Fort  Polk. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  September  21,  1846,  the  battalion  of  the  4th 
Artillery  was  engaged  near  Monterey,  and  at  noon  of  that  day  G  and  H 
companies  were  selected  as  part  of  the  command  to  storm  the  batteries  on 
Federacion  Hill.  Early  the  next  morning  G  and  I  companies  were  part  of 
the  storming  party  to  carry  the  works  that  crowned  the  Independencia  Hill 
(which  was  finally  accomplished  with  the  bayonet)  and  afterwards  the 
Bishop's  palace.  Worth's  columns  of  attack  on  the  morning  of  the  23d 
contained  the  four  companies  of  the  4th  Artillery,  and  they  bore  oH  full 
honors  in  the  fighting  that  ensued  before  the  capitulation  of  the  city,  with 
a  loss  of  twelve   men  killed  and  wounded.     First  Sergeant  Hazzard  of  I 


356  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

company  was  one  of  the  nine  soldiers  mentioned  in  the  official  dispatches 
as  having  been  highly  distinguished.  We  now  turn  to  Light  Company  B 
at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  in  February,  1847.  It  had,  besides  its  four 
6-pdr.  guns  and  two  12-pdr.  howitzers,  two  4-pounder  Mexican  guns  that 
had  been  added  after  its  arrival  at  San  Antonio,  and  its  personnel  was  in- 
creased by  volunteers  from  the  ist  and  2d  Illinois  regiments.  In  this  bat- 
tle, B  company  greatly  distinguished  itself  ;  Captain  Washington,  with  part 
of  the  battery,  protecting  the  right  flank  of  the  army,  while  Lieutenant 
O'Brien,  with  the  remaining  guns,  covered  himself  with  glory  on  the  plain. 
On  the  22d  O'Brien  was  so  hard  pressed  that,  for  lack  of  horses  and  can- 
noneers, he  was  forced  to  abandon  one  of  the  4-pounders ;  and  the  following 
day,  though  wounded  himself,  and  all  his  cannoneers  excepting  a  few,  dis- 
abled or  killed,  this  gallant  officer  fought  his  guns  a  I'outrance,  winning  the 
highest  praise  from  his  foe,*  who  was  held  in  check  by  those  guns,  that  were 
"  lost  without  dishonor,"  until  the  batteries  of  Sherman  and  Bragg  came 
up,  and  Bragg  "  saved  the  day."  B  battery  may  well  feel  proud  of  its  work 
at  Buena  Vista,  for  it  is  unexcelled.  It  lost  two  officers  and  twenty-four 
men  in  killed  and  wounded. 

When  General  Scott  began  his  campaign  that  culminated  in  the  capture 
of  the  City  of  Mexico,  regimental  headquarters.  Major  J.  L.  Gardner,  com- 
manding, with  companies  A,  D,  F,  G  and  H  belonged  to  Twigg's  division 
of  his  army.  Company  K  was  left  in  garrison  at  Carmago  and  I  at  Fort  Polk. 
The  Fourth  Artillery  participated  in  the  various  duties  of  artillery  and 
infantry  in  the  trenches  and  on  picket  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  Then, 
moving  with  Riley's  brigade  of  the  division  it  was  engaged  at  Cerro  Gordo 
April  17th  and  i8th,  1847,  entered  Jalapa  two  days  later,  and  was  there 
joined  by  E  company  the  following  week.  In  May  they  all  went  to  Puebla 
and  were  there  joined  by  C  company.  This  company  left  Vera  Cruz  as 
light  artillery,  but  was  immediately  dismounted  on  reaching  Perote,  and 
joined  the  battalion  of  the  regiment.  G  company  was  designated  in  gen- 
eral orders  of  July  i6th,  as  the  additional  light  battery  of  the  regiment, 
but  was  not  mounted  until  after  the  battle  of  Contreras. 

In  the  battle  of  Contreras,  August  19th  and  20th,  Riley's  brigade,  with 
the  Fourth  Artillery  leading,  pushed  into  the  village  of  San  Geronimo  on  the 
19th,  and  when  the  next  morning  the  storming  columns  were  formed  to 
attack  Valencia's  troops  at  Contreras,  the  column  on  the  right  consisted  of 
the  Fourth  Artillery  and  part  of  the  Second  Infantry,  the  Fourth  Artillery 
being  in  front  in  double  column.  As  the  victorious  troops  were  pushing 
forward,  the  color  sergeant  of  the  regiment  (Sergeant  Goodwin)  was  killed, 
and  gallant  Lieut.  Calvin  Benjamin,  seizing  the  colors  of  the  Fourth  Artil- 
lery, bore  them  the  first  into  the  works.  G  was  the  first  company  to  enter,, 
and  "  recovered  with  glory  "  the  very  guns  that  O'Brien  had  fought  and 
lost  at  Buena  Vista. 

After  the  battle  the  regiment  collected  around  the  guns  with  the  great- 
est feeling  of  pride  and  exultation,  and  received  the  hearty  congratulations 
of  its  companions  in  arms.  General  Scott,  arriving,  joined  in  the  cheers, 
congratulated  the  regiment  on  having  recaptured  the  guns  that  "were  lost 

*  See  letter  of  General  Ferres  to  Don  P.  Barrasmonda. 


FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.  357 

by  it  on  the  field  of  Bucna  Vista  without  dishonor  and  recovered  with 
glory,"  and  also  promised  that,  with  an  appropriate  inscription  to  its  honor, 
they  should  be  given  to  the  regiment  in  perpetual  token  of  its  achievement. 
Alas!  they  now  rest  in  the  niches  of  the  Admmistration  Building  at  the 
Military  Academy.  "  Remember  this,  and  show  yourselves  men  :  bring  it 
again  to  mind,  O  ye  transgressors." 

These  guns  were  at  once  given  to  Drum,  and  they  formed  part  of  the 
armament  of  his  company,  which  was  regularly  mounted  that  day.  The 
regiment  lost  in  the  battle  one  officer  and  thirty-seven  men  killed  and 
wounded. 

At  Molino  del  Rey,  September  8th,  Battery  G  did  tremendous  work. 
The  other  companies  of  the  regiment  were  with  the  threatening  force  in 
front  of  the  south  side  of  the  city,  and  on  the  morning  of  September  12th 
were  in  the  demonstration  against  the  Garita  de  Candelaria ;  and  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  following  day  were  detached  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
diversion  on  the  Piedad  Causeway.  Battery  G  was  engaged  at  the  storming 
of  Chapultepec,  September  12th  ;  and  when  volunteers  were  called  for  that 
afternoon  to  storm  the  heights  the  Fourth  Artillery  soon  made  up  its  quota 
(consisting  of  Lieuts.  D.  H.  Hill  and  G.  A.  DeRussy  and  twenty-seven  men 
from  C,  E,  F  and  H  companies),  which  formed  part  of  Casey's  storming 
party  the  following  day,  while  Battery  G  worked  hard  at  covering  the 
movement  by  its  fire.  After  that  G  Battery  fought  along  the  Belen  Cause- 
way up  to  the  very  gate  of  the  city,  losing  so  many  men  that  additional 
cannoneers  were  twice  furnished  by  the  South  Carolina  Regiment.  Capt. 
Simon  H.  Drum,  Lieut.  Calvin  Benjamin  and  four  men  killed,  and  Lieut. 
FitzJohn  Porter  and  twenty  men  wounded,  attest  the  hot  position  of  the 
battery  in  that  fight  ;  and  General  Quitman  truly  says  in  his  report :  "  The 
losses  sustained  by  Captain  Drum's  heroic  little  band  of  artillerists  from  the 
Fourth  Artillery  evince  their  exposure  during  the  day.  I  do  them,  officers 
and  men,  but  justice  when  I  add  that  no  encomium  upon  their  conduct  and 
skill  would  be  misplaced." 

The  storming  party  of  the  regiment  at  Chapultepec  had  not  gotten  off 
without  loss,  six  men  having  been  wounded.  The  following  day  the  regi- 
ment entered  the  city.  On  the  very  night  the  gates  of  the  City  of  Mexico 
were  opened  the  siege  of  Puebla  (where  we  left  A  Company)  began,  and 
continued  for  thirty-two  days.  A  Company  being  actively  engaged  at  vari- 
ous times  during  the  siege. 

The  Act  of  February  11,  1847,  gave  the  regiment  another  major  and  a 
regimental  quartermaster;  while  that  of  March  3d  added  L  and  M  Compa- 
nies. M  Company  was  organized  at  Fortress  Monroe,  July  28th,  and  L 
Company  at  Fort  Columbus,  N.  Y.H.,  November  12,  1847.  Both  of  these 
companies  joined  the  regiment  in  Mexico  the  following  December. 

In  the  war  with  Mexico  the  regiment  lost  two  officers  killed  and  four 
wounded,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  enlisted  men  killed  and 
wounded. 

When  the  regiment  left  Mexico  for  Fortress  Monroe,  in  the  summer  of 
1S48,  Light  Battery  B  and  Company  K  were  ordered  to  remain  on  the  line 
of  the  Rio  Grande.     G  Company  turned  in  its  horses  at  New  Orleans,  but 


358  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

took  its  guns  to  Fortress  Monroe,  where  it  was  regularly  dismounted  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Circular  of  September  30,  1848,  A.  G.  O.  Under  the  Act 
of  July  14,  1848,  the  companies  were  reduced  to  forty-two  enlisted  men.  In 
October  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Florida,  and  headquarters  were  estab- 
lished at  Fort  Pickens,  but  moved  to  Pensacola  in  the  followmg  spring. 

General  Orders  22  of  1849  mounted  an  additional  battery  in  each  regi- 
ment. G,  of  the  Fourth,  having  been  designated  for  that  duty,  was  sent 
from  Fort  Pickens  to  Jefferson  Barracks  ;  and  after  being  there  mounted 
proceeded  to  Leavenworth  and  engaged  in  field  duty.  It  did  not  remain 
mounted  very  long,  for  in  March,  1851,  all  the  light  batteries  were  dis- 
mounted excepting  Taylor's  of  the  First,  and  Bragg'sof  the  Third  Artillery. 
While  in  Florida  the  companies  were  kept  constantly  at  work  moving 
through  the  country.  The  orders  of  October  8,  1850,  sent  the  regiment 
North  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Columbus,  the  companies  being  distributed 
to  that  post  and  Forts  Lafayette,  Hamilton,  Mifflin  and  Washington.  A, 
C,  H  and  M  Companies  did  not  remain  long  at  their  new  stations,  for  in 
June,  1 85 1,  they  were  sent  to  the  coasts  of  North  and  South  Carolina,  only 
to  be  sent  North  again  the  following  June,  when  headquarters  were  ordered 
to  Fort  Hamilton  and  a  number  of  the  companies  to  stations  on  the  Lakes, 
as  far  as  Fort  Mackinac. 

In  1853  some  of  the  companies  again  changed  station,  C  and  I  Companies 
going  to  Fort  Independence,  Massachusetts,  while  D  and  M,  less  fortunate, 
were  sent  to  the  Rio  Grande.  General  Walbach  established  regimental  head- 
quartersat  Baltimore,  October  i,  1853,  the  regimental  quartermaster  and  band 
remaining  at  Fort  Hamilton.  In  May,  1855,  G  Battery  was  ordered  to  prepare 
for  the  field  as  a  mountain-howitzer  battery,  and  was  so  exercised  on  two  oc- 
casions ;  but  after  firing  a  few  rounds  of  ammunition  at  practice,  the  materiel 
was  so  much  injured  by  the  cracking  of  axles,  etc.,  that  the  scheme  had  to 
be  abandoned.  The  battery  subsequently  joined  in  the  Sioux  expedition, 
mounted  on  the  battery  horses  and  armed  with  long  range  rifles,  and  Sep- 
tember 3,  1855,  was  engaged  under  Captain  Howe  in  the  battle  of  Blue 
Water  against  the  Brule  Indians,  being  the  only  one  of  the  four  mounted 
companies  that  attacked  the  enemy  on  the  heights  on  foot,  losing  two  men 
in  the  fight  but  killing  and  capturing  a  number  of  the  Indians.  October 
loth,  it  encountered  a  band  of  Indians  and  captured  five,  and  subsequently 
took  station  at  Fort  Laramie. 

The  first  part  of  the  following  year  it  operated  as  cavalry  under  Cooke, 
but  in  August  it  proceeded  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  resumed  its  guns  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  Kansas  troubles.  It  was  dismounted  under  G.  O.  9  of  1856, 
which  permitted  only  one  battery  to  each  regiment,  and  was  sent  to  Fort- 
ress Monroe  in  December  to  form  part  of  the  artillery  school. 

In  the  fall  of  1856,  the  regiment  was  again  sent  to  Florida,  the  field  and 
stafif  arriving  at  Fort  Brooke,  December  13th.  All  the  companies,  except- 
ing B  and  G  were  that  winter  in  Florida,  having  been  drawn  from  Fort 
Mackinac  on  the  north  and  Fort  Brown  on  the  south,  "  in  order  to  carry  on 
a  vigorous  campaign  against  the  Seminoles,  who  have  within  the  year  given 
evidences  of  their  hostility." 

Light  Battery  B  had  already  been  sent  from  Texas  to  Jefferson   Bar- 


FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.  359 

racks,  and  in  March,  1S57  joined  at  Fort  Leavenworth  to  form  part  of  Har- 
ney's Utah  expedition.  It  there  received  the  horses  of  G  Company, 
recently  dismounted,  its  own  having  been  turned  in  at  New  Orleans. 

The  regiment  was  very  actively  engaged  in  hunting  Indians  while  in 
Florida,  and  suffered  great  hardships  in  some  of  its  expeditons  through  the 
swamps.  The  only  casualty  reported  was  the  wounding  of  Pvt.  King  of  M 
Company,  in  an  engagement  at  Big  Cypress,  March  13,  1857. 

General  Walbach  died  June  10,  1857,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-three 
years,  and  Francis  S.  Belton  was  made  colonel  of  the  regiment.  The  oper- 
ations in  Florida  were  prosecuted  with  good  promise  of  a  successful  termi- 
nation of  the  campaign,  but  the  War  Department  concluding  that  its  servi- 
ces were  needed  in  Kansas,  all  the  regiment  was  sent  to  that  Territorj'  in 
the  fall  of  the  year  1857,  and  soon  after  distributed  through  Utah  and 
Nebraska.  The  field  staff  and  band  and  Companies  A  and  I  took  station  at 
Fort  Laramie,  in  August.  1858;  Company  C  and  Light  Battery  B  went  to 
Salt  Lake,  D  and  E  to  Platte  Ridge,  F,  H  and  K  to  Fort  Kearney,  and  L 
and  M  to  Cheyenne  Pass. 

The  following  summer  headquarters  and  companies  E,  H,  I.  L  and  M 
were  sent  to  Fort  Randall,  Dakota,  A,  to  Salt  Lake,  and  F  and  K  to  Fort 
Ridgely,  Minn.  The  privates  of  D  Company  were  transferred  to  other  com- 
panies of  the  regiment,  and  the  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  pro- 
ceeded to  Fortress  Monroe,  where  the  company  was  reorganized  and  took 
station.  During  the  trouble  at  Harper's  Ferry,  in  the  fall  of  1859,  G  and 
part  of  D  Company  were  sent  to  that  place  and  remained  there  several 
weeks  in  November.  In  i860,  the  companies  in  Utah  were  kept  busy  pro- 
tecting the  parties  of  emigrants  going  West,  and  keeping  open  the  mail 
routes.  Light  Battery  B,  operating  as  cavalry,  marched  during  that  sum- 
mer 2000  miles  over  a  barren  and  desert  country,  and  though  the  Indians 
were  continually  hostile,  the  roads  were  kept  open.  The  battery  had  a  suc- 
cessful fight  against  200  Indians  at  Eagan's  Canyon,  August,  11,  i860,  losing 
three  men  wounded  (one  mortall}^.  August  loth,  Sergeant  Bishop,  com- 
manding a  small  detachment  of  the  battery,  was  attacked  and  forced  to 
withdraw  to  Deep  Creek,  where  in  a  fight  with  a  party  of  Indians,  Septem- 
ber 6th,  he  was  wounded.  All  the  companies  on  the  plains  were  kept  busy 
scouting  that  summer.  L  Company  was  sent  from  Fort  Randall  to  Fortress 
Monroe  that  year,  exchanging  with  Company  G. 

In  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  the  active  service  of  the  batteries  (the  term 
by  which  we  shall  hereafter  designate  the  units  of  the  regiment)  was  so 
continuous  and  they  were  so  separated  that  it  is  simply  impossible,  in  a 
short  magazine  article,  to  attempt  more  than  a  general  indication  of  the 
work  performed  by  them.  The  outbreak  of  the  War  soon  brought  the  regi- 
ment in  from  the  plains.  Regimental  headquarters  took  station  at  Fort 
McHenry,  but  were  subsequently  sent  to  Fort  Washington.  Colonel  Belton 
was  retired  August  28,  1861,  and  Charles  S.  Merchant  became  colonel  of  the 
regiment.  He  was  retired  August  i,  1863,  and  Horace  Brooks  was  made 
colonel. 

We  will  now  give,  in  alphabetical  order,  the  services  of  the  batteries 
during  the  War. 


36o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Battery  A. — Batteries  A  and  C  were  united  at  Washington,  D.  C,  in 
October,  1861,  made  a  light  battery  (4  lo-pdr.  Parrotts)  and  attached  to 
Sumner's  Division  in  December.  In  March,  1862,  its  armament  was 
changed  to  6  12-pdr.  guns,  and  it  was  assigned  to  Richardson's  Division  of 
the  Second  Corps. 

It  was  first  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  Rappahannoclc  Station  April  28, 
1862,  being  with  Howard's  Brigade;  and  in  the  ensuing  campaign  agamst 
Richmond  it  did  its  full  share  of  hard  work.  It  fought  well  at  Fair  Oaks 
June  1st ;  and,  forming  part  of  the  rear  guard  of  the  Army,  was  heavily  en- 
gaged at  Allen's  Farm  and  Savage  Station  June  29th,  and  at  White  Oak 
Swamp  June  30th  (Capt.  G.  W.  Hazzard  of  C  being  mortally,  and  Lieut. 
A.  Morris  slightly  wounded),  and  was  in  reserve  at  Malvern  Hill  the  follow- 
ing day. 

With  Sumner  on  the  right  flank  of  the  Army  at  Antietam  it  fought  des- 
perately, and  in  the  language  of  its  corps  commander,  rendered  "  distin- 
guished service."  It  was  next  engaged  at  Charlestown,  W.  Va.,  October  16, 
1862.  Two  days  later  the  batteries  (A-C)  were  separated  at  Harper's 
Ferry. 

A  Battery  obtained  seventy  men  from  the  4th  Ohio,  proceeded  to 
Washington  to  refit,  obtained  6  3-in.  rifles,  and  rejoined  the  Second  Corps. 

It  was  near  the  right  of  Hays'  Division  of  Artillery  when  Fredericks- 
burg was  bombarded,  and  afterwards  crossed  the  river  and  was  in  the  fight 
of  December  14th.  It  afterwards  formed  part  of  the  artillery  reserve  of  the 
Second  Corps ;  and  though  present  and  occupying  several  positions  at 
Chancellorsville,  it  was  not  regularly  engaged.  After  that  it  became  part 
of  the  artillery  brigade  of  the  Second  Corps,  and  was  engaged  with  the 
enemy  at  Haymarket  May  28,  1863. 

On  the  afternoon  of  July  2,  1863,  it  was  put  in  position  just  on  the  right 
of  Webb's  Brigade  of  the  Second  Division,  and  fought  hard  and  well ;  and 
when,  the  following  afternoon,  this  point  became  the  objective  of  the  op- 
posing forces,  and  Pickett's  men  pushed  forward  to  the  stone  wall,  Battery 
A  of  the  Fourth  Artillery,  just  in  rear  of  the  wall,  though  hard  hit  itself, 
poured  withering  fire  into  the  advancing  ranks.  The  battery  may  well  be 
proud  of  its  magnificent  record  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and  Lieut. 
Alonzo  H.  Gushing,  killed  in  Pickett's  charge,  has  left  a  name  for  gallantry 
that  cannot  be  excelled. 

Gushing  and  Milne  (ist  R.  I.  A.  attached)  killed. Ganby  wounded,  thirty- 
eight  men  killed  and  wounded,  three  limbers  blown  up,  carriages  and  guns 
broken  and  injured,  and  sixty-five  horses  killed  and  wounded  bear  witness 
to  the  fact  that  A  .Battery  was  engaged  at  Gettysburg.  What  remained  of 
it  was  attached  after  the  battle  to  I  Battery  of  the  ist  Artillery,  but  was 
separated  from  it  July  i6th,  made  a  horse  battery  {2  3-in.  rifles  and  2  12- 
pdr.  Napoleons),  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade  of  Horse  Artillery,  and  re- 
mained with  it  until  dismounted  in  June,  1864. 

Its  service  while  a  horse  battery  was  with  the  cavalry,  and  it  fought  at 
Sulphur  Springs  September  nth  and  12th,  at  Bristoe  Station  October 
14th,  and  at  Parker's  Store  November  29,  1863. 

In  Grant's  Wilderness  campaign,  in  the  spring  of  1864,  it  was  engaged 


FO UR TH  REGIMENT  OF  AR TILLER  Y.  36 1 

at  Todd's  Tavern  May  5th,  at  Tiney  Woods  May  6th,  again  at  Todd's  Tav- 
ern May  7th,  and  at  Pine  Run  May  8th. 

Starting  on  Sheridan's  raid  May  9th,  it  fought  at  Ground  Squirrel 
Church  May  loth,  before  Richmond  May  nth,  at  Mechanicsville  May  12th, 
and  at  Salem  Church  and  Harrison's  Store  May  28th.  It  reached  Harri- 
son's Landing  June  3d,  and  was  there  dismounted.  It  was  sent  the  next 
day  to  Washington,  equipped  as  a  light  battery,  and  remained  in  the  de- 
fenses of  Washington  from  that  time  until  the  close  of  the  War. 

Battery  B.— B  Battery  was  a  light  battery  throughout  the  War.  It 
was  armed  with  six  12-pdrs.  until  May.  1864,  when  two  of  the  guns  were 
turned  in.  and  it  thereafter  served  as  a  four-gun  battery.  It  reached  Wash- 
ington in  October,  1861,  obtained  its  new  armament,  and  was  assigned  to 
M'Dowell's  Division  the  following  month.  When  Pope's  army  was  organ- 
ized in  June,  1862,  it  was  assigned  to  the  4th  (Gibbon's)  Brigade  of  the  ist 
(King's)  Division  of  the  3d,(M'Doweirs)  Corps. 

It  was  first  opposed  to  the  enemy  at  Orange  Court  House  July  26,  1862, 
was  under  fire  at  Cedar  Mountain  August  ijth-ipth,  engaged  in  the  defense 
of  the  Rappahannock  at  Rappahannock  Station  August  2ist-23d,  in  action 
at  Sulphur  Springs  August  25th-26th,  fought  hard  at  Gainesville  August 
28th,  and  at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run  August  29th-30th. 

When  McClellan  resumed  command  of  the  Army  King's  Division  was 
assigned  to  the  ist  (Hooker's)  Corps.  The  battery,  still  with  Gibbon, 
fought  gallantly  at  South  Mountain  September  14th,  and  in  the  battle  of 
Antietam  September  17th,  when  Hooker  was  directed  to  turn  the  left  flank 
of  the  enemy,  B  Battery  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  though  sub- 
jected to  a  murderous  fire  at  short  range  dealt  desperate  and  effective 
blows  in  return.  Lieut.  J.  B.  Campbell  wounded,  thirty-nine  men  and 
thirty-three  horses  killed  and  wounded  are  indicative  of  the  position  of  the 
battery  in  that  battle.  At  Fredericksburg,  with  Doubleday's  Division  of 
the  1st  Corps,  it  crossed  the  river  and  was  engaged  in  the  battle  from  the 
13th  to  the  15th  of  December,  1862,  and  won  the  highest  encomiums  from 
its  corps  commander,  John  F.  Reynolds.  After  the  battle  it  became  part 
of  the  artillery  brigade  of  its  division.  It  was  engaged  at  Fitzhugh's  Cross- 
ing April  26,  1863,  and  was  next  under  fire  at  Chancellorsville  May  4th.  5th 
and  6th. 

After  that  the  artillery  of  the  corps  was  consolidated  and  it  became  part 
of  the  artillery  brigade  of  the  ist  Corps.  It  went  into  action  at  Gettysburg 
on  the  afternoon  of  July  ist,  and  was  severely  engaged,  barely  escaping 
capture,  and  finally  fell  back  to  Cemetery  Hill.  The  next  day  it  was  hard 
at  work  under  a  very  heavy  fire,  and  continuing  in  position,  had  the  same 
experience  July  3d.  Lieuts.  James  Stewart  and  James  Davison  (5th  Art. 
attached)  wounded,  and  thirty-two  men  and  thirty-two  horses  killed 
wounded  and  missing,  one  caisson  blown  up,  three  broken  down,  and  two 
guns  placed  /lors  de  combat  are  indicative  of  the  positions  occupied  by 
"  Jock  "  Stewart's  Battery  on  the  field  of  Gettysburg.  The  battery  was  en- 
gaged at  Funkstown  July  nth,  at  Warrenton  July  23d;  and  at  Haymarket 
October  19th,  and  Mine  Run  Nov.  30th  it  was  in  position. 

It  fought  in  the  Wilderness  in  May,  1864,  being  engaged  at   Spottsyl- 


2,62  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

vania  Court  House  May  12th,  Po  River  May  20th,  North  Anna  May  23d. 
and  Tolopotomy  Creek  May  25th.  It  was  in  position  June  i-4th  at 
Bethesda  Church,  losing  heavily  in  the  fighting  on  the  third  and  fourth 
days.  In  position  at  White  House  June  15th,  and  engaged  all  day  in  the 
fighting  before  Petersburg  on  June  i8th,  and  remained  in  that  vicinity  the 
rest  of  the  year.  It  was  engaged  in  a  fight  at  Hatchers  Run  October  28, 
1864,  fought  well  at  Gravelly  Run  March  29,  1865,  where  Lieut.  John 
Mitchell  was  wounded,  and  ended  its  fighting  in  the  Civil  War  at  Quaker 
Road  March  30,  1865.  Its  war  record  is  magnificent,  excelled  by  none,  and 
only  equalled  by  that  of  Battery  K. 

Battery  C. — C  Battery  had  to  its  record,  when  separated  from  Batterj^ 
A  in  October,  1S62,  the  various  engagements  indicated  in  the  record  given 
above  of  Battery  A.  Its  captain,  G.  W.  Hazzard,  was  mortally  wounded  at 
White  Oak  Swamp.  When  A  and  C  batteries  were  separated,  the  horses, 
guns  and  equipments  were  turned  over  to  C  Battery,  which  remained  with 
Hancock's  division  of  the  Second  Corps.  It  crossed  the  river  with  the 
Irish  Brigade  December  12,  1862,  was  placed  in  position  opposite  Marye's 
Heights  the  following  day,  and  during  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  when 
the  infantry  struggled  so  hard  to  carry  the  Heights,  C  Battery  did  all  that 
it  could  to  assist  its  sister  arm.  It  next  fought  at  Chancellorsville  May  2-3, 
1863,  where  part  of  the  battery  was  with  Hancock  and  Geary,  and  when  the 
Third  Corps  was  forced  back  on  Sunday  morning  the  half  of  C  Battery  at 
the  Salient  Angle,  subjected  to  a  terrific  fire,  poured  canister  into  the 
enemy  not  sixty  yards  distant.  The  struggle  was  desperate.  Lieutenant 
O'Donohoe  (attached)  was  killed,  and  the  intrepid  Field  voluntarily  re- 
mamed  with  Geary  and  did  good  work  long  after  he  had  been  ordered  out 
of  action. 

The  battery  was  afterwards  assigned  to  Ransom's  (First  Regular)  Brig- 
ade of  the  Reserve  Artillery.  It  was  sent  forward  July  2d  to  the  line  of 
battle  at  Gettysburg,  just  to  the  left  of  the  Second  Corps,  and  on  that  and 
the  following  day  was  well  fought  by  Evan  Thomas,  losing  Lieut.  John 
M'Gilvray  wounded,  and  seventeen  men  and  twenty-nine  horses  killed  and 
wounded.  In  August  it  was  reduced  to  a  four-gun  battery  (12-pdr.  Na- 
poleons), and  during  October  operated  with  the  Third  Division  of  the  Sixth 
Corps.  It  was  regularly  assigned  to  that  corps  October  i6th,  and  fought 
at  Mine  Run  November  30,  1863. 

It  was  united  with  E  Battery  as  a  horse  battery  April  11,  1864  (2  3-in., 
2  i2-pdrs.)  and  they  remained  so  united  until  after  the  close  of  the  War. 

This  united  battery  was  at  once  assigned  to  the  first  brigade  of  horse 
artillery,  and  during  the  spring  campaign  of  1864  was  attached  to  the  third 
division  (Wilson's)  of  the  cav^alry  corps,  and  was  engaged  at  Craig's  Chapel 
and  Todd's  Tavern  May  5th ;  at  Spottsylvania  Court  House  May  8th  ;  and, 
participating  in  Sheridan's  raid,  fought  at  Meadow  Bridge  May  12th,  and  at 
Mechanicsville,  May  14th,  losing  five  men  and  twenty-two  horses.  Contin- 
uing with  the  cavalry  corps  it  was  engaged  at  White  Oak  Swamp  June  3d, 
also  at  Riddell's  House  the  same  day.  Starting  on  Wilson's  raid  June  22d, 
it  fought  at  Nottoway  Court  House  June  23d,  Roanoke  Station  June  25th, 
Stonev  Creek  Station  June  28th,  and  June  29th  at  Ream's  Station,  where 


FO UR TH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLER  V.  363 

Wilson  ran  into  the  Confederate  infantry,  and  after  some  severe  fighting  the 
battery  was  captured.  The  guns  were  spiked,  the  carriages  destroyed,  and  the 
men  mounted  on  the  battery  horses  with  pistols  and  sabres  picked  up  on  the 
road,  fought  their  way  out,  and  rejoined  the  horse  artillery  brigade  the  fol- 
lowing day.  after  having  lost  several  men  wounded  and  eighteen  captured. 
It  was  at  once  re-equipped  as  a  horse  battery,  receiving  the  same  armament 
as  before. 

It  went  with  Wilson's  cavalry  division  to  operate  under  Sheridan  in  the 
Shenandoah,  and  was  engaged  at  Winchester  August  17th  ,  Summit  Point 
August  2ist;  Kernsville  August  25th  Berryville  September  5th  ;  after 
which  it  joined  the  reserve  at  Pleasant  Valley.  October  25th,  with  a  bri- 
gade of  the  19th  Corps,  it  was  successful  in  repulsing  the  attempt  of 
Mosby  to  capture  the  paymaster's  train  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  joining  Sheri- 
idan  the  following  day  was  assigned  to  the  second  brigade  of  the  first  cav- 
alry division. 

The  half  battery  of  rifled  guns  formed  part  of  Sheridan's  command; 
when  he  made  his  raid  that  began  February  27,  1865,  and  this  part  of  the 
battery  did  good  work  in  the  fights  that  occurred  at  Waynesboro  March 
2d  ;  Dinwiddle  Court  House  March  31st ;  Five  Forks  April  ist ;  Scott's  Cross 
Roads,  Sutherland  Station,  and  Brown's  Cross  Roads  April  2d;  Nelson's 
Farm  and  Sailor's  Creek  April  6th  ;  Appomattox  April  8th  ;  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  formed  part  of  the  fighting  line  that  barred  Lee's  way  and 
forced  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

Battery  D. — D  Battery  was  mounted  as  a  light  battery  in  February,  i  S62, 
(6  i2-pdr,  guns)  and  remained  a  light  battery  throughout  the  War.  A  de- 
tachment of  it  was  at  Big  Bethel  June  loth,  and  at  Fort  Hatteras  August 
28,  1861. 

The  battery  formed  part  of  Wool's  force  for  the  capture  of  Norfolk  in 
May,  1862,  and  the  following  September  was  sent  to  Suffolk,  where  it  re- 
mained with  the  troops  under  General  Peck,  forming  part  of  the  first  divi- 
sion of  the  7th  Corps  ;  and  was  sent  on  various  expeditions  while  serving  in 
that  vicinity.  The  right  section  (platoon  is  the  name  now  given  to  what 
was  then  designated  a  section),  under  Lieutenant  Whitney,  was  engaged  at 
Franklin,  Va.,  October  4th,  and  the  entire  battery  having  marched  50  miles 
in  30  hours,  was  inaction  at  the  same  place  October  31st.  It  was  next  engaged 
when  General  Corcoran  had  his  fight  at  Deserted  House  January  29,  1863 
and  again  the  same  afternoon,  ten  miles  from  SufTolk,  losing  in  the  latter 
fight  eleven  men  killed  and  wounded.  April  24th  the  left  section  was  in  action 
at  Edenton  Road  under  General  Peck,  and  from  April  loth  to  May  30th.  the 
battery  was  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Suffolk.  It  was  also  in  action  May  24th 
while  engaged  under  General  Corcoran  in  destroying  the  Petersburg  R.  R. 

It  fought  at  Franklin,  Va.,  June  1 8th,  and  at  Windsor  June  22d,  being  part 
of  the  first  division  of  the  7th  Corps.  When  the  i8th  Corps  was  organized 
in  April,  1864,  to  play  its  part  in  Grant's  campaign  against  Richmond,  the 
battery  belonged  to  the  artillery  brigade  of  the  Second  (Weitzel's)  Divi- 
sion, and  moved  to  Bermuda  Hundred  in  May.  The  right  and  left  sections 
were,  with  the  first  division  of  the  i8th  Corps,  engaged  against  the  enemy 
at  Point  of  Rocks  May  7th,  and  the  right  section  had  several  men  wounded 


364  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

in  the  tight  near  Petersburg  May  9th.  The  centre  and  left  sections  were 
heavily  engaged  with  severe  loss  at  Fort  Darling  May  14th,  the  entire  battery 
at  the  same  place  two  days  later,  and  in  front  of  Petersburg  June  15th,  i6th 
and  1 7th.  The  left  and  centre  sections  were  engaged  at  Deep  Bottom  July  26th. 
The  battery  forming  part  of  the  artillery  brigade  of  the  loth  Corps  partici- 
pated in  the  siege  of  Petersburg,  being  daily  engaged  from  August  26th  to 
September  24th,  1864,  and  also  fought  at  Laurel  Hill  September  29th,  and 
at  New  Market  Road  October  7th  of  that  year.  It  remained  in  front  of 
Petersburg  until  December,  when  it  is  reported  as  in  front  of  Richmond, 
where  it  remained  until  April  3d,  when  it  marched  through  the  city  that  had 
been  so  long  the  capital  of  the  Confederacy. 

Battery  E. — Battery  E,  armed  with  6  lo-pdr.  Parrott's,  was  mounted 
as  a  light  battery  at  Camp  Monroe,  Ohio,  in  August,  1861,  and  joined  Rose- 
crans'  army  in  West  Virginia.  In  December  it  was  sent  to  General  Kelly 
at  Romney,  and  a  section  was  with  Dunning  in  his  little  fight  near  Blue 
Gap,  January  7,  1863.  The  battery  now  belonged  to  Landers'  Division,  which 
afterwards  became  the  second  (Shields')  division  of  the  5th  (Banks')  Corps 
in  the  organization  of  March,  1862.  Four  guns  of  the  battery  were  in  the 
skirmishes  at  Middletown  and  Cedar  Creek  March  i8th,  and  the  entire  bat- 
tery, with  Kimball's  Brigade,  fought  at  the  battle  of  Winchester  March  23d, 
and  was  in  the  skirmish  at  Mount  Jackson  April  17,  1862. 

May  ist,  Shields'  Division  was  transferred  to  M'Dowell's  department.  One 
section  of  the  battery  was  engaged  at  Front  Royal  May  31st,  and  June  9th  the 
entire  battery  was  heavily  engaged  at  Port  Republic  where,  after  a  desperate 
resistance,  it  lost  three  guns  and  two  caissons.  One  of  the  guns  it  had  the 
satisfaction  of  recapturing  during  the  battle.  The  lost  guns  were  not  re- 
placed ;  but  in  July  the  battery  was  made  a  horse  battery,  retaining  its  four 
Parrott  guns.  When  the  ist,  2d  and  3d  Corps  were  organized  m  June,  1862, 
the  battery  remained  with  M'Dowell,  being  reported  as  unattached  ;  but  in 
August  it  was  assigned  to  Reno's  Division  of  the  9th  Corps,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  defense  of  the  Rappahannock  August  i5-26th. 

Temporarily  attached  to  Hooker's  Division  it  was  engaged  at  Broad  Run 
August  27th.  Then  rejoining  Reno  it  fought  at  the  battle  of  Second  Bull 
Run  August  29th  and  30th,  where  it  "  behaved  nobly,"  and  was  in  action  at 
Chantilly  September  ist.  In  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  it  became 
part  of  Sturgis'  (2d)  Division  of  the  9th  Corps,  and  did  good  fighting  at 
South  Mountain  September  14th.  It  participated  in  the  battle  of  Antietam 
September  17th,  where  Lieut.  E.  L.  Baker  was  killed,  and  Capt.  J.  C.  Clark 
was  four  times  wounded.  The  battery  being  without  officers.  General  Hunt 
selected  Lieut.  Geo.  W.  Dickenson,  4th  Artillery,  to  reorganize  the  battery 
after  the  battle  and  prepare  it  for  field  service.  Temporarily  with  Hancock's 
Division,  it  was  in  the  fight  at  Charlestown,  W.  Va.,  October  16,  1862.  It 
formed  part  of  the  grand  battery  opposite  Fredericksburg,  then  crossed  the 
river  with  its  division  (Sturgis')  on  the  morning  of  December  12th,  and  was 
heavily  engaged  on  the  following  day,  when  it  was  subjected  to  a  terrific  fire. 
In  less  than  twenty  minutes  "the  gallant  Dickenson  fell  gloriously  at  his 
post,"  while  twelve  of  the  cannoneers  were  killed  and  wounded,  and  all  the 
men  were  twice  driven  from  their  guns. 


FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.  365 

In  March,  1S63,  it  was  assii^iierl  to  the  first  brigade  of  horse  artillery. 
After  Fredericksburg  "  Sam  "  Elder  was  placed  in  command  of  the  battery 
and  retained  it  until  the  following  November  when  he  joined  his  own  regi- 
ment. It  fought  at  Kelly's  Ford  April  14,  1863,  while  on  Stoncman's 
Raid,  and  after  returning  from  the  raid  the  Parrott  guns  were  turned  in  and 
replaced  by  four  3-inch  rifles.  The  battery  was  next  engaged  at  Beverly 
Ford  June  14th,  with  Buford,  and  next  with  Kilpatrick's  division  at  Han- 
over June  30th  ;  in  the  Battle  of  Gettysburg  July  ist,  2d  and  3d  ;  at 
Smithsburg  July  5th  ;  at  Hagerstown  July  6th  ;  at  Boonsboro  July  8th  ;  at 
Funkstown  July  loth  ;  again  at  Hagerstown  July  nth;  at  Port  Conway 
September  3d  ;  at  Brandy  Station  October  loth  and  i  ith  ;  at  Buckland  Mills 
October  13th  ;  fought  again  the  next  day,  and  again  near  Buckland 's  Mills 
October  19th.  October  27th  and  2Sth  it  was  in  action  while  engaged  in 
guarding  Raccoon  Ford,  and  in  December  went  into  winter  quarters  with  its 
brigade  of  horse  artiller)-.  A  new  armament  of  3-inch  guns  was  obtained 
in  March,  1864,  but  on  the  nth  of  April  C  and  E  batteries  were  consoli- 
dated and  made  a  horse  battery  (two  3-inch  rifles  and  two  12-pounder  guns) 
and  the  w^ar  record  of  E  battery  from  that  time  on  has  already  been  given 
in  the  record  of  Battery  C. 

Battery  F. — Battery  F  arriv^ed  in  Washington  from  the  West  on  the 
i8th  of  April,  1861,  after  having  had  a  number  of  its  men  injured  from 
stones,  etc.,  thrown  by  the  mob  while  passing  through  Baltimore.  It  was 
sent  to  Carlisle  in  June  and  there  equipped  as  a  light  battery  (four 
6-pounder  guns  and  two  12-pounder  howitzers)  and  formed  part  of  Patter- 
son's command,  the  sections  being  distributed  to  the  different  brigades. 
The  battery  was  first  engaged  at  Falling  Waters  July  2d,  1861  ;  July  8th 
it  is  reported  as  attached  to  Stone's  brigade. 

In  the  organization  of  the  Army,  October  15,  1861,  it  was  assigned  to 
Banks'  division,  of  which  it  then  formed  part,  and  was  engaged  for  several 
days  in  December  in  defending  dams  Nos.  4  and  5.  In  the  reorganization 
of  March,  1862,  it  was  assigned  to  to  the  First  (Williams')  Division  of  the 
Fifth  (Banks')  Corps.  One  s'ection  was  in  action  at  Newton  May  24th, 
and  the  entire  battery  fought  in  the  battle  of  Winchester  the  following 
day.  In  June,  1862,  the  armament  was  changed  to  six  12-pounder  Napo- 
leon guns.  When  Pope's  army  was  formed  Banks'  corps  became  the  Sec- 
ond Corps.  At  Cedar  Mountain  the  battery  fought  hard  and  weil,  suffer- 
ing severely  and  losing,  by  an  accident,  one  gun  in  the  retreat.  After 
Pope's  campaign  Banks' corps  was  made  the  12th  Corps  (General  Mans- 
field's) which,  after  Antietam,  became  Slocum's.  The  battery  was,  in  the 
reorganization,  taken  from  the  division  to  form  part  of  the  artillery  brig- 
ade of  the  corps,  and  was  held  in  reser\^e  at  Antietam  and  not  engaged 
during  the  battle. 

It  was  at  Chancellorsville  that  it  covered  itself  with  glor}',  being  engaged 
May  1st,  2d  and  3d.  Lieut.  E.  D.  Muhlenberg,  with  his  guns  at  the  angle 
near  Geary,  did  work  of  which  the  battery  may  well  feel'  proud,  for  with 
"courage,  coolness  and  indomitable  bravery — he  contended  against  the 
fearful  odds  before  him  until  every  gunner  was  killed  or  wounded  at  his 
post,  seven  horses  killed  and  his  ammunition  exhausted."     Lieutenant  F.  6. 


Z^6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Crosby,  a  most  gallant  and  efficient  officer  of  the  battery,  was  killed  on 
the  3d. 

We  next  find  the  battery  engaged  at  Gettysburg,  when  July  2d  it  was  in 
action  near  Gulp's  Hill,  and  on  the  following  day,  placed  about  the  centre 
of  the  line  of  the  12th  Gorps,  it  rendered  valuable  service  by  its  work 
against  the  enemy.  That  ended  the  fighting  of  F  Battery  for  the  War.  It 
vvent  West  with  the  12th  Corps  that  fall,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864  was  sent 
CO  Nashville  to  form  part  of  the  first  division  of  the  reserve  artillery  of 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  In  October,  1S64,  itwas  dismounted,  the 
privates  assigned  to  M  Battery,  and  the  officers  and  non-commissioned 
officers  sent  east  to  recruit.  It  was  not  remounted  nor  did  it  again  rejoin 
the  forces  in  the  field. 

Battery  G. — Early  in  June,  1861,  Battery  G  was  equipped  as  a  light 
battery  (4  6-pdr.  guns  and  2  12-pdr.  howitzers)  at  Cincinnati,  and  joined 
McClellan  in  West  Virginia,  being  present  at  the  fight  at  Rich  Mountain 
July  nth.  On  the  25th  of  July  it  was  assigned  to  the  Third  (McCook's) 
Brigade  by  Rosecrans,  and  subsequently  joining  the  First  (Reynolds')  Bri- 
gade, it  fought  well  at  Green  Briar  River  October  3d,  losing  six  men 
killed  and  wounded.  In  December  it  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  as 
part  of  the  reserve  artillery,  and  received  a  new  armament  of  6  12-pdr.  Na- 
poleon guns. 

It  participated  in  the  Peninsular  campaign,  being  actively  engaged  in  the 
iiege  of  Yorktown.  After  that  it  was  attached  to  the  Second  (Slocum's) 
Division  of  the  Second  (Franklin's)  Corps,  and  a  month  later  joined  Getty's 
firigade  of  Reserve  Artillery.  June  28,  1862,  it  joined  Naglee  (of  Peck's 
Division  of  the  Fourth  Corps),  who  was  left  behind  to  hold  Jackson  in 
check,  and  was  that  afternoon  engaged  in  the  fight  at  Bottom's  Bridge.  It 
was  on  the  line  of  battle  and  slightly  engaged  on  several  occasions  during 
the  retreat,  serving  with  Peck,  and  also  Smith's  Division  of  the  Sixth 
Corps,  after  which  it  returned  to  the  artillery  reserve.  It  next  appeared 
with  Sykes'  Division  at  Antietam,  and  while  the  battle  was  going  on  was 
sent  CO  Burnside  ;  but  it  practically  did  nothing  in  that  battle. 

At  Fredericksburg  it  belonged  to  the  right  centre  division  of  the  reserve 
artillery,  was  placed  just  to  the  left  of  the  Lacy  House  December  loth, 
and  the  next  day  was  engaged  and  did  well  in  covering  the  crossing  of  the 
troops.  It  was  next  in  action  near  Falmouth  May  3-4,  1863,  and  the  month 
after  was  assigned  to  the  Artillery  Brigade  of  the  Eleventh  Corps.  July  ist, 
with  the  First  (Barlow's)  Division  of  its  Corps,  it  was  severely  engaged 
at  Gettysburg,  losing  its  commander,  Lieut.  Bayard  Wilkeson,  "an  officer 
of  great  gallantry."  That  night  it  was  placed  in  position  on  Cemetery 
Hill,  where,  under  Lieut.  E.  A.  Bancroft,  it  did  heavy  fighting  July  2d  and 
3d,  losing  thirteen  men  and  twenty-four  horses  killed  and  wounded.  It 
participated  in  the  movements  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until  that  fall, 
when  it  was  sent  West  with  its  corps ;  fought  at  Chattanooga  October  22d, 
23d  and  24th,  and  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy  on  the  26th  and 
27th.  The  materiel  of  the  battery  was  turned  over  in  February.  1864,  to 
the  First  Ohio,  the  officers  and  men  of  the  battery  being  sent  to  Nashville, 
where  in  April  four  guns  (4  12-pdr.  Napoleons)  were  given  to  it,  and  in  June 


FO UR TH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLER  V.  367 

a  full  complement  of  horses  was  obtained.  The  battery  was  dismountcrl  in 
the  following  October,  the  privates  transferred  to  Battery  I,  and  the  officers 
and  non-commissioned  officers  sent  to  New  York  to  recruit.  Its  field  ser- 
vice in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  was  over,  but  in  February,  1865,  it  was  re- 
mounted as  a  light  battery  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Battery  H.— H  and  M  Batteries  arrived  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  January, 
1862,  from  the  West,  February  ist  they  were  united,  mounted  as  a  light 
battery  (2  3-in.  and  2  12-pdrs.),  and  assigned  to  Crittenden's  Division,  that 
formed  part  of  Buell's  command. 

At  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  April  7th,  this  battery  went  into  action  near  the 
left  of  Nelson's  line  and  did  magnificent  work,  and  later  in  the  day,  with  the 
14th  Brigade,  it  added  lustre  to  its  record.  In  the  reorganization  in  May, 
1862,  it  was  assigned  to  Nelson's  Division  and  was  engaged  in  the  siege  of 
Corinth ;  and  while  in  the  trenches  at  that  place  received  two  more  guns 
(3-in.  rifles).  It  moved  out  of  the  trenches  with  the  22d  Brigade  on  the 
28th  of  May  and  seized  the  bridge  at  Bridge  Creek,  where  it  had  a  heavy 
fight. 

One  section  was  with  Jackson's  Cavalry,  when  he  had  his  fight  at  Tus- 
cumbia  Creek,  May  31st.  June  2d  the  armament  was  again  increased  by  the 
addition  of  2  12-pdr.  howitzers.  The  battery  was  at  the  battle  of  Perry- 
ville,  October  8th,  but  not  engaged.  When  Rosecrans  assumed  command 
in  October,  1862,  it  was  attached  to  the  Third  (Grose's)  Brigade  of  the  First 
(Smith's)  Division  of  Crittenden's  Corps,  and  at  the  battle  of  Stone  River, 
December  29  and  31,  1862,  and  January  2,  1863,  it  was  heavily  engaged.  A 
few  days  after  that  battle  the  batteries  were  separated,  H  retaining  the  four 
12-pdr.  howitzers  and  M  the  3-in.  rifles.  H  Batter)^  remained  with  Grose's 
Brigade  and  fought  at  Chickamauga,  September  19th  and  20th,  where  Lieu- 
tenant Robert  Floyd  (3d  Art.  attached)  was  mortally  wounded,  twenty  men 
and  twenty-five  horses  killed  and  wounded,  and  one  gun  lost.  In  this  bat- 
tle the  battery,  under  Lieutenant  H.  C.  Gushing,  did  magnificent  fighting 
and  fully  earned  the  high  praise  bestowed  on  it. 

February  24  and  25,  1864,  it  was  engaged  against  the  enemy  at  Buzzard's 
Roost  Gap.  The  following  month  it  was  relieved  from  duty  with  Grose's 
Brigade,  sent  to  Nashville  to  form  part  of  the  reser\^e  artillerj^,  and  was 
there  dismounted  in  October,  1864,  the  privates  being  transferred  to  Battery 
I,  and  the  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  sent  east  to  recruit.  It 
was  then  sent  to  Washington  where  it  was  remounted  as  a  light  battery,  in 
March,  1865,  but  its  war  service  was  over. 

Battery  I. — In  June,  1861,  Battery  I  joined  McClellan's  headquarters 
in  West  Virginia,  and  was  present  at  Rich  Mountain,  July  Iith-i2th.  July 
22d,  it  was  mounted  as  a  light  battery  (4  mountain  howitzers)  and  three 
days  later  was  assigned  by  Rosecrans  to  the  Second  Brigade.  That  fall, 
with  different  brigades,  it  was  engaged  in  sev^eral  minor  actions,  viz.:  Carni- 
fex  Ferry  September  13th  ;  New  P.iver  November  5th  ;  again  at  New  River 
November  nth,  and  the  following  day  used  two  lo-pdr.  Parrott's  (recently 
added  to  its  armament)  at  the  same  place.  Leaving  its  howitzers  in  West 
Virginia,  the  battery  joined  Buell's  forces  in  Kentucky  in  December,  there 
received  4  6-pdrs.  (two  of  which  belonged  to  the  4th  Michigan)  and  was  as- 


368  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

sio-ned  to  Thomas'  Division,  which  subsequently  became  T.  W.  Sherman's, 
The  battery  was  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Corinth,  in  May,  1862,  and  joined 
in  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy  after  the  evacuation  of  the  town.  In  August  it 
was  regularly  assigned  to  the  Third  (Steedman's)  Brigade  of  the  Third 
(Thomas')  Division,  which  was  then  under  command  of  General  Schoeppe 
and  participated  in  the  manoeuvres  against  Bragg.  After  that  the  section 
of  the  4th  Michigan  was  relieved  and  the  armament  of  the  battery  became 
2  6-pdr.  guns  and  2  lo-pdr.  Parrott's. 

The  Third  Division  passed  into  Gilbert's  Corps,  and  was  engaged  near 
Springfield.  October  4th,  and  at  Perryville,  October  8,  1862.  When  Rose- 
crans  took  command  and  reorganized  the  army  the  battery  became  part 
of  the  Third  (Steedman's)  Brigade  of  the  First  (S.  S.  Fry's)  Division  of  the 
Fourteenth  (Rosecrans')  Corps,  October  24,  1862.  In  February,  1863,  its  ar- 
mament was  changed  to  4  12-pdr.  guns.  It  skirmished  with  the  Confederate 
Cavalry  near  Chapel  Hill  March  3d,  and  near  Harpeth  River  March  8th,  and 
was  sent  several  times  during  that  month  to  the  Harpeth  River  to  prevent 
the  enemy  from  crossing.  It  participated  in  the  Tullahoma  campaign,  and 
on  the  morning  of  September  19,  1863,  opened  fire  at  Chickamauga,  where 
it  was  heavily  engaged  on  that  and  the  following  day,  losmg  Lieutenant  N. 
Redmond  wounded,  twenty-three  men  and  nineteen  horses  killed  and 
wounded,  one  limber  blown  up  and  the  battery  wagon  captured.  This  was 
the  heaviest  and  most  brilliant  work  of  the  battery  in  the  War,  and  the  clear 
judgment  of  Lieutenant  F.  G.  Smith,  in  holding  it  at  Snodgrass  Hill,  after 
Negley's  withdrawal,  which  subsequently  became  the  key  point  for  the  ar- 
tillery that  turned  the  tide  of  battle,  enhances  the  value  of  the  work  well 
done. 

While  at  Chattanooga  the  battery,  with  the  other  troops,  suffered  for 
lack  of  supplies  and  most  of  the  horses  died  of  starvation  while  standing  at 
the  picket  line  ;  so  that  when  it  moved  out  in  November  it  had  only  some 
thirty  nearly  starved  horses  and  a  few  mules  to  draw  the  guns  and 
caissons. 

At  the  battle  of  Chattanooga,  November  23,  1863,  it  was  put  on  duty 
with  the  Second  (Sheridan's)  Division  of  the  Fourth  Corps  and  was  engaged 
near  Bushy  Knob  on  that  and  the  following  day.  It  joined,  with  its  own 
division,  in  the  pursuit  on  the  26th,  but  the  horses  were  in  such  poor  con- 
dition that  it  had  to  be  sent  back  to  Chattanooga,  where  it  was  dismounted 
in  March,  1864,  and  sent  to  Nashville  to  form  part  of  the  garrison  artillery. 
In  October  it  was  filled  up  by  the  transfer  of  the  privates  from  G  and  H 
Batteries,  obtained  the  four  12-pdr.  guns  from  H  Battery,  and  was  regularly 
mounted  as  a  horse  battery.  It  was  assigned  to  Johnson's  Division  of  Cav- 
alry, and  in  the  following  month  to  Wilson's  command  of  Cavalry.  It  was 
engaged  against  the  enemy  at  Charlotte's  Pike  December  15,  1864,  and  at 
Pulaski  ten  days  later,  where,  owing  to  the  loss  of  seventeen  horses  and 
lack  of  support,  one  gun  was  lost. 

When  Wilson  prepared  for  his  raid  through  Alabama  in  the  spring  of 
1865,  the  battery  under  Lieut.  G.  B.  Rodney,  with  eight  horses  to  each  of 
Its  four  12-pdr.  Napoleons,  formed  part  of  Upton's  Division.  It  skirmished 
with  the  enemy  at  Jasper  March  26th,  fought  near  Montevallo  March  31st, 


FOUR TH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLER V.  ^'9 

was  present  at  Ebenezer  Church  April  ist,  engaged  at  Sehiiu  April  2d  ;  and 
April  i6th  did  its  last  fighting  in  the  War  at  Columbia. 

Battery  K.  —  In  August.  1861,  Battery  K  was  sent  to  Washington, 
mounted  as  a  light  battery  (2  20-pdr.  Parrott's  and  2  12-pdr.  howitzers;, 
and  in  the  organization  in  October  was  assigned  to  the  Reserve  Artillery. 
In  December  its  armament  was  changed  to  6  12-pdr.  Napoleon  guns.  It 
remained  a  light  battery  throughout  the  War,  retaining  its  six  guns  until 
May,  1S64,  when  two  of  them  were  turned  in,  under  the  order  reducing  the 
batteries  to  four  guns  each. 

It  participated  in  the  Peninsular  campaign,  being  engaged  at  Yorktown 
April  28.  1862.  June  2d  it  was  assigned  to  the  Third  (Heintzelman's) 
Corps,  and  fought  at  Fair  Oaks  June  25th,  at  Ropers'  Church  June  30th,  at 
Malvern  Hill  July  ist,  and  again  at  the  same  place  August  6th,  It  did  not 
reach  Second  Bull  Run  in  time  to  participate  in  the  battle,  but  was  en- 
gaged at  Chantilly  September  ist. 

When  Burnside  took  command  of  the  Army  it  was  assigned  to  the 
Second  (Sickles')  Division  of  the  Third  (Hooker's)  Corps,  having  been  pre- 
viously part  of  the  reserve  artillery  of  the  corps.  It  was  engaged  in  the 
bombardment  of  Fredericksburg  December  nth  and  12th,  forming  part  of 
Tompkins'  Division  of  Artillery;  then  joining  Franklin's  troops  on  the 
following  day,  it  did  excellent  service  against  the  right  flank  of  the  enemy. 

May  3d  it  fought  at  Chancellorsville,  losing  Lieut.  I.  Arnold  (Ord.  Dept. 
attached),  wounded,  and  44  men  and  59  horses  killed  and  wounded.  It  was 
in  this  battle,  on  the  height  at  Fairview,  at  the  extreme  left  of  the  crest, 
while  under  the  most  terrific  fire,  that  K  Battery  won  the  admiration  of  all 
who  beheld  it,  and  its  record  at  Chancellorsville  under  Lieut.  F.  W.  Seeley, 
that  prince  of  battery  commanders,  must  always  form  one  of  the  brightest 
pages  in  the  history  of  our  light  artillery.  Its  work  may  be  equalled  but  it 
cannot  be  surpassed. 

After  the  battle  it  became  part  of  the  corps  artillery,  was  assigned  to 
Humphreys'  Division  of  the  3d  Corps  for  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and 
July  2d  and  3d  did  work  that,  in  the  language  of  that  magnificent  soldier, 
Humphreys,  "excited  my  admiration  as  well  as  that  of  every  officer  who 
beheld  it."  Lieutenant  Seeley  was  severely  wounded  and  24  men  and  28 
horses  were  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  The  Battery  was  next  engaged 
at  Union  Mills  October  i8th,  and  at  Mine  Run  November  30,  1863.  In 
April,  1864,  when  several  of  the  Army  corps  were  consolidated,  the  Battery 
was  assigned  to  the  artillery  brigade  of  the  2d  Corps,  and  during  the  suc- 
ceeding campaigns  of  the  War,  under  command  of  Lieut.  J.  W.  Roder,  its 
hard  fighting  added  to  the  magnificent  reputation  it  had  already  acquired. 
In  the  Wilderness  campaign  it  was  engaged  at  Spottsylvania  Heights  May 
loth,  i2th,  i6th  and  i8th  ;  near  North  Anna  May  23d,  24th,  25th  and  26th  ; 
at  Sheridan's  Farm  May  30th  and  31st,  at  Cold  Harbor  June  3d,  4th,  5th 
and  i2th;  near  Petersburg  June  i6th,  17th,  19th,  20th  and  26th;  at  Deep 
Bottom  August  i6th,  and  Boydton  Plank  Road  October  27,  1864. 

The  right  section  was  engaged  at  Hatcher's  Run,  February  7,  8,  1865. 
and  the  Battery  participating  with  its  corps  in  the  final  campaign  against 
Lee,  was  in  action  near  Hatcher's  Run  March  22d,  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort 


370  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Cummings  March  25th,  at  Hatcher's  Run  April  ist  and  2d,  at  Sailor's 
Creek  April  6th,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  at  Appomattox  Court 
House  on  the  9th  of  April  when  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  laid  down 
its  arms. 

Battery  L. — Battery  L  was  mounted  as  a  light  battery  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  in  July,  1861  (6  12-pdr.  Napoleons),  and  remained  so  mounted 
throughout  the  War.  Its  first  engagement  was  March  8,  1862,  when,  from 
its  position  at  Newport  News,  it  was  in  action  against  the  famous 
MerriDiac. 

It  was  sent  to  Suffolk  in  July  to  form  part  of  General  Mansfield's  force, 
and  remained  in  that  vicinity  until  the  organization  of  the  Army  of  the 
James,  when  it  joined  that  army  and  participated  in  its  operations.  When 
the  7th  Corps  was  formed,  in  September,  1862,  the  Battery  became  part  of 
Peck's  Division  of  that  Corps.  It  was  attached  to  Ferry's  Brigade  in  the 
operations  that  fall,  and  fought  at  Blackwater  October  26th,  and  at  Joiner's 
Ford  December  13th  of  that  year. 

Getty's  Division  of  the  9th  Corps  became  the  2d  Division  of  the  7th 
Corps  in  March,  1863,  and  the  battery  was  attached  to  it.  It  participated 
in  the  siege  of  Suffolk,  which  lasted  from  April  loth  until  May  3d,  and  also 
fought  near  Suffolk  May  3d  ;  near  Franklin  May  i6th,  and  was  again  in 
action  a  few  days  later,  when  it  assisted  in  the  destruction  of  the  Peters- 
burg railroad.  In  July,  1863,  it  was  sent  with  Spear's  Brigade  of  Cavalay 
on  a  raid  into  North  Carolina,  and  was  engaged  against  the  enemy's 
entrenched  position  near  Jackson,  on  the  28th  of  that  month;  after  which 
it  proceeded  to  Winston  and  embarked  for  Portsmouth,  Va.  About  this 
time  the  7th  Corps  was  discontinued  and  the  battery  was  sent  to  York- 
town  in  October  to  form  part  of  General  Wistar's  command,  which  in 
the  reorganization  of  April,  1864,  passed  into  the  2d  Division  of  the  i8th 
Corps,  the  Battery  becoming  part  of  the  artillery  brigade  of  its  division. 
A  few  weeks  after,  all  the  batteries  of  the  corps  were  formed  into  a  brigade 
of  corps  artillery. 

The  Battery  moved  to  Bermuda  Hundred  with  Butler's  forces  and  under 
General  Heckman,  was  engaged  at  Valley  Farm,  May  6,  1864,  and  at  Walt- 
hall Junction  the  following  day.  It  fought  within  two  miles  of  Petersburg, 
May  loth,  at  Proctor's  Creek  May  13th,  and  on  the  following  day  was  en- 
gaged for  five  hours  against  an  entrenched  battery.  When  Grant  detached 
four  divisions  from  the  Tenth  and  Eighteenth  Corps  at  Bermuda  Hundred, 
the  latter  part  of  May,  1864,  and  brought  them  around  by  steamer  to  White 
House  to  operate  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  L  Battery  accompanied 
Heckman's  division.  While  engaged  in  this  movement  Lieut.  J.  S.  Hunt 
(who  had  relieved  Captain  R.  V.  W.  Howard  of  command  of  the  batter}^  the 
previous  September)  fell  from  the  steamer  the  night  of  May  28th  and  was 
drowned.  Lieut.  H.  B.  Beecher  then  took  command  of  the  Battery  and  re- 
tained it  until  the  close  of  the  War.  The  Battery  participated  in  the  fight- 
ing at  Gaines'  Farm  June  ist,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  force  the 
passage  of  the  Chickahominy,  and  two  days  later  fought  in  the  battle  of 
Cold  Harbor,  where  Lieut.  S.  L.  Hubbard  (2d  Mass.  Vols,  attached)  was 
wounded  and  5  men  and  14  horses  were  killed  and  wounded. 


FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.  37 ^ 

After  serving  on  picket  duty  on  alternate  days  from  the  5th  to  the  I2tli  of 
June,  it  returned  to  the  Army  of  the  James  and  was  engaged  in  the  siege 
of  Petersburg  from  June  17th  until  August  28th,  in  which  Lieutenant 
Beecher  and  the  Battery  were  highly  distinguished.  It  was  in  the  trenches 
from  the  22d  to  the  30th  of  June,  from  the  ist  to  the  nth  of  August 
(when  it  was  partially  engaged  day  and  night),  and  again  from  the  14th  to 
the  27th  of  the  same  month — during  which  operations  it  suffered  some  loss 
in  both  men  and  horses.  August  28th  it  crossed  the  Chickahominy,  moved 
to  Hatcher's  Run,  went  immediately  on  picket  duty,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
trenches  before  Richmond  until  the  5th  of  the  following  February,  when  it 
was  relieved  from  its  position  and  moved  to  Signal  Hill.  When  the  Twen- 
ty-fourth Corps  was  organized  the  previous  December  from  troops  of  the 
Tenth  and  Eighteenth  Corps,  the  Battery  became  part  of  the  artillery  brig- 
ade of  that  corps  and  served  with  it  in  the  operations  around  Richmond. 

Battery  M.— The  story  of  M  Battery  in  the  Civil  War,  until  after  the 
Battle  of  Stone  River,  has  already  been  told  in  the  sketch  of  H  Battery. 

Batteries  H  and  M  were  separated  immediately  after  that  battle,  M 
Battery  retaining  the  four  3-in.  guns,  and  at  the  same  time  increasing  its 
armament  by  the  addition  of  two  24-pdr.  howitzers.  It  still  remained  with 
Grose's  Brigade,  which  became  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  Second  Division 
of  the  Twenty-first  Corps  on  the  9th  of  January,  1863.  Moving  with  its 
brigade  the  battery  experienced  all  the  discomforts  of  the  Tullahoma  cam- 
paign ;  and  after  that,  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  September  19  and  20. 
1863,  under  Lieut.  F.  D.  L.  Russell,  it  fought  in  a  distinguished  manner, 
losing  8  men  and  13  horses  killed  and  wounded.  When  the  Fourth  Corps 
was  recreated  September  28,  1863,  the  Battery  passed  into  it  with  Palmer's 
Division  and  became  part  of  the  Artillery  Brigade  of  the  First  Division  of 
the  Fourth  Corps.  It  remained  at  Chattanooga  until  November,  and  was 
then  sent  with  the  First  (Cruft's)  Brigade  to  guard  the  railroad  bridge  at 
Bridgeport,  Alabama.  By  the  following  March  it  had  become  so  reduced 
in  horses  that  it  was  dismounted  (turning  in  its  guns  and  horses  at  Blue 
Springs,  Tenn.,  March  19,  1864)  and  sent  back  to  Nashville  to  refit.  It 
there  received  four  12-pdr.  guns  March  30th,  and  the  necessary  horses  in 
May,  and  again  became  a  light  battery.  In  June  it  marched  to  Decatur ; 
but  soon  after  returning  to  Nashville  by  rail,  it  was  assigned  to  the  First 
Division  of  the  Reserve  Artillery  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  In 
October  its  enlisted  strength  was  increased  by  the  transfer  to  it  of  the  pri- 
vates of  F  Battery  of  the  regiment. 

Half  of  the  battery  was  attached  to  Croxton's  Brigade  of  Cavalrj-  m 
October  to  operate  along  the  Tennessee  River,  and  was  severely  engaged 
near  Pulaski  October  22d,  again  on  October  29th,  when  Croxton  was  driven 
back  by  Hood,  and  at  Shoal  Creek  November  4th.  The  half  batteries  were 
reunited  at  Columbia  the  latter  part  of  November.  The  battery  was  now 
attached  to  the  artillery  brigade  of  the  Fourth  Corps,  and  in  Schofield's 
operations  in  that  vicinity  it  was  placed  in  position  on  several  occasions. 
It  was  heavily  engaged  at  the  battle  of  Franklin  November  30th,  losing  9 
men  and  a  number  of  horses. 

It  fought  in  the  battle  of  Nashville  December  15th  and  i6th,  and  after- 


372  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

wards  accompanied  the  artillery  brigade  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  It  then 
went  into  winter  quarters  at  Pulaski,  where  it  remained  until  the  latter 
part  of  January,  1865.  Then  proceeding  to  Huntsville  it  turned  in  its 
horses  and  moved  to  Bridgeport  with  its  guns,  where  it  took  station  in  Fort 
Number  One  as  part  of  the  post  artillery. 

The  following  June  while  at  Chattanooga  it  was  mounted  as  a  horse  bat- 
tery, but  the  War  was  over  and  it  was  soon  after  permanently  dismounted. 

Almost  all  of  the  field  officers  and  captains,  and  some  of  the  lieutenants 
were  detached  from  the  regiment  and  given  higher  commands  during  the 
War,  E.  O.  C.  Ord,  A.  P.  Howe,  Gustavus  A.  DeRussy  and  John  Gibbon 
winning  fame  as  commanders  of  high  rank ;  while  Charles  H.  Morgan,  on 
the  general  staff  of  the  Second  Corps,  proved  himself  to  be  a  man  of  the 
most  distinguished  military  attainments  combined  with  indomitable  en- 
ergy. Morgan  was  promoted  major  under  the  Act  of  1866,  giving  an  addi- 
tional major  to  each  regiment. 

By  the  fall  of  1865  most  of  the  batteries  had  been  dismounted  and  the 
regiment  was  again  performing  garrison  duty.  Headquarters  were  at  Fort 
M'Henry  with  batteries  at  that  post,  Forts  Delaware,  Washington,  Foote, 
Monroe,  Whipple,  and  in  Washington  City. 

D  Battery  had  been  sent  with  its  corps  to  Texas,  but  returned  North 
and  took  station  at  Washington  in  February,  1866.  B  and  K  Batteries 
having  made  the  most  brilliant  records  in  the  War,  were  recommended  by 
the  colonel  of  the  regiment  to  be  retained  as  the  two  light  batteries  of  the 
regiment.  But  the  captain  and  one  or  more  lieutenants  of  K  being  absent 
on  detached  service,  this  recommendation  was  not  approved  at  the  War 
Department  in  regard  to  that  battery,  and  G,  which  had  been  one  of  the 
mounted  batteries  before  the  War,  was  retained  as  a  light  battery  in  its 
stead. 

Light  Battery  B  was  sent  to  Leavenworth  and  G  took  station  at  Detroit. 
The  organization  of  a  light  battery  under  Orders  No.  151,  Series  1865, 
was  74  privates,  73  horses,  56  sabres  (the  drivers  not  being  armed),  and  8 
revolvers  for  chiefs  of  pieces  and  caissons.  One  battery  of  each  regiment 
was  to  be  armed  with  4  3-in.  rifles  and  the  other  with  4  12-pdr.  Napoleon 
guns. 

The  regiment  retained  its  stations  until  November,  1872,  the  batteries 
occasionally  interchanging,  and  a  number  of  them  doing  reconstruction  duty 
in  North  Carolina  from  1870-72.  G  Battery  was  dismounted  in  February, 
1869,  under  the  order  allowing  but  one  light  battery  to  each  regiment,  and 
was  sent  to  North  Carolina  for  duty  in  that  section. 

Light  Battery  B  was  in  the  field  against  the  Cheyenne  Indians  in  1867, 
and  in  the  campaign  against  the  Indians  in  1870,  and  joined  at  regimental 
headquarters  in  1871. 

When  the  regiment  exchanged  with  the  2d  Artillery  in  the  fall  of  1872, 
headquarters  were  established  at  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco  with  batter- 
ies at  the  various  posts  in  the  harbor,  two  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia 
River,  and  two  at  Sitka,  Alaska. 

The  batteries  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  in  Alaska  were  changed 
every  two  years,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  K  and  M  serving  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 


FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.  Z7l 

and  A,  C,  D,  F,  G,  L  and  a  detachment  of  M  in  Alaska  during  tour  of  tlie 
regiment  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  Modoc  War  called  a  number  of  the 
batteries  into  the  field  a  few  weeks  after  their  arrival  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  A, 

B,  E,  G,  K  and  M  participating  in  that  campaign  which  proved  so  disas- 
trous to  the  regiment  and  the  Army. 

B  Battery,  mounted  on  the  battery  horses,  acted  as  cavalry,  while  A,  E, 
K  and  M  formed  part  of  Green's  command  on  the  south  side  of  Tule  Lake. 

When  the  movement  was  made,  in  the  middle  of  April,  1873,  to  close  in 
on  the  Indians  occupying  the  stronghold  in  the  lava  beds  A  Battery  used 
the  Coehorn  mortars,  while  E,  K  and  M  acted  as  infantry;  and  all  four 
were  handsomely  engaged  m  the  fighting  that  occurred  on  April  15th,  i6th 
and  17th,  suffering  a  loss  of  ten  men  killed  and  wounded;  and  a  detach- 
ment of  M  Battery  was  engaged  April  20th,  with  the  loss  of  one  man.  On 
April  26th  occurred  the  unfortunate  affair  in  which,  after  desperate  fighting, 
Capt.  Evan  Thomas  and  Lieuts.  Albion  Howe,  Arthur  Cranston  and  George 
M.  Harris  were  killed  and  twenty-one  men  of  the  regiment  were  killed  and 
wounded.  B  Battery  was  in  reserve  in  the  fight  at  Sorass  Lake  May  loth, 
and  turning  in  its  horses  the  following  day  went  into  the  lava  beds  to  the 
stronghold.  Then  remounting  on  the  17th,  it  started  with  Green's  Battalion 
in  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  Indians,  had  a  fight  with  the  Cottonwood  Band 
near  Fairchild's  ranch,  and  surprised  Captain  Jack  at  Willow  Creek.  The 
pursuit  was  continued  the  following  day,  during  which  a  number  of  Indians 
were  captured. 

In  the  campaign  of  1876  against  the  Sioux  Indians,  Batteries  C,  F,  H 
and  K  formed  a  battalion  under  Capt.  J.  B.  Campbell  of  F  Battery. 

They  left  their  stations  in  August,  1876,  and  did  not  return  until  the 
following  January.  The  battalion  reported  to  General  Mackenzie  at  Camp 
Robinson,  encamped  at  Red  Cloud  Indian  Agency,  and  was  kept  under 
arms  when  Mackenzie  disarmed  the  Agency  Sioux.  When  Crook  organized 
his  Powder  River  Expedition  in  November,  the  Battalion  of  the  Fourth 
Artillery  formed  a  part  of  Col.  Richard  I.  Dodge's  command  ;  and  during 
the  subsequent  operations  the  discomforts  of  a  winter  campaign  were  fully 
experienced,  the  thermometer  on  one  occasion  falling  to  forty  degrees  be- 
low zero. 

January  10,  1877,  General  Brooks  was  retired  and  Joseph  C.  Roberts 
became  the  colonel  of  the  regiment.  He  had  entered  the  regiment  as  a 
brevet  second  lieutenant  in  1835,  and  had  risen  through  the  various  grades 
without  ever  having  been  out  of  it.  General  Roberts  was  retired  July  2, 
1877,  and  William  H.  French  became  colonel. 

The  Nez  Perces,  under  Chief  Joseph,  broke  out  in  hostilities  in  June, 
1877,  and  the   Fourth  Artillery  was  again  called  on  for  field  service,  A,  B, 

C,  D,  E,  G,  L  and  M  Batteries  going  into  the  field.  E  Battery  was  with 
Howard  at  the  crossing  of  the  Salmon  River,  where  the  Indians  were  driven 
back  after  a  brisk  skirmish  on  the  afternoon  of  June  28th.  A,  D,  G  and  M 
Batteries  joined  Howard  the  next  day.  Following  the  Indians,  the  column 
next  struck  them  at  the  Clearwater  July  nth,  and  at  one  o'clock  that  after- 
noon Lieut.  H.  G.  Otis  of  E  Battery  was  at  work  against  them  with  his 
howitzer.     The  fighting  was  very  heavy,  and  in  the  spirited  countercharge 


374  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

against  the  enemy  at  3.30  that  afternoon  A  and  E  Batteries  participated, 
Capt.  E.  A.  Bancroft  of  A  receiving  a  bullet  through  the  lungs  about  this 
time. 

A  little  later  in  the  day  Captain  M,  P.  Miller,  of  E,  led  a  second  charge 
near  the  centre,  which  gained  the  ridge  in  front.  At  daylight  the  following 
day,  in  order  to  get  possession  of  the  spring.  Captains  Miller  (Battery  E) 
and'  Perry  (ist  Cav.),  with  Otis'  howitzer,  supported  by  Rodney's  (D) 
Battery,  were  sent  to  secure  it. 

That  afternoon  Miller's  battalion  of  the  regiment  (A,  D,  E,  G  and  M 
batteries)  made  a  handsome  charge,  which,  after  stubborn  resistance,  broke 
the  enemy's  lines.  In  this  fight  A  Battery  lost  one  officer  and  five  men  ; 
E  Battery,  five  men,  and  G  Battery  one  man,  killed  and  wounded.  Just  as 
the  Indians  were  crossing  the  river  the  following  day  the  troops  came  up 
with  them,  and  some  firing  ensued. 

C  and  L  Batteries  were  sent  from  San  Francisco,  and  joined  Miller's 
battalion  on  the  26th  of  July.  Organizing  a  column,  consisting  of  Batteries 
A,  C,  D,  E,  G,  L  and  M  of  the  4th  Artillery,  the  21st  Infantry  and  the  ist 
Cavalry,  Howard  pushed  on  over  the  "  Lolo  Trail,"  constantly  pressing  the 
Indians,  who  were  finally  captured  by  General  Miles.  The  battalion  was 
not  again  engaged  after  crossing  the  Clearwater,  but  September  12th  Lieu- 
tenant Otis,  with  his  men  in  charge  of  the  howitzer,  was  sent  forward  with 
Sturgis'  command,  and  was  engaged  September  13th  in  the  fight  at  Canyon 
Creek.  In  October  the  battalion  came  down  the  Missouri  River  by  steam- 
boat to  Omaha,  and  from  there  the  batteries  returned  to  their  stations  by 
rail.  B  Battery,  equipped  as  cavalry,  had  proceeded  by  rail  to  Winne- 
mucca,  and  marched  from  there  to  Fayette  Lake,  Idaho,  but  was  recalled  to 
San  Francisco  on  account  of  the  labor  riots  which  occurred  that  summer. 
This  cause  in  the  east  had  taken  I  Battery  from  Fortress  Monroe  to  assist 
in  their  suppression,  and  it  served  at  Baltimore,  Pittsburg  and  Cumberland 
during  the  troubles.  In  July,  1878,  headquarters  were  sent  to  Angel  Island, 
and  most  of  the  batteries  were  ordered  into  the  field  against  the  Bannock 
Indians.  A,  B,  D,  E,  the  greater  part  of  F,  G,  H,  K  and  M  serving  in  that 
campaign.  B  was  equipped  as  cavalry,  and  D  and  G  mounted  at  Grande 
Ronde  Valley  the  latter  part  of  July  formed  part  of  Miles'  battalion  of 
mounted  riflemen.  D  and  G  Batteries  were  engaged  against  the  Piute  In- 
dians at  Umatilla  Agency,  July  13th;  and  July  31st,  Private  J.  H.  Fisher,  with 
three  other  privates  of  B  Battery,  had  a  handsome  little  fight  with  a  party 
of  Bannock  Indians  at  Perry  Munday's  Ferry,  and  succeeded  in  defending 
the  station  and  rescuing  the  mail  stage,  the  driver  of  which  had  been  badly 
wounded. 

Regimental  headquarters  returned  to  the  Presidio  in  March,  1880.  Gen- 
eral French  retired  July  ist  of  that  year,  and  was  succeeded  by  Emory 
Upton,  whose  sad  death  on  March  15,  1S81,  made  John  M.  Brannan  colonel 
of  the  regiment. 

In  October,  1881,  C,  H  and  L  Batteries  were  sent  to  Arizona  to  take 
part  in  the  "  Apache  campaign,"  but  were  recalled  a  few  weeks  after  their 
arrival,  as  the  regiment  was  ordered  east  to  take  the  stations  of  the  ist 
Artillery  on  the  New  England  coast.    The  following  extract  from  a  tele- 


FO UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  AR  TIL LER  Y.  375 

gram  to  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  Army  from  the  Headquarters  of  the 
Division  of  the  Pacific  is  indicative  of  the  esteem  in  which  the  regiment 
was  held : 

Presidio  of  San  Francisco,  November  20th. 
To  the  Adjutant  General, 

Washington,  D.  C. 
******** 

In  the  absence  of  the  Division  Commander  I  say,  what  I  am  sure  he  would  have 
me  say  for  him  upon  the  departure  of  this  regiment,  that  it  has,  while  in  this  Division, 
added  to  its  already  splendid  reputation,  by  soldierly  efllciency  in  the  field  in  four 
campaigns,  by  continuous  exemplary  conduct  in  garrison,  and  especially  by  the  con- 
spicuous attainments  and  affability  of  its  officers.  Kelton,   A.   A.   G. 

The  record  of  the  regiment  in  the  campaigns  against  the  Indians  was  an 
excellent  one,  and  while  all  did  well  Captain  Marcus  P.  Miller,  of  E  Bat- 
tery, made  a  most  distinguished  reputation. 

The  regiment  remained  on  the  New  England  coast,  with  headquarters 
at  Fort  Adams,  R.  I.,  until  May,  1889,  when  it  was  sent  to  the  southern 
stations  with  headquarters  and  four  batteries  at  Atlanta,  Georgia  ;  two  bat- 
teries at  Saint  Augustine,  Florida ;  two  at  Barrancas,  and  one  at  New  Or- 
leans, La.  Light  Battery  B  still  remains  at  Fort  Adams,  and  Light  Battery 
F  (mounted  August  15,  1882),  after  serving  at  Fort  Snelling,  Minn.,  from 
the  fall  of  1882  until  May,  1889,  is  now  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas. 

When  General  Brannan  was  retired  April  19,  1882,  Albion  P.  Howe  suc- 
ceeded to  the  colonelcy.  He  was  retired  June  30,  1882,  and  Gusta\TJS  A. 
DeRussy  was  made  colonel  of  the  regiment.  This  officer  transferred  with 
General  George  W.Getty,  colonel  of  the  Third  Arti]ler>%  July  17,  1882. 
Generals  Brannan,  DeRussy  and  Getty  never  assumed  command  of  the 
regiment.  Getty,  commanding  the  Artillery  School  at  Fortress  Monroe, 
was  retired  October  2,  1883,  and  Clermont  L.  Best,  was  promoted  colonel 
of  the  Fourth  Artillery.  He  took  command  of  the  regiment  and  retained 
it  until  retired  April  25,  1888,  when  Henry  W.  Closson  was  promoted  to  the 
colonelcy. 


THE    FIFTH    REGIMENT    OF  ARTILLERY* 

By  First  Lieut.  JAMES  C.  BUSH,  5th  U.  S.  Artillery. 

ON  May  4th,  1861,  in  conformity  with  the  proclamation  of  the  Presi- 
dent, a  new  regiment  of  12  batteries  was  added  to  the  artillery  arm 
of  service  and  became  known  as  the  Fifth  of  the  series.* 

Congress  confirmed  this  act  of  the  President,  July  12th  (ap- 
proved July  29)  of  the  same  year,  but  all  appointments  dated  from  May 
14th. 

Differing  in  organization  from  the  older  regiments,  the  new  one  com- 
prised only  field  batteries,  being  in  this  regard  the  first  entire  regiment  so 
equipped  in  the  Regular  Army.  But  it  must  not  be  inferred  that  the  Fifth 
was  designated  by  law  as  a  light  artillery  regiment.  "  Nowhere  in  the  act 
of  July  29th  do  the  words  'field  or  light  artillery'  occur,  nevertheless,  the 
batteries  received  the  personnel  belonging  to  field-artillery  only.  This,  to- 
gether with  the  other  fact  of  the  mounting,  equipping  and  sending  out  as 
field  artillery  all  the  batteries,  does  not  leave  in  doubt  that  Congress  in- 
tended the  Fifth  to  be  a  field  artillery  regiment." 

Though  formed  only  the  previous  May,  we  find  one  battery  (Griffin's.  D) 
in  the  thick  of  the  fight  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21. 

Orders  No.  3,  Headquarters  Military  Academy,  Jan.  7,  1861,  directed 
Lieut.  Griffin,  Tactical  Department,  to  form  a  light  battery  of  four  pieces, 
with  six  horses  to  the  piece.  Enough  men  to  make  the  command  70  strong 
were  transferred  from  the  dragoon  and  artillery  detachments.  On  Jan.  31, 
1 861,  the  command  left  West  Point  for  Washington  where  it  remained  till 
July  4th  when  it  was  assigned  as  Battery  D,  5th  Artillery,  Captain  Griffin, 
who  had  been  promoted,  and  transferred  to  the  Fifth,  retained  command 
of  the  battery  he  had  formed. 

This  same  day,  July  4,  the  battery  proceeded  to  Arlington,  and  thence 
by  short  marches  to  Fairfax  and  the  battle-field  of  Bull  Run,  where,  with 
Rickett's  battery  of  the  First,  it  found  itself  posted  opposite  the  enemy's 
left.  The  withering  fire  poured  in  by  these  two  soon  silenced  the  opposing 
batteries  and  caused  the  enemy's  lines  to  fall  back,  pursued  by  our  infantry. 
Later,  in  the  afternoon,  both  batteries  advanced,  in  the  final  attack,  to  a 
position  previously  occupied  by  the  Confederates,  when  they  were  suddenly 
charged  from  an  adjoining  wood  by  a  body  of  infantry  and  cavalry  supposed 
at  first  to  be  Federals.  The  supports— entirely  raw  troops— gave  way ; 
every  cannoneer  was  cut  down,  a  large  number  of  horses  were  killed,  and 
notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  officers  to  rally  the  supports,  most  of  the 
guns  were  captured  and  the  batteries  placed  Jiors  de  combat. 

Battery  D  lost  during  the  day  27  men  killed  and  wounded,  out  of  an  ef- 
fective of  95,  and  55  horses. 

*  Condensed  from  Lieut.  Bush's  History  of  the  Fifth  Artillery. 

376 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        377 

Captain  Griffin  received  especial  mention  for  the  handsome  manner  in 
which  he  had  handled  his  battery,  and  Lieut.  Ames  for  gallantry. 

At  "  Camp  Greble,"  near  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  a  depot  of  instruction  was  es- 
tablished in  June,  Lt.-Col.  T.  W.  Sherman,  5th  Artillery,  commanding.  Here 
recruits  were  received  and  drilled  and  batteries  fitted  out  for  the  field,  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  furnishing  most  of  the  recruits.* 

Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  Harvey  Brown,  Colonel  5th  Artillery,  after  successfully 
sustaining  the  siege  of  Fort  Pickens  with  his  troops,  came  north  and  as- 
sumed command  of  the  regiment,  broke  up  Camp  Greble  and  transferred 
the  headquarters  to  Fort  Hamilton,  N.  Y.  Harbor,  in  April,  1S62.  Here  the 
colonel  and  headquarters  remained  till  General  Brown's  retirement,  August 
I,  1863.  Colonel  H.  S.  Burton,  who  practically  succeeded  him,  was  in  the 
field  and  commanded  the  Artillery  Reserve,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  during 
the  Wilderness  campaign,  until  the  breaking  up  of  the  Reserve,  May  16,  '64. 
In  the  latter  part  of  July  he  took  station  with  the  regimental  headquarters 
at  Fort  Richmond,  New  York  Harbor. 

Lt.-Col.  T.  W.  Sherman  and  Major  Thomas  Williams,  Fifth  Artillery, 
after  successively  commanding  Camp  Greble,  were  made  general  officers  of 
volunteers,  and  never  served  with  the  regiment  in  the  field. 

1st  Lieuts.  Henry  A.  DuPont  and  J.  B.  Rawles  were  respectively  the  first 
regimental  adjutant  and  quartermaster. 

n. 

Early  in  April  McClellan's  army  disembarked  at  Fort  Monroe,  and  a 
few  days  later  was  brought  to  a  stand  before  the  intrenchments  of  York- 
town. 

In  the  advance  towards  Richmond,  after  the  evacuation  of  Yorktown, 
the  seven  batteries.  A,  C,  D,  F,  I,  K,  M,  sustained  their  part  in  various  engage- 
ments, notably  F  at  Williamsburg  and  D  in  Porter's  flank  movement  to 
Hanover  Court  House. 

It  would  be  impracticable  within  the  space  allowed,  to  write  any  adequate 
account  of  the  part  performed  by  different  batteries  of  the  Fifth  during  the 
battles,  sieges  and  engagements,  108  in  number,  of  this  and  other  campaigns 
of  the  war.  We  can  give  only  an  outline  of  the  general  movements,  with  a 
brief  reference  to  actions  in  which  certain  batteries  particularly  distin- 
guished themselves. 

Three  kinds  of  field  pieces  composed  the  armament,  12-pdr.  Napoleons, 
lo-pdr.  Parrott  rifles  and  3-inch  ordnance  rifles.  Most  of  our  batteries 
received  one  kind  of  gun,  but  at  the  opening  of  this  campaign  two  of  them 
(A,  F)  had  four  lo-pdr.  Parrotts  and  two  Napoleons  assigned  to  each  or- 
ganization. 

Four  batteries  of  the  Fifth  (C,  D,  I,  K)  assisted  in  the  heavy  artillery 
fire  which  met  A  .P.  Hill's  attack  (June  26)  at  Mechanicsville,  in  Lee's  effort 
to  force  a  passage  towards  McClellan's  right. 

*  Regimeiital  orders  No.  i,  dated  Harrisburg,  Peiin.,  July  4,  1S61,  Lieut.  Col.  T.  \V.  Sherman, 
5th  Artillery,  commanding,  assigned  the  captains  as  follows  : 

A,  George  W.  Gettv  ;  B,  James  A.  Hardie  ;  C,  Truman  Sevmour  ;  D,  Charles  Griffin  ;  E, 
Samuel  F.  Chaltin  ;  ^^  Romeyn  B.  Ayres  ;  G,  Richard  Arnold  ;  W\  William  R.  Terrill  ;  1,  Stephen 
H.  Weed  ;  K,  John  R.  Smead  ;  L,  Henry  V.  DeHart  and  M,  James  McKnight. 

Transfers,  April,  1861  : 

Seymour  from  C  to  E,  Chalfin  from  E  to  L,  DeHart  from  T.  to  C. 


3/8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

After  a  severe  struggle  the  enemy  retired  with  heavy  loss,  the  artillery- 
taking  a  conspicuous  part  in  achieving  the  result. 

The  position  at  Beaver  Dam  Creek  had  its  right  flank  so  far  in  the  air 
as  to  be  easily  enveloped  by  Jackson's  force.  The  Federals  fell  back  to  the 
high  ground  at  Gaines' Mill,  where  Lee  attacked  them  next  day  with  124. 
regiments  and  120  guns  against  Porter's  force  of  49  regiments  and  96  guns. 

"  As  the  battle  progressed,  the  batteries  in  reserve  were  thrown  forward 
and  took  the  best  position  available.  The  extreme  simplicity  of  the  battle 
favored  this,  and  enabled  battery  commanders  (Smead  and  Kingsbury 
among  others)  to  supplement  by  their  own  judgment  what  was  lacking  in 
the  proper  organization  and  command  of  the  artillery." 

Just  before  sunset— the  last  charge  of  the  Confederates — 80  guns  were 
concentrated,  virtually  in  one  battery,  covering  the  withdrawal  of  the  re- 
tiring infantry.  "  These  opened  successively  as  our  troops  withdrew  from 
in  front  of  their  fire,  and  checked  in  some  places,  and  in  others  drove  back 
the  advancing  enemy." 

In  this  last  position  Battery  D  remained  till  after  dark,  when  it  was 
withdrawn  and  ordered  towards  Malvern. 

"Two  regular  batteries  (Weed's  I,  and  Tidball's  of  the  Second),  almost 
entirely  unsupported,  were  posted  on  the  extreme  right  flank,  and  by  their 
united  and  well  sustained  fire  were  enabled  to  repel  three  powerful  assaults 
and  prevent  Jackson  from  enveloping  and  crushing  in  that  flank.  Jackson 
in  his  report  says  that  he  brought  up  parts  of  four  battalions  of  batteries,  in 
all  about  30  pieces,  to  break  this  flank.  The  two  batteries  referred  to  with- 
stood a  good  portion  of  the  firing  of  these  pieces." 

General  Sykes  in  his  report  states  :  "  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the 
enemy's  attack  on  my  right  flank  was  frustrated  mainly  by  the  services  of 
Captains  Weed  and  Tidball." 

On  the  extreme  left  the  enemy  gained  a  strip  of  woods  towards  dusk 
and  forced  the  line,  coming  through  in  great  numbers.  General  Cooke, 
fearful  for  the  safety  of  three  batteries,  DeHart's,  Easton's  and  Kerns', 
which  had  played  an  important  part  during  the  day  at  that  point,  ordered  a 
charge  of  his  cavalry.  A  volley  of  musketry  broke  the  charge  and  sent  the 
troopers  and  many  riderless  horses  in  utter  rout  to  the  rear  through  the 
batteries.  Before  the  latter  could  recover  from  the  confusion  thus  pro- 
duced, the  enemy  were  upon  them. 

"  Captain  De  Hart's  battery  (C)  did  its  best  service,  keeping  its  ground 
and  delivering  its  fire  steadily  against  the  advancing  enemy.  Officers  and 
men  displayed  the  greatest  gallantry,  but  no  efforts  could  repel  the  rush  of 
a  now  successful  foe,  under  whose  fire  rider  and  horse  went  down  and  guns 
lay  immovable  upon  the  field."  Captain  De  Hart  was  wounded  at  this 
time,  and  died  not  long  after  at  Fort  Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

Captains  Smead,  Weed,  De  Hart  and  Lieut.  Kingsbury  received  high 
praise  "  for  the  superb  manner  in  which  their  guns  were  handled." 

Thence  to  the  James,  every  day  was  a  fight,  and  our  batteries  struggled 
along  with  the  rest,  the  horses  held  ever  ready  to  move  at  a  moment's 
notice. 

Having  repulsed  the  enemy  at  points  where  he  had  endeavored  to  break 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        379 

the  retreating  column,  the  Federals  assembled  their  army  and  made  a  final 
stand  on  Malvern  Hill  the  morning  of  July  i. 

Porter's  corps  and  Couch's  division  occupied  the  left  and  upon  them 
the  brunt  of  fighting  fell.     Here  were  posted  our  batteries  (A,  D,  I,  K). 

"  Brigade  after  brigade  formed  under  cover  of  the  woods,  and  started  at 
a  run  to  cross  the  open  space  and  charge  the  batteries,  but  the  heavy  fire  of 
our  guns,  and  the  steady  volleys  of  the  infantry,  sent  them  reeling  back  to 
shelter." 

During  one  of  these  assaults  Battery  D  so  shattered  a  regiment  charg- 
ing upon  it,  that  the  infantry  bolted,  leaving  their  colors  which  were  after- 
wards awarded  to  the  battery. 

"  Just  as  the  sun  was  setting,  the  enemy  made  his  last  and  most  deter- 
mined assault,  which  fell  entirely  upon  Porter.  It  seemed  as  though  he 
must  give  way  to  the  overwhelming  pressure."  But  at  this  critical  moment 
Colonel  H.  J.  Hunt  pushed  forward  the  batteries  of  the  Artillery  Reserve 
(A  and  I)  and  an  almost  continuous  battery  of  about  60  guns  was  opened 
on  the  enemy,  crushing  him  back  into  the  woods  from  which  he  did  not 
again  return. 

Ames'  battery  remained  on  the  firing  line,  in  a  particularly  exposed  posi- 
tion on  the  extreme  left,  during  the  entire  day,  and  fired  1392  rounds  of 
ammunition,  ist  Lieut.  Adelbert  Ames  and  his  subalterns,  James  Gillis  and 
George  W.  Crabb,  received  particular  mention  for  gallantry  and  skill  both 
at  Malvern  Hill  and  Gaines'  Mill  (Golding's). 

The  Federals  retired  to  their  base,  Harrison's  Landing,  whither  our  other 
batteries  (C,  F,  M,)  had  already  gone. 

HL 

Lee  soon  set  on  foot  a  new  campaign  towards  the  old  battle-ground  of 
Bull  Run,  in  which  quarter  an  army  had  been  created  under  General  Pope. 
Thither  too  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  gradually  transferred. 

After  some  preliminary  manoeuvring,  the  opposing  forces  met  in  action 
near  Manassas,  Va.,  August  29-30.  Battery  C  took  part  in  the  fight  of  the 
28th,  C  and  D  in  that  of  the  29th  and  C,  D,  \,  K,  in  that  of  the  30th. 

"Despite  hard  blows,  the  Federals  were  forced  back  all  along  the  line. 
Had   not  a  successful   stand   been   made  by  a  hurriedly  assembled  force 
massed  on  the  Henry  house  hill,  the  afternoon  of  the  30th,  the  disaster 
would  have  been  fatal  to  the  Army  of  Virginia." 
On  the  hill  all  our  batteries  took  position. 

As  the  broken  columns  fell  back,  Meade's  and  Seymour's  brigades  of 
Reynold's  division,  and  their  three  batteries  (Ransom's,  C),  were  thrown 
in  to  resist  the  advancing  enemy. 

"The  brigades  and  Ransom's  battery  after  hard  fighting  moved  to  the 
Henry  house,  which  position  they  most  gallantly  maintained  for  two  hours," 
when  they  were  ordered  toward  Centreville. 

Hazlett  distinguished  himself  in  the  desperate  endeavor  of  Warren's 
brigade  to  protect  the  left  of  Sykes'  division  against  an  attack  of  greatly 
superior  numbers,  just  before  retiring  tc  the  Henry  house. 

Battery  D  had  been  ordered  to  an  important  position  in  support  of  an 
attack  of  our  infantry,  when  Hazlett  suddenly  found  that  all  the  troops  on 


38o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

his  left  had  been  withdrawn,  not  even  leaving  pickets.  He  applied  to  Gen- 
eral Warren  on  his  right  for  support  and  received  it.  Not  long  after,  the 
Confederates  discovered  this  exposed  fiank  and  attacked. 

"The  enemy  poured  upon  this  little  command  a  mass  of  infantry  which 
enveloped  and  almost  destroyed  it,  completely  piercing  our  line,"  writes 
General  Sykes.  "  It  became  necessary  to  change  our  ground.  This  the 
brigades  accomplished  under  a  severe  artillery  fire.  Weed's,  Smead's  and 
Randol's  batteries  moving  with  and  near  them.  After  an  interval,  the  re- 
mains of  my  command  united  on  the  plateau  where  my  artillery  joined  me." 

Captain  Smead  was  unfortunately  killed  in  bringing  off  his  guns,  and 
the  command  devolved  upon  Lieut.  Van  Reed  who  retired  the  battery  to 
the  Henry  house  and,  later,  conducted  it  to  Washington. 

"  Weed  was  in  action  throughout  the  day,  and  strengthened  the  reputa- 
tion he  had  already  acquired  "  (Sykes'  report). 

Hazlett  remained  on  the  hill,  firing,  after  his  division  had  left,  till  ordered 
away  by  General  Hooker. 

IV. 

No  sooner  had  the  broken  members  of  Pope's  army  been  gathered 
within  the  defenses  of  Washington,  than  McClellan,  reinstated,  found  it 
necessary  to  move  up  the  left  bank  of  the  Potomac  to  encounter  his  old  foe 
on  the  soil  of  Maryland. 

He  first  met  Lee  (Sept.  14)  at  the  passes  of  South  Mountain,  through 
which  the  latter  was  withdrawing  from  Frederick  to  a  strong  position  on 
the  Sharpsburg  ridge,  extending  across  a  bend  of  the  Potomac,  behind  An- 
tietam  creek. 

Batteries  C  and  F  participated  in  the  fight  of  the  i6th  and  A,  C.  D,  F. 
\,  K  in  the  main  one  of  Sept.  17th,  Antietam. 

Battery  A  (Lieut.  Charles  P.  Muhlenberg)  was  attached  to  Rodman's 
division,  IX.  Corps,  Burnside's,  and  took  position  near  bridge  No.  3  on  the 
left.  In  the  afternoon,  after  shelling  the  opposite  bank  during  the  day, 
Muhlenberg  crossed  over  with  his  division  in  the  attack  upon  the  Con- 
federate right. 

Weed,  Hazlett  and  Van  Reed  took  position  at  the  centre,  near  bridge 
No.  2,  with  Porter's  corps. 

The  batteries  of  Weed  and  Van  Reed  were  among  those  that  did  such 
effective  work  against  Jackson's  right  near  the  Dunker  church.  Of  these 
Jackson  says :  "  The  Federal  batteries,  so  posted  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Antietam  as  to  enfilade  my  line,  opened  a  severe  and  damaging  fire." 

Ayres  (F)  was  in  the  thick  of  the  fight  in  his  old  division  (Smith's,  VI. 
Corps),  while  Ransom  (C)  remained  with  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  now 
Meade's  division  of  the  I.  Corps,  Hooker's,  on  the  right,  where  the  severest 
fighting  took  place. 

"At  about  10  o'clock,"  wrote  Lieut.  Gansevoort,  who  actually  commanded 
Battery  C  during  the  day,  "  General  Hooker  ordered  our  battery  to  the  ex- 
treme front,  and  took  it  there  himself.  We  passed  through  a  wood,  then 
over  a  ploughed  field  into  a  pasture. 

"  The  infantry  on  our  right  fled,  and  also  on  our  left.  As  we  came  in,  a 
battery  on  our  left  retired,  and  we  were  left  alone  without  support.  The 
rebels  were  coming  down  upon  us,  and  we  would  have  retired  to  save  our 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  AR TILLER  V.        381 

pieces;  but  many  of  the  horses  were  killed  and  it  was  impossible.  We 
therefore  continued  firing ;  and,  after  a  short  time,  the  horses  of  the  caissons 
came  up  with  the  caisson  limbers,  containing  fresh  ammunition.  The  en- 
emy after  a  while  retired,  and  with  the  last  horses  we  also  retired,  having 
accomplished  our  mission,  but  with  great  loss." 

General  Meade  in  his  report  says  :— "  I  cannot  close  this  report  without 
calling  your  attention  to  the  skill  and  good  judgment,  combined  with  cool- 
ness, with  which  Captain  Ransom,  his  officers  (Lieutenants  Weir  and  Gan- 
sevoort)  and  men,  served  his  battery.  I  consider  this  one  of  the  most 
critical  periods  of  the  morning,  and  that  to  Captain  Ransom's  battery  is 
due  the  credit  of  repulsing  the  enemy." 

Smith's  division  also  attacked  on  the  right  and  with  it  Ayres'  battery 
(F).  Captain  Ayres  says:— "My  own  battery  was  brought  upon  the  line 
under  heavy  fire  at  about  1 1  -.30  o'clock  A.  M.  From  this  time  it  was  mostly 
under  the  command  of  First  Lieut.  L.  Martin,  my  duties  (chief  of  artillery) 
calling  me  to  other  points  on  the  field. 

"  The  splendid  services  of  the  battery  of  Lieutenant  Martin,  5th  Artillery, 
posted  near  my  right,"  reported  General  Irwin,  "attracted  the  admiration 
of  all  who  saw  it  in  action.  For  several  hours  it  engaged  the  enemy  at 
short  range  and  with  deadly  effect.  In  this  action  I  felt  a  particular  inter- 
est in  Lieut.  Martin's  battery,  for  to  its  fire  the  safety  of  my  brigade  may  be 
largely  imputed.  Had  he  not  checked  the  heavy  fire  from  the  batteries  of 
the  enemy,  they  would  have  destroyed  the  greater  part  of  my  command." 

V. 

The  Confederates  retired  into  Virgmia,  whither  the  Northern  army  fol- 
lowed, and  by  the  end  of  November,  1862,  our  batteries  found  themselves 
at  Falmouth,  opposite  Fredericksburg. 

Batteries  A,  C,  D,  F,  I  and  K  took  part  in  the  battle  of  December  13. 
The  artillery,  except  one  battery  for  each  division,  was  withdrawn  from 
the  corps  and  temporarily  attached  to  the  Artillery  Reserve,  and  all  arranged 
in  four  divisions  posted  in  positions  favorable  for  the  purpose.  Battery  K 
(Lieut.  D.  H.  Kinzie)  alone  of  the  Fifth,  remained  permanently  with  the 
Reserve  and  served  in  the  second  of  these  divisions.  Battery  D  (Hazlett) 
fought  in  the  first,  and  Battery  A  (Gilliss)  was  temporarily  attached  to  the 
third  division  on  December  11,  and  aided  in  covering  the  crossing  of  the 
troops.  On  the  13th  it  crossed  the  river  and  remained  in  Fredericksburg 
during  the  fight  as  also  did  Battery  I  (Lieut.  M.  F.  Watson). 

Batteries  F  (Lieut.  Leonard  Martin)  and  C  (Captain  Ransom)  crossed 
the  river  and  did  gallant  service  in  the  attack  of  Franklin's  Grand  Division 
against  the  Confederate  right. 

Lieut.  Martin  received  mention  for  the  gallant  style  in  which  he  com- 
manded his  battery. 

VI. 

The  dreary  winter  wore  away  in  the  cantonment  at  Falmouth,  and  in 
April  the  defeated  army,  now  recuperated,  moved  by  its  right  flank  across 
the  river  to  Chancellorsville,  again  facing  Fredericksburg. 

General  Hooker,  who  had  assumed  command,  prefaced  this  movement 
by  a  feint  under  Sedgwick,  below  Fredericksburg,  while  he  cleverly  stole 
a  march  by  the  upper  Rappahannock  to  the  left  flank  of  Lee's  army. 


382  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

With  his  wonted  boldness,  Lee  divided  his  force,  and  sent  Jackson  around 
his  adversary's  right  to  take  him  in  reverse  and  thus  cut  him  off  from  the 
U.  S.  Ford. 

In  the  battle  that  followed,  (May  2,  3,  4)  the  Fifth  was  represented  by 
Batteries  C,  D,  F,  I  and  K.  On  May  i.  Battery  K  of  the  reserve  moved  to 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  covering  Banks  Ford,  where  it  remained  during 
the  fight. 

Meanwhile  Hooker  weakened  his  right  and  thus  enabled  Jackson  to 
complete  his  manoeuvre  and  crush  the  XI.  Corps  (May  2).  On  the  morrow, 
by  dint  of  massed  blows,  Lee  fairly  drove  the  Federal  army  into  a  corner. 

The  batteries,  as  a  rule,  stuck  closely  to  their  divisions  and  were  posted 
without  regard  to  concert  of  action  and  often  where  they  were  entirely 
useless.     "  The  woods  seemed  full  of  batteries." 

Battery  D  (Hazlett)  formed  one  of  a  group  of  batteries  on  a  knoll  at  the 
left  of  the  line.  The  favorable  position  of  these  batteries  undoubtedly  de- 
terred any  attack  upon  them. 

Battery  C  (Ransom)  (April  28)  marched  with  its  division  a  few  miles  be- 
low Fredericksburg  where  it  became  engaged  with  the  enemy  while  covering 
the  crossing  of  the  troops,  and  lost  a  few  horses.  On  the  30th  it  crossed  the 
river,  and  thence  marched  to  Chancellorsville  where  it  took  position  (May 
3)  in  a  group  of  batteries  on  the  front  and  right  of  the  army. 

Battery  I  (Watson)  after  the  action  of  May  i,  took  position  near  the 
Chancellor  House  and  on  the  3d  formed  one  of  a  group  of  batteries  collected 
by  Captain  Weed. 

"  The  Federal  troops  were  forced  back  to  the  new  line,  the  centre  oc- 
cupying the  open  space  on  which  stood  the  White  House,  which  line  also 
had  a  salient,  the  apex  of  which, pointing  in  the  direction  of  the  Chancellor 
House,  was  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  rear. 

"  General  Meade  (V.  Corps)  directed  Captain  Weed,  his  chief  of  artillery, 
to  collect  all  the  batteries  that  he  could  and  place  them  in  position  in  this 
salient.  Thus  armed  with  proper  authority,  that  energetic  officer  soon  had 
56  pieces  in  a  commanding  position  looking  in  the  two  most  exposed  direc- 
tions." 

During  this  and  the  following  day  the  enemy  made  attacks  upon  Weed's 
batteries,  but  they  were  never  driven  home,  and  the  line  held  its  ground  till 
the  whole  army  retired. 

Weed's  services  on  this  occasion  obtained  for  him  promotion  to  a  briga- 
dier generalcy. 

Battery  F  (Martin)  crossed  the  Rappahannock  in  Sedgwick's  command 
(May  2),  after  covering  the  crossing  of  his  division  (Howe's).  The  next 
morning  it  took  positions  so  as  to  reach  the  heights  held  by  the  Confeder- 
ates and  rendered  efficient  service  in  keeping  down  their  fire. 

The  battery  accompanied  the  infantry  in  its  assault  against  a  position 
where  Burnside  had  lost  13,000  men  only  a  short  time  before,  and,  moving 
with  the  firing  line,  arrived  on  the  crest  but  a  few  seconds  after  its  capture. 
Early  next  morning,  May  4,  the  enemy  made  a  determined  attack  against 
Howe's  division,  which  was  successfully  repulsed  by  Martin's  battery  and  a 
portion  of  Neill's  brigade.  But  in  the  afternoon  Lee  turned  all  his  avail- 
able force  against  Sedgwick,  who  had  been  ordered  to  rejoin  the  main  army. 
Our  battery  kept  up  a  sharp  enfilading  fire,  changing  position  as  the  enemy 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.         383 

advanced,  and  withdrew  only  when  its  ammunition  was  exhausted  and  the 
enemy  within  a  few  yards  of  its  guns. 

The  Confederates  retired  with  the  growing  darkness,  and  during  the 
night  Sedgwick  withdrew  across  Bank's  Ford. 

"  Great  credit  is  again  due  our  artillery,"  writes  General  Howe,  "  for  their 
services  in  repelling  the  attack.  In  the  action  at  Guest's  farm  the  section 
under  Lieut.  Simon,  5th  Artillery,  and  Captain  Rigby's  battery  were  largely 
instrumental  in  breaking  the  attack  of  the  enemy's  left,  and  the  artillery  on 
our  left,  under  Captain  Martin,  5th  Artillery,  was  used  with  great  effect  in 
checking  the  advance  of  the  enemy  on  that  point,  and  afterwards,  in 
connection  with  Lieut.  Butler's  battery  (2d  Artillery),  in  wholly  breaking  the 
attack." 

Battery  L  (Chalfin)  had  been  stationed  since  its  organization  just  out- 
side of  Baltimore,  Md.,  from  whence  it  took  part  in  the  effort  to  head  off 
Stuart's  raid  (Sept.  1862),  and  in  May  '63  joined  General  Milroy's  division 
in  the  Valley  under  command  of  Lieut.  W.  F.  Randolph. 

vn. 

Now  supervened  another  rest  in  the  thrice  occupied  Falmouth  camp, 
while  Lee  planned  a  second  raid  into  the  Northern  States.  Still  grasping 
with  his  right  the  old  defenses  at  Fredericksburg,  he  covertly  advanced  his 
left,  under  Ewell,  to  Culpeper  and  thence  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
Ewell  pushed  rapidly  up  the  valley  and  trapped  Milroy  at  Winchester  from 
whom  he  captured  some  4000  prisoners  and  much  material,  among  which 
figured  the  equipment  of  Battery  L  and  most  of  its  personnel. 

Battery  L,  after  participating  with  credit  in  certain  minor  aflairs,  was 
ordered  by  General  Milroy  on  the  14th,  to  occupy,  without  adequate  support, 
an  isolated,  unfinished  outwork  dominated  by  a  mountain  to  the  west, 
within  range.  Here  the  battery  remained  till  late  in  the  afternoon,  when 
the  enemy  opened  upon  it  with  plunging  fire  from  16  guns  which  he  had 
succeeded  in  getting  into  position  on  the  mountain.  Many  of  the  men  and 
most  of  the  horses  were  shortly  killed  or  wounded,  and  caissons  and  limbers 
blown  up.  The  battery  was  so  disabled  inside  of  ten  minutes  that  it  became 
impossible  to  remove  the  guns. 

Suddenly  the  enemy  charged  with  five  regiments  which  had  been  massed 
behind  a  neighboring  ridge  in  front.  The  timber  had  been  only  partially 
cut  away  and  troops  could  approach  unseen  to  within  100  yards.  Nothing 
inside  the  work  could  stop  this  onslaught,  but  our  men  stood  by  their  guns 
till  the  enemy  had  planted  his  colors  on  the  parapet.  Not  till  then  did 
Randolph  order  his  men  to  fall  back.  Lieut.  Spoonerwith  18  men  escaped. 
Lieut.  Randolph  was  carried,  wounded,  into  the  town  and  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Confederates. 

As  soon  as  Hooker  discovered  the  nature  of  Lee's  movements,  he  started 
his  army  for  the  Potomac  and  concentrated  it  at  Frederick,  Md.;  here 
Meade  succeeded  him  in  command.  The  opposing  forces  met  at  Gettys- 
burg where  Batteries  C,  D,  F,  L  K,  sustained  their  part  in  the  battle  of 
July  2,  3.4. 

The  Xn.  Corps  arrived  on  the  field  at  sundown  July  i,  and  took  position 
on  the  extreme  right,  resting  on  Gulp's  Hill.  Its  artillery  brigade  (K)  was 
held  in  reserve  on  account  of  the  unfavorable  nature  of  the  ground  till  the 


384  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

afternoon  of  the  2d,  when  space  was  found  for  one  section  of  Battery  K. 
The  enemy  opened  immediately  upon  this  section  and  a  spirited  duel  re- 
sulted in  the  silencing  of  the  Confederate  guns.  The  conduct  of  Lieut.  Van 
Reed,  who  commanded  his  section,  was  mentioned  with  praise  in  General 
Hunt's  report. 

The  next  day  the  entire  battery  occupied  a  trying  position  opposite  the 
centre  of  its  corps  and  rendered  efficient  service  in  repelling  the  attack  on 
that  part  of  the  line. 

Sickles  had  moved  his  corps  to  the  front,  into  a  peach  orchard  near  Little 
Round  Top,  so  as  to  form  an  angle  not  only  with  itself  but  with  the  rest  of 
the  line. 

After  Longstreet  s  attack  had  developed  and  Sickles  was  being  forced 
back  to  the  main  line.  Battery  C  was  placed  in  position  on  the  right  front 
of  his  corps. 

"  I  opened  with  solid  shot  and  spherical  case,"  says  Weir,  "and  as 
the  enemy  continued  to  advance,  with  canister.  Soon  it  was  reported 
that  we  were  out  of  canister.  The  enemy  being  within  a  few  rods  of 
us,  I  limbered  up,  and  was  about  to  retire  when  a  regiment  of  their 
mfantry  appeared  on  my  left  and  rear  and  opened  fire.  I  endeavored  to 
get  my  guns  off  the  field,  but  lost  three  of  them,  as  some  of  the  drivers  and 
horses  were  disabled  while  limbering  up.  The  guns  were  subsequently  re- 
covered and  during  the  afternoon  of  July  3,  Weir's  battery,  among  others, 
was  placed  in  position  in  front  of  the  advancing  enemy — Pickett's  charge. 

"  I  was  conducted  to  General  Webb's  line,"  states  Weir,  "  and  came  into 
battery  under  a  heavy  fire.  I  opened  at  once  with  canister.  After  a  time 
our  infantry  charged  and  the  enemy  were  driven  back." 

Captain  Ransom  and  Lieut.  H.  H.  Baldwin  were  wounded. 

While  Battery  I  was  awaiting  orders  during  Longstreet's  attack  of  the 
2d,  it  was  seized  upon  by  a  stafT  officer  of  General  Sickles  and  placed  in  po- 
sition with  the  in.  Corps. 

Lieut.  Watson  was  soon  wounded  and  the  command  devolved  upon  Lieut. 
MacConnell,  who  writes  : — 

"  The  battery  was  without  support  of  any  kind.  The  enemy  appeared 
shortly  after  taking  position.  As  they  approached  the  battery  poured  in 
canister  until  our  men  and  horses  were  shot  down  or  disabled  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  guns  had  to  be  abandoned." 

"  They  were,  however,  recaptured  by  the  bravery  and  determination  of 
Lieut.  Samuel  Peeples,  5th  Artillery,  who,  havmg  procured  the  services  of 
the  Garibaldi  Guard,  took  a  musket  and  led  the  charge  himself,  driving  the 
enemy  from  the  guns,  and,  retaking  everything  that  had  been  lost,  con- 
veyed it  safely  to  the  rear." 

Lieut.  Peeples  was  commended  for"  heroic  conduct  "  and  First  Sergeant 
Lemuel  Smith  for  gallantry. 

When  General  Warren  discovered  the  attempt  to  take  Little  Round 
Top  on  the  afternoon  of  July  2d,  he  hurriedly  obtained  Vincent's  brigade, 
V.  Corps,  to  protect  the  summit. 

"  The  contest  here  became  furious  and  the  rocks  alive  with  musketry. 
Hazlett's  battery  (D),  supported  by  O'Rorke's  regiment  of  Weed's  brigade, 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  AR TILLER  V.         385 

was  sent  to  the  support  of  Vincent.  Hazlett's  guns  were  dragged  by  hand, 
with  great  labor,  through  the  rocks  and  bushes  to  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain, from  which  position  they  opened  a  damaging  fire  upon  the  flank  of  the 
enemy." 

"  Night  closed  the  fight.  The  key  of  the  battle-field  was  in  our  possession 
intact ;  but  Vincent,  Weed  and  Hazlett,  chiefs  lamented  throughout  the 
corps  and  army,  had  sealed  with  their  lives  the  spot  intrusted  to  their 
keeping,  and  on  which  so  much  depended."     (Sykes.) 

Weed  had  been  hit  by  a  sharpshooter  who  was  picking  off  our  officers, 
and  Hazlett  was  struck  while  leaning  over  his  friend. 

The  six  rifle  guns  of  Battery  D  took  part,  under  Rittenhonse,  in  the  can- 
nonade of  July  3,  enfilading  Pickett's  lines,  and  by  their  steady  and  accurate 
fire  caused  the  charge  to  "  drift "  in  the  opposite  direction. 

Later,  with  the  rest  of  the  army,  the  batteries  followed  Lee  back  into 
Virginia  where  the  opposing  forces  again  faced  each  other  near  Culpeper. 

From  here  Lee  dispatched  Longstreet  to  assist  Bragg  in  the  impending 
battle  of  Chickamauga.  Upon  learning  this  the  War  Department  de- 
tached the  XL  and  XIL  Corps  (Battery  K)  to  reinforce  Rosecrans,  but  the 
troops  arrived  too  late  for  the  fight. 

Battery  K,  Captain  Bainbridge,  was  attached  to  Geary's  division,  XIL 
Corps,  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

It  was  relieved  from  duty  with  Geary's  division  about  the  middle  of 
March,  1864,  and  became  part  of  the  Artillery  Reserve,  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland. 

After  minor  services  it  was  assigned,  about  the  first  of  November,  to 
the  garrison  artillery  of  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  where  it  remained  till  the  end 
of  the  war. 

VIII. 

Battery  H,  after  partial  recruitment  in  Pennsylvania  under  direction  of 
Captain  William  R.  Terrill,  was  transferred  to  Carthage,  near  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  three  officers  and  141  men  reported  present  for  duty  the  last 
day  of  October.  In  obedience  to  telegraphic  instructions  Terrill  went  to 
Munfordville,  just  north  of  Bowling  Green,  where  the  battery  remained  till 
the  middle  of  February,  1862. 

During  the  campaign  which  opened  the  following  spring,  it  was  attached 
to  Rousseau  s  brigade  of  the  2d  Division,  McCook's,  General  Buell's  Army 
of  the  Ohio. 

When  Fort  Donelson  fell,  the  battery  marched  to  Nashville,  and  on  April 
6,  found  itself  at  Savannah  on  the  Tennessee  River,  not  far  from  Pittsburg 
Landing,  to  which  place  General  Grant  had  transferred  his  army.  General 
Halleck,  who  now  commanded  the  department,  had  ordered  General  Buell 
with  about  37,000  men,  across  country,  to  join  the  army  at  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, and  our  battery  had,  of  course,  accompanied  its  brigade. 

After  waiting  in  a  drenching  rain  all  night,  Terrill's  battery  embarked 
by  daylight,  and  immediately  after  lancing,  "  hurried  to  the  field,  where  it 
was  ordered  into  action  on  the  left  with  Nelson's  division,  the  advance  one, 
against  which  the  greater  numbers  of  the  enemy  pressed  heavily. 

"I  advanced  the  centre  and  left  sections  onto  the  skirmish  line,  where  the  fire 
was  most  galling,"  writes  Captain  Terrill.    "  I  was  compelled  to  this  in  order 


386  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

to  gain  a  crest  of  a  ridge  from  which  to  fire  upon  batteries  that  had  opened 
on  our  skirmishers.  After  silencing  the  enemy's  fire  they  seemed  to  receive 
fresh  troops,  for  with  vociferous  cheers  they  now  charged  along  the  whole  line. 
The  infantry  with  us  gave  way  before  the  storm  of  musket-balls,  shot  and 
shell,  which  was  truly  awful.  Lieut.  Ludlow's  section  was  immediately  sent 
to  the  rear  to  protect  the  withdrawal  of  Lieut.  Smyser's.  One  of  Lieut. 
Ludlow's  caissons  had  to  be  abandoned,  all  the  horses  having  been  killed, 
but  we  recovered  it  later  in  the  day. 

"  I  served  one  of  Lieut.  Smyser's  pieces,  and  he  the  other.  We  fixed 
prolonges  and  fired  retiring.  The  enemy  charged  us,  but  were  staggered  by 
our  discharges  of  canister,  whilst  Lieutenants  Guenther  and  Ludlow  on  our 
left  poured  spherical  case  into  them.  We  checked  their  advance  three 
times,  retiring  as  they  charged  upon  us.  For  a  time  Lieut.  Smyser  and 
Corporal  Roberson  served  the  fifth  piece  alone." 

By  3:30  P.  M.  all  was  quiet  in  front  of  Nelson's  division,  but  seeing 
McCook's  command  sharply  pressed,  Terrill  called  for  a  detail  of  men  from 
a  neighboring  regiment,  and  advancing  his  battery,  opened  upon  the  guns 
that  were  doing  so  much  mischief  to  McCook's  force.  "  Soon  McCook's 
whole  line  advanced  with  a  cheer  and  drove  the  enemy  before  them,  and 
the  day  was  ours." 

General  Nelson  writes:— "Captain  Terrill's  battery  was  a  host  in  itself. 
It  consists  of  four  12-pdr.  brass  guns  and  two  Parrott  rifles.  Its  fire  was 
terrific.  It  was  handled  superbly.  Wherever  Captain  Terrill  turned  his 
battery  silence  followed  on  the  part  of  the  enemy. 

"  Captain  Terrill,  his  officers  and  soldiers,  won  for  themselves  this  7th 
of  April  both  the  admiration  and  thanks  of  the  4th  Division." 

He  received  a  brigadier-generalcy  for  this  action,  and  was  mortally 
wounded  at  Perryville  while  at  the  head  of  his  brigade,  aged  29. 

Lieut.  Guenther  assumed  command  about  the  middle  of  June  and 
soon  marched  with  the  brigade  when  Buell  moved  eastward  to  repair  the 
railroad,  protect  Nashville  and  threaten  Bragg.  By  a  sudden  manoeuvre 
the  latter  stole  a  march  around  Buell's  left  and  made  straight  for  Louisville. 
Thoroughly  alarmed,  Buell  swung  his  left  in  pursuit  and  finally  came 
upon  a  portion  of  the  Confederate  force,  under  Hardee,  at  Perryville,  Oct. 
8.  Half  of  Buell's  army,  including  the  2d  Division,  had  advanced  beyond 
to  Frankfort.  Here  parts  of  the  battery  went  into  action  on  the  6th,  and 
again,  three  days  later,  at  Chesser's  store,  where  "a  section  of  Guenther's 
battery  was  handled  with  the  usual  vigor  and  skill  of  that  accomplished  of- 
ficer." 

Bragg  retreated  to  Chattanooga  and  Buell  concentrated  at  Nashville, 
where  he  was  relieved  by  General  Rosecrans,  the  last  of  October.  This 
general  made  many  changes  in  his  army,  one  of  which  resulted  in  transfer- 
ring our  battery  to  the  3d  Division,  Rousseau's,  XIV.  Corps,  Thomas'.  In 
the  3d  Division  it  joined  the  regular  brigade  commanded  by  Lieut.-Col. 
Shepherd,  i8th  U.  S.  Infantry. 

Towards  the  middle  of  November,  Bragg  advanced  to  Murfreesboro, 
Tenn.,  and  in  the  last  days  of  the  year  Rosecrans  moved  against  his  posi- 
tion. After  some  skirmishing,  the  armies  confronted  each  other  north  of 
the  town  at  Stone  River,  Dec.  31. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        387 

Rosecrans  planned  to  throw  Crittenden  across  the  river  upon  the  oppos- 
ing right,  but  scarcely  had  he  crossed  the  river  and  launched  Crittenden's 
columns,  than  he  was  forced  to  recall  them  to  the  assistance  of  his  already 
routed  right-wing. 

To  counteract  the  enemy's  assault  upon  McCook,  General  Thomas 
ordered  the  regular  brigade  and  one  other  to  form  in  a  cedar  thicket,  facing 
west,  in  support  of  Sheridan.  The  latter  was  compelled  to  fall  back  about 
II  A.  M.,  and  this  forced  Thomas  out  of  the  thicket  into  open  ground. 

"General  Rousseau's  two  batteries  found  it  impossible  to  operate  in  the 
cedar  thicket.  This  Lieut.  Guenther  pointed  out  to  General  Thomas,  a 
veteran  artillerist,  and  he  directed  the  two  to  take  position  in  an  open  field 
where  they  would  be  of  service  in  case  the  line  should  be  forced  back. 
This  had  most  important  results  for  when  the  line  did  fall  back  shortly,  these 
two  batteries  not  only  repulsed  the  enemy  but  formed  a  nucleus  upon  which 
other  batteries  and  troops  formed,  until  the  line  proved  impregnable." 

"  As  the  enemy  emerged  from  the  woods  in  great  force,  shouting  and 
cheering,  the  batteries  of  Guenther  and  Loomis,  double-shotted  with  can- 
ister, opened  upon  them.  Four  deliberate  and  fiercely  sustained  assaults 
were  made  upon  our  position  and  repulsed."    (Rousseau.) 

It  was  during  one  of  these  charges  that  the  battery  captured  the  flag  of 
an  Arkansas  regiment  advancing  upon  it. 

Guenther  gives  Lieutenants  Ludlow  and  Fessenden  "honorable  mention 
for  coolness,  gallantry  and  judgment  "  in  this  series  of  engagements. 

"  Of  the  batteries  of  Guenther  and  Loomis  I  cannot  say  too  much,"  re- 
ports General  Rousseau.  "  Both  these  men  deserve  to  be  promoted  and 
ought  to  be  at  once.  Without  them  we  could  not  have  held  our  position 
in  the  centre." 

Bragg  retreated  from  Murfreesboro  as  a  consequence  of  this  battle  and 
it  was  occupied  by  our  troops.  Here  the  battery  remained  in  camp  until 
the  last  days  of  June,  1863,  when  it  marched  to  Hoover's  Gap  under  Thomas 
and  engaged  the  enemy  in  the  manoeuvre  which  turned  Bragg's  right  and 
caused  him  to  retire  from  his  well-fortified  position  at  Shelbyville. 

About  two  weeks  later  Lieut.  Guenther  received  orders  to  join  Bat- 
tery I,  then  reorganizing  at  Washington,  and  ist  Lieut.  H.  M.  Burnham 
took  charge. 

The  position  which  Rosecrans  finally  assumed,  in  front  of  the  town  of 
Chattanooga,  faced  Chickamauga  creek,  and  here  on  September  19-20,  was 
fought  one  of  the  most  seveiely  contested  battles  of  the  war. 

The  assault  fell  upon  Thomas,  who  commanded  this  part  of  the  line. 
The  fighting  was  stubborn,  and  during  the  day  he  was  thrust  back,  but  by 
nightfall  regained  his  old  position. 

On  the  first  day  Baird's  division,  which  included  the  regular  brigade  and 
Battery  H,  took  position  at  daylight  facing  towards  Reed's  bridge  over  the 
creek.  Here  the  battery  went  into  position,  but  shortly  advanced  with 
King's  brigade  and  came  upon  the  enemy  in  a  dense  wood.  While  hotly 
engaged.  King  was  forced  to  change  front  to  meet  an  attack  from  masses  of 
the  enemy  suddenly  approaching  on  his  right.  Only  one  regiment  and  the 
battery  had  time  to  get  into  the  new  position  before  the  blow  fell  and  scat- 
tered the  entire  brigade  and  the  next  one  to  the  rear. 

Lieut.  Fessenden,  who,  upon  the  fall  of  the  other  two  officers,  succeeded 


388  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

to  the  command  ot  the  battery,  says  :  "  During  the  morning,  after  an  all 
night  march,  we  were  ordered  forward  by  General  King.  The  battery  was 
hardly  in  position  before  the  troops  on  the  right  gave  way  and  it  was  ex- 
posed to  a  most  terrific  fire  of  musketry  from  front  and  flank.  General 
King  ordered  us  to  limber  to  the  rear,  but  it  was  impossible  to  execute  the 
order,  since  many  of  the  cannoneers  were  either  killed  or  wounded,  and  the 
horses  shot  at  the  limbers.  At  the  first  fire.  Lieut.  Burnham  fell  mortally 
wounded;  Lieut.  Ludlow  was  also  wounded  and  fell  into  the  enemy's 
hands,  and  myself  slightly  wounded  in  the  side.  The  battery  was  taken  by 
the  enemy,  after  firing  sixteen  rounds  of  canister."  Our  troops  rallied  and 
recaptured  the  battery  and  also  took  one  gun  of  the  Confederates.  Lieut.  • 
Fessenden,  though  wounded,  kept  the  field  and  brought  ofl  the  pieces, 
without  their  caissons,  however,  as  these  had  to  be  abandoned  through  lack 
of  horses. 

"  I  take  this  occasion  to  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  the  officers  of 
Battery  H,  5th  Artillery,  ist  Lieut.  H.  M.  Burnham  and  2d  Lieutenants  Is- 
rael Ludlow  and  J.  A.  Fessenden,"  reports  General  King.  "The  officers 
of  this  battery,  finding  it  impossible  to  retire,  remained  with  their  pieces, 
firing,  until  they  were  forcibly  taken  from  them  by  the  enemy." 

The  departments  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Cumberland  were  now  united 
under  Grant,  General  Thomas  being  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland. How  to  drive  Bragg's  army  from  his  front  was  the  immediate 
problem  before  General  Grant. 

Sherman's  part  of  the  task  was  to  capture  the  Ridge,  Hooker's  to  patrol 
Lookout  Valley,  while  Thomas  concentrated  in  Chattanooga  Valley  to  hold 
the  enemy  there  in  force.     (Nov.  23-24-25,  1863.) 

On  the  25th,  Thomas  was  ordered  to  attack  all  along  his  front.  His 
troops  assailed  the  field-works,  and  capturing  them,  advanced  up  the  Ridge 
and  overran  the  works  at  the  summit. 

Having  been  supplied  with  horses  from  General  Sherman's  artillery, 
the  battery  moved  to  the  front  the  morning  of  November  24th  under  Cap- 
tain Guenther,  who  had  rejoined  at  Chattanooga  on  October  31. 

"  During  the  day  I  was  joined  by  Captain  Guenther's  battery,"  says  Sher- 
idan, who  commanded  the  2d  Division,  IV.  Corps,  "  which  I  placed  on  Bushy 
Knob.  On  the  next  morning  I  directed  Colonel  Harker  to  drive  in  the  en- 
emy's pickets  from  my  front.  Guenther's  battery  was  moved  to  a  position 
;n  front  of  Harker's  centre.  In  the  afternoon,  the  signal  being  given,  the 
division  advanced  under  a  most  terrible  tornado  of  shot  and  shell,  and 
passed  over  the  first  line  of  pits.  Believing  the  Ridge  could  be  carried, 
orders  were  given,  and  obeyed  with  a  cheer." 

"In  my  special  mentions,"  reports  General  Sheridan,  "  must  be  included 
Captain  Guenther,  commanding  a  battery  temporarily  assigned  to  me,  to 
whom  I  am  indebted  for  valuable  services  rendered." 

The  battery  encamped  at  Chattanooga  until  March  25,  1864,  when  it  left 
for  Nashville,  where  it  remained  till  the  last  day  of  August. 

Ist.  Lieut.  E.  D.  Spooner  assumed  command  the  latter  part  of  September. 

On  the  29th,  the  battery  proceeded  by  rail  to  Tullahoma,  Tenn.,  from 
whence  it  participated  in  the  movements  against  the  cavalry  leader  For- 
rest, during  October,  returning  to  its  camp  at  Nashville  the  last  day  of  the 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  AR TILLER  Y.        389 

month.     The  next  day  the  few  horses  remaining  fit  for  duty  were  turned  in 
at  the  depot. 

In  April.  1865,  Battery  H  was  transferred  to  Fort  Richmond,  N.  Y.  H., 
and  there  remained  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

IX. 

In  November,  1863,  Meade  crossed  the  river  and  routed  Lee  from  Rappa- 
hannock Station  (Batteries  D  and  F),  and  forced  him  to  retire  behind  the 
Rapidan.  Here  the  two  armies  remained  until  the  opening  of  the  Wilder- 
ness campaign  the  following  spring. 

In  accordance  with  the  general  plan  of  this  campaign  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  (Batteries  C-I,  D,  E,  M)  and  the  IX.  Corps  moved  by  the  overland 
route  on  the  east  of  Richmond  ;  the  Army  of  the  James  (Battery  A)  moved 
up  the  James  River ;  Sigel  (Battery  B),  Crook  (Battery  B)  and  later  Sheri- 
dan with  both  these  forces,  and  the  VI.  Corps  (Batteries  B,  L,  M)  operated 
by  way  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 

So  dense  was  the  undergrowth  over  the  country  called  the  Wilderness 
that  artillery  became  of  far  less  than  its  normal  value.  To  fire  down  a  road 
or  across  a  clearing  was  about  all  it  could  do — concert  of  action  almost  dis- 
appeared. 

It  is  impracticable,  therefore,  to  give  more  than  the  barest  mention  of 
the  services  of  our  batteries  from  May  4  to  June  16. 

Battle  of  the  Wilderness,  May  5-9,  1864. 

Battery  C-I  was  present  in  position  on  the  5th,  but  not  engaged.  On 
the  6th  it  was  on  the  firing  line  at  the  time  the  3d  und  4th  Divisions,  II. 
Corps,  were  driven  back  into  their  entrenchments. 

Battery  D  was  engaged  at  times  during  the  afternoon  of  the  5th  against 
bodies  of  the  enemy  passing  near  the  Lacy  House.  Again  on  the  6th  it  was 
in  position,  but  not  engaged. 

Battery  M  was  present  but  not  engaged. 

Battle  of  Spottsylvania,  May  8-21. 

Battery  C-I  was  engaged  during  the  attack  of  the  V.  Corps,  May  10,  and 
again  in  the  afternoon. 

On  May  12,  it  engaged  the  enemy  during  the  attack  of  the  VI.  Corps — 
one  of  the  bloodiest  fights  of  this  campaign.  When  Hancock  had  forced 
the  salient,  called  Bloody  Angle, — the  key  of  Lee's  position — and  had 
reached  the  second  line,  he  met  stern  resistance. 

"  After  the  capture  of  the  Confederate  works,"  relates  Sergeant  W.  E. 
Lines,  "  we  were  put  in  position  near  the  small  pine  trees  so  much  spoken  of, 
and  fired  a  few  rounds  of  solid  shot.  While  we  were  waiting,  General 
Wright  rode  up  to  Lieut.  Gillis  and  desired  a  section.  Lieut.  Metcalf  came 
over  to  our  section  and  gave  the  command,  and  away  we  went  up  the  hill 
past  our  infantry,  into  position." 

"  At  this  moment,"  writes  an  eye-witness,  "  and  while  the  open  ground  in 
rear  of  the  Confederate  works  was  crowded  with  their  troops,  a  section  of 
Battery  C,  5th  U.  S.  Artillery,  under  Lieut.  Richard  Metcalf,  was  brought 
into  action  and  increased  the  carnage  by  opening  at  short  range  with  double 
canister.  This  staggered  the  apparently  exultant  enemy.  In  the  maze  of 
the  moment  these  guns  were  run  up  by  hand  close  to  the  famous  Angle 
and  fired  again  and  again,  and  they  were  only  abandoned  when  all  the  driv- 


390  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ers  and  cannoneers  had  fallen,  In  a  few  moments  the  two  brass  pieces  of 
the  5th  Artillery,  cut  and  hacked  by  the  bullets  of  both  antagonists,  layun- 
worked  with  their  muzzles  projecting  over  the  enemy's  works."  ["  Battles 
and  Leaders.  "] 

"  This  is  the  only  recorded  instance  in  the  history  of  the  war  of  a  bat- 
tery charging  on  breastworks." 

Metcalf's  double-canister  cleared  his  own  front  and  undoubtedly  con- 
tributed to  the  success  gained. 

"This  battery  was  gallantly  served  throughout  the  day."  (Hancock.) 

Battery  D  was  in  position  near  the  Court  House  on  the  9th,  and  engaged 
batteries  of  the  enemy  which  had  opened  against  the  right  of  our  line.  On 
the  loth  it  opened  on  troops  across  the  Po  during  the  attack  of  the 
II.  Corps.  On  the  14th  it  again  took  position  beyond  the  bridge  over  the 
Ny,  not  far  from  the  Beverly  House,  and  on  the  i8th  it  formed  one  of  a 
group  of  batteries  pushed  forward  to  the  advanced  works  and  which  became 
engaged  in  a  sharp  artillery  duel  during  the  II.  Corps  advance,  and  con- 
tinued in  action  throughout  day. 

Battery  M  went  into  position  the  morning  of  the  12th,  opened  fire  and 
continued  in  action  throughout  the  day,  expending  910  rounds.  It  was 
again  engaged  the  21st  upon  the  movement  of  the  army  from  the  Court 

House. 

Battle  of  North  Anna,  May  23-26. 

Battery  C-I  was  in  position  during  May  26,  but  was  not  engaged  other 
than  in  covering  the  recrossing  of  the  troops. 

Battery  D  took  position  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river  and  assisted  in 
silencing  the  enemy's  guns  during  the  attack  of  the  V.  Corps  on  the  23d. 
Battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  May  31-June  12. 

Battery  C-I  was  engaged  in  General  Mott's  brigade  at  Totopotomy 
Creek  against  works  300  yards  in  front,  on  the  31st.  On  June  3d  and  4th  it 
was  in  position  but  not  in  action.  On  the  8th  it  was  engaged  in  Birney's 
division  at  Barker's  Mill  and  again  on  the  12th. 

Battery  D  was  engaged  the  29th,  and  took  part  in  a  sharp  contest  near 
Bethesda  Church  on  May  30th,  and  was  again  in  position  near  the  pike  road 
and  severely  engaged  under  a  heavy  fire  on  June  i.  During  the  night  it 
advanced  with  the  main  line  and  took  position  in  a  group  of  four  batteries 
near  the  pike  road  on  the  left  of  the  V.  Corps.  Here  it  was  "  exposed  next 
day  to  the  fire  of  a  large  portion  of  the  enemy's  lines  and  to  an  ugly  cross- 
fire from  a  detached  work"  within  short  range.  The  sharpshooters  were 
able  to  work  up  to  within  200  yards  and  subjected  the  battery  to  a  trying 
ordeal,  but  it  remained  on  the  line  hotly  engaged  throughout  the  day.  The 
next  morning,  June  3d,  during  the  assault  of  the  II.,  VI.  and  XVIII.  Corps, 
this  group  was  pushed  forward  by  battery  with  the  line  of  battle,  "gaining 
ground  under  a  galling  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry  at  considerable  loss, 
the  enemy's  batteries  being  posted  under  cover. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  Battery  A  disem'iarkedat  Bermuda  Hundred,  south 
side  of  the  James, and  joined  the  ist  Division,  XVIII.  Corps.  It  participa- 
ted in  the  demonstration  towards  Richmond  and  was  sharply  engaged,  under 
Lieut.  Beecher,  4th  Artillery,  in  the  repulse  of  the  enemy's  attack  near 
Drewry's  Blufif.     On  the  27,  the   corps  sailed   via  Fort   Monroe  to  White 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        39 1 

House,  Va.  From  this  point  it  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  time  for 
the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  and  took  part  in  the  fights  both  of  the  i stand  3d 
of  June,  under  command  of  Lieut.  Theodore  K.  Gibbs,  ist  Artillery,  who 
writes  the  following:  "On  the  ist  of  June  our  corps  was  ordered  to  attack 
the  enemy's  position,  and  Captain  Elder,  chief  of  artillery,  directed  the 
battery  to  move  up  to  the  head  of  column.  The  enemy  was  forming  and 
throwing  up  works,  and  the  battery  opened  fire  which  it  kept  up  till  our 
line,  then  forming  in  rear,  was  ready  to  charge.  The  corps  passed  us  and 
we  followed  up  the  movement  until  a  knoll  was  reached  which  had  quite 
a  depression  in  front.  Here  we  halted  and  again  opened  fire  over  the  heads 
of  our  men  and  continued  it  until  they  commenced  to  ascend  the  other  side 
of  the  valley.  On  the  morning  of  the  3d  a  section  of  the  battery  was  ordered 
to  a  very  exposed  position  near  the  IX.  Corps  under  a  heavy  fire.  We 
threw  up  a  small  earthwork  and  remained  in  action  all  day."  Here  Lieut. 
Gibbs  was  severely  wounded  and  was  carried  to  the  rear. 

Gradually  moving  successive  corps  from  the  right.  Grant  extended  his 
left  towards  the  James  which  the  army  reached  and  crossed  about  the 
middle  of  June. 

Battery  F,  Lieut.  Martin,  joined  the  XVHL  Corps  early  in  July,  and  our 
guns  were  gradually  moved  up  into  earthworks,  from  which  they  frequently 
opened  as  the  investing  lines  drew  closer. 

Batteries  A,  C-I,  D,  E,  F  and  M  are  credited  with  the  siege  of  Peters- 
burg, June  and  July,  1864. 

X. 

General  Hunter's  retreat  from  Lynchburg  offered  an  excellent  chance 
against  Washington,  which  General  Early  quickly  seized.  The  VL  Corps 
(Battery  M)  was  hurried  to  the  threatened  point,  leaving  certain  batteries 
behind  in  the  trenches,  among  them  E. 

The  forces  cooperating  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  from  the  Valley, 
consistingofCrook's  Kanawha  Army  and  Sigel's  troops,  were  under  command 
of  the  latter  officer. 

Sigel  moved  southward  about  May  i,  but  suddenly  met  the  Confed- 
erates at  New  Market,  Va.,  where  Battery  B  was  engaged,  and  suffered  a 
defeat  which  caused  him  to  retire  to  the  line  of  Cedar  Creek,  where  he  was 
superseded  by  General  Hunter.  This  general  again  moved  up  the  valley 
and  defeated  the  enemy  at  Piedmont  (Battery  B  again).  Generals  Crook 
and  Averell  now  joined  him,  and  the  command,  about  iS,ooo  strong, 
reached  Lynchburg  a  few  days  later,  which  place  General  Hunter  assaulted, 
but  unsuccessfully.  Here  the  battery  was  busily  occupied  the  entire  day 
under  Captain  DuPont,  Chief  of  Artillery.  General  Hunter  retired,  followed 
by  Early,  who  forced  his  way  into  Maryland,  resorting  to  the  old  game  of 
threatening  Washington,  but  the  VL  and  XLX.  Corps  interposed  in  time. 

General  Early  retired  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  where,  after  some 
preliminary  manoeuvring,  the  opposing  armies  met  September  19,  when 
Sheridan  advanced  against  Early's  right  at  Winchester. 

The  VL  Corps,  Getty's  division  leading,  advanced  through  the  Berry- 
ville  gorge,  and  turning  to  the  left,  formed  the  left  of  the  line.  McKnight's 
and  Cowan's  batteries  were  posted  just  in  re^r  of  Getty's  right  brigade. 


392  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

"and  advancing  and  firing  as  the  lines  advanced,  rendered  most  important 
service."     (Getty.) 

General  Crook's  force  arrived  on  the  field  some  time  past  mid-day  and 
formed  on  the  right,  but  the  blocking  of  the  gorge  road  delayed  DuPont 
and  his  batteries  till  3  P.  M.,  when  they  advanced  on  the  right  of  the  corps 
and  took  part  in  the  attack  on  the  Confederate  left. 

Averell's  division  with  Battery  L  advanced  along  a  converging  line  at 
the  extreme  right,  driving  the  enemy  before  them. 

Sheridan  pursued  Early  up  the  Valley  to  Mt.  Jackson,  where  Averell 
attacked  with  Battery  L  and  aided  in  driving  him  from  this  third  position. 

The  Federal  army  now  returned  and  went  into  camp,  echeloned  on 
ground  overlooking  Cedar  Creek,  in  the  angle  between  it  and  the  Shenan- 
doah River. 

In  mid-October  Early,  reinforced,  planned  a  surprise  for  our  army  in 
its  new  position.  Under  cover  of  a  dark  night  and  foggy  dawn,  Gordon 
suddenly  attacked  the  left  and  drove  it  to  the  rear  in  confused  retreat. 

Battery  B  and  one  other  occupied  a  work  to  the  left  front  of  its  corps, 
on  a  ridge  overlookmg  Cedar  Creek  and  near  the  point  of  first  attack. 
While  harnessing  its  teams,  just  at  daybreak,  amidst  a  heavy  fire,  the 
battery,  under  Lieut.  Brewerton's  command,  turned  its  guns  on  the  enemy, 
and  continued  firing  canister  till  they  were  within  a  few  yards  of  the  muz- 
zles. 

Abandoning  his  limbers,  Brewerton  ran  his  guns  down  the  hill  by  hand 
to  the  caissons,  unlimbered  these,  and  limbering  up  his  pieces  he  succeeded 
in  saving  five  guns  and  his  train,  notwithstanding  the  utter  confusion  and 
loss  of  horses  and  men.  While  endeavoring  to  extricate  his  last  gun,  which 
had  gotten  jammed  among  some  trees,  Lieut.  Brewerton  was  captured  and 
Lieut.  Southworth,  2d  Artillery,  the  only  other  officer  present,  was  killed. 
Fighting  its  way,  Battery  B  rejoined  the  brigade,  refitted,  and  after  taking 
up  certain  positions  in  aid  of  efforts  to  reform  the  line,  "  galloped  forward 
to  the  firing  line  as  this  advanced  and  did  most  admirable  execution  till 
dark  "  under  Lieut.  Holman,  5th  Artillery,  who  was  absent  at  the  time  of 
first  attack. 

First  Lieut.  H.  F.  Brewerton  and  First  Sergeant  J.  A.  Webb  were  com- 
mended for  coolness  and  gallantry,  and  Captain  Du  Pont,  Chief  of  Artil- 
lery, received  "  particular  mention  "  for  "  conspicuous  gallantry  and  valu- 
able services."    (Crook.) 

So  rapidly  did  all  this  happen  that  Battery  M  (McKnight)  first  went  into 
action  just  in  front  of  its  own  camp.  Lieut.  H.  M.  Baldwin  took  charge  of  two 
guns  and  Sergeant  Yoder  a  third,  and  endeavored  to  remove  them.  Only 
two  horses  each  remained  to  the  limbers,  and  the  two  belonging  to  the 
third  gun  being  killed,  that  one  went  with  the  others  to  the  enemy  who 
now  captured  Lieut.  Baldwin.  The  remaining  guns  were  the  last  to  leave 
the  field. 

"  The  guns  under  command  of  Captain  McKnight  were  admirably  han- 
dled and  rapidly  fired,  although  under  heavy  and  close  musketry  fire  of  the 
enemy,"  reports  General  J.  W.  Keifer. 

Moore's  cavalry  brigade,  with  Battery  L,  guarded  the  Buckton  Ford,  some 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.         393 

distance  to  the  left,  at  early  dawn,  October  19.  They  reached  the  field  about 
9  A.  M.  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  fight. 

Changing  its  position  in  the  rapid  phases  of  the  battle.  Battery  L  ren- 
dered gallant  and  eflfective  service  till  the  utter  rout  of  the  enemy  late 
in  the  afternoon.  The  brigade  and  battery  were  attached  to  General  Mer- 
ritt's  command. 

At  a  critical  period  the  guns  of  the  horse  artillery  brigade  were  the  only 
ones  on  the  field,  the  others  having  been  captured  or  driven  to  the  rear 
disabled.  "The  Horse  Artillery,  Batteries  K-L,  ist  Artillery;  B-L,  2d 
Artillery  ;  L,  5th  Artillery.  Lieut.  Wier,  and  Martin's  battery,  6th  New 
York,  rendered  invaluable  services  on  this  day,  as  for  five  or  six  hours  the 
only  artillery  used  was  that  of  the  cavalry,  and  nobly  did  they  do  their 
duty,  having  but  about  two  rounds  per  piece  left  after  the  engagement." 
(Torbert.)  The  VI.  Corps,  minus  Battery  M,  returned  to  the  Petersburg 
lines,  and  our  batteries,  B,  L  and  M  gradually  withdrew;  B  to  Cumberland, 
Md. ;  L  to  Fort  Reno,  D.  C.  and  M  to  Fort  Sumner,  Md.,  where  they  re- 
mained till  the  latter  part  of  1865. 

XI. 

On  the  Petersburg  line  General  Warren  moved  by  a  detour  to  the  rear 
August  18,  and  struck  the  Weldon  Railroad  at  Globe  Tavern.  On  ad- 
vancing up  the  road  towards  Petersburg  he  was  met  by  a  considerable  force 
which  attacked  him.  As  the  line  fell  back  Battery  D,  now  under  com- 
mand of  Lieut.  Van  Reed,  opened  fire,  with  others  of  the  V.  Corps,  and  si- 
lenced the  enemy's  guns  after  a  sharp  fight,  aiding  materially  in  repelling 
the  assault. 

"Lieut.  Van  Reed  served  his  battery  with  distinction  on  the  21st,  the 
principal  service  being  on  that  day."     (Ayres.) 

Before  settling  down  to  winter-quarters.  General  Grant  desired  to  deal 
one  more  blow,  in  hope  that  some  permanent  gain  might  be  made  with 
which  to  close  the  year. 

The  force  consisted  of  the  bulk  of  three  corps. 

Parke  assaulted  in  front,  near  Hatcher's  Run,  while  Warren,  on  his  left, 
tried  to  turn  the  enemy's  right.  Both  failed  of  their  purpose,  upon  which 
General  Meade  ordered  Hancock  to  halt  on  the  Boydton  Road  till  Warren 
could  cooperate  with  him.  But  before  these  two  corps  could  join,  Lee 
thrust  Hill's  corps  into  the  gap.  The  assault  fell  on  Hancock's  flank  and 
came  near  ending  unpleasantly,  when  Egan's  division  changed  front,  and 
after  hard  fighting,  compelled  Hill  to  withdraw. 

Lieut.  Beck,  commanding  C-I,  reported  to  General  Egan  and  moved 
out  westwardly  with  the  2d  Division  to  where  the  Boydton  Road  crossed. 

General  Egan  having  advanced  his  line  to  the  north,  up  the  Boydton 
Road,  Lieut.  Metcalf  was  ordered  to  a  position  on  a  ridge  to  the  right,  near 
Hatcher's  Run,  where  he  opened  on  the  enemy  deploying  to  his  front.  Our 
line  again  advanced  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Burgess  Tavern,  about  300 
yards  to  the  left  front  of  Metcalf's  position.  Here  General  Egan  ordered 
another  section  placed,  and  it  went  into  action  under  a  heavy  fire  from  a 
battery  on  the  left  of  the  road.  Soon  another  battery  opened  to  the  right, 
enfilading  the  section,  which  however  kept  up  a  vigorous  fire.     The  centre 


394  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

section  now  came  up  at  a  gallop  and  opened  at  right  angles  to  the  first. 
Two  more  guns  immediately  opened  from  the  right  and  with  the  others  en- 
veloped Beck's  two  sections  in  a  hail  of  flying  fragments,  much  of  which,  how- 
ever, flew  wild  through  poor  practice.  Lieut.  Metcalf  replied  with  his  guns 
and  a  lively  fight  ensued,  but  the  enemy  could  not  drive  Beck  from  his 
position. 

"  At  about  3  P.  M.  the  enemy  commenced  a  furious  assault  on  our  right, 
which  swept  away  Lieut.  Metcalf's  section,  after  killing  nearly  all  the  horses 
and  severely  wounding  the  lieutenant,  whom  they  captured.  The  charge 
of  Egan's  division  forced  them  to  retire  and  our  infantry  hauled  ofif  the 
guns."  Beck's  guns  had  immediately  advanced  and  opened  upon  the  point 
of  woods  through  which  the  enemy  had  broken,  and  aided  in  repulsing  the 
attack.     Here  it  remained  till  8  P.  M. 

During  the  afternoon  the  battery  had  expended  about  700  rounds  and 
had  lost  I  officer  killed,  i  captured,  14  men  killed  or  wounded,  and  4  missing, 
out  of  an  effective  of  T]. 

"  Lieut.  Beck  is  mentioned  for  the  gallant  manner  in  which  he  main- 
tained his  position  against  a  greatly  superior  force  of  the  enemy's  artillery." 
(Hancock.) 

xn. 

Battery  G  remained  at  Fort  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  after  its  organization  till 
December  18,  1862,  when  it  proceeded  south  by  sea  under  sealed  orders, 
which  being  opened  while  off  Mobile,  disclosed  its  destination  to  be  New 
Orleans,  La.  The  officers  were  Captain  Richard  Arnold,  ist  Lieut.  J.  B. 
Rawles  and  2d  Lieut.  E.  R.  Craft. 

Captain  Arnold  was  made  Chief  of  Artillery,  Department  of  the  Gulf, 
upon  reaching  New  Orleans,  and  soon  after,  received  a  commission  as 
brigadier  general  of  volunteers.  He  did  not  again  serve  with  the  regiment 
till  some  time  in  1866,  when  he  assumed  command  of  this  same  battery  at 
Little  Rock,  Ark. 

The  following  March  it  moved  to  Baton  Rouge,  and  from  thence  partici- 
pated in  the  campaign  and  siege  of  Port  Hudson,  the  spring  and  summer 
of  1863,  culminating  in  the  surrender  of  that  stronghold. 

After  the  first  assault  at  Port  Hudson  a  second  was  tried,  both  of  which 
the  artillery  supported  and  in  which  our  battery  was  hotly  engaged.  Regu- 
lar approaches  were  then  resorted  to  ;  Battery  G  moved  up  into  an  earth- 
work on  the  line  of  investment,  where  it  was  almost  always  under  fire,  and 
from  which  more  or  less  firing  continued  till  the  surrender,  July  8.  It  re- 
mained in  camp  at  Port  Hudson,  assisting  in  rebuilding  the  fortifications 
and  on  other  active  duty,  until  the  fall,  when  it  returned  to  New  Orleans  and 
there  wintered. 

It  was  now  made  a  horse-battery,  with  four  12-pdr  Napoleon  guns  and  a 
strength  of  156  men  who  elected  to  join  the  battery  from  various  organiza- 
tions serving  in  the  department.  It  became  thoroughly  re-equipped  and 
drilled,  ready  for  the  campaign  up  the  Red  River. 

There  was  more  or  less  skirmishing  with  the  enemy's  horse  and  out- 
posts along  the  entire  Red  River  route ;  and  near  Mansfield,  at  Sabine 
Cross  Roads,  the  vanguard  met  the  enemy  in  force. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        395 

Our  battery  had  been  assigned  to  General  A.  L.  Lee's  cavalry  division 
and  was  engaged,  more  or  less,  daily  in  skirmishing  and  fighting  in  the  ad- 
vance guard,  against  the  gathering  forces  of  the  enemy ;  until  Lee's  cavalry, 
supported  by  a  brigade  of  infantry,  attacked  the  Confederates  at  St,  Pat- 
rick's Bayou,  drove  them  from  the  position  and  pursued  to  Sabine  Cross 
Roads.  Here  the  enemy  was  found  in  large  force.  Soon  they  attacked 
and  drove  the  Federals  to  Pleasant  Grove,  where  they  sustained  a  check. 
The  next  day  they  attacked  General  Banks'  command  at  Pleasant  Hill  and 
were  driven  off  with  loss. 

The  battery  had  been  divided,  Lieut.  Ravvles  taking  one  section  and 
Lieut.  Homer  Baldwin  the  other. 

The  sections  were  constantly  engaged  at  different  parts  of  the  field  with 
the  cavalry  brigades  to  which  they  were  attached.  On  the  final  retirement 
of  the  expedition  they  united,  and  again  found  themselves  encamped  near 
New  Orleans,  from  which  point  our  battery  proceeded  to  the  vicinity  of 
Mobile,  Ala.,  and  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Fort  Morgan,  after  turning  in 
the  light  battery  equipment  at  the  depot. 

Battery  G  appeared  upon  the  scene  August  i6,  1864, and  was  at  once  set 
to  work  laying  platforms,  building  magazines,  and  preparing  a  battery  for 
two  lo-inch  mortars.  This  battery  occupied  a  site  about  900  yards  from 
Fort  Morgan.  Lieut.  Rawles  commenced  firing  at  5  o'clock  A.  M.  the  22d, 
throwing  a  shell  from  each  mortar  every  15  minutes.  This  was  kept  up 
during  the  day  and  night  with  slight  variations  in  rapidity.  About  7:30  A.  M. 
the  23d,  a  white  flag  appeared,  the  firing  ceased,  and  at  2  p.  M,  our  troops 
took  possession. 

Shortly  after  this  the  battery  returned  to  New  Orleans  and  embarked  for 
New  York,  where  it  remained  at  Fort  Hamilton  until  November  i,  when  it 
took  passage  for  City  Point,  Va. 

In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  it  was  consolidated  with  Battery  D  and 
assigned  to  the  V.  Corps.  Lieut.  Rawles  still  in  command. 

XHL 

As  the  spring  of  '65  opened  General  Lee  accumulated  a  supply  of  rations 
at  Amelia  Court  House,  west  of  Richmond.  In  order  to  retire,  as  he  de- 
sired, by  the  south  side  of  the  Appomattox  River,  Lee  must  drive  Grant 
from  his  hold  on  the  Boydton  road. 

This  led  to  a  series  of  sharp  encounters,  one  of  which  included  the 
attack  on  Fort  Stedman,  near  the  centre,  a  movement  undertaken  by  Gen- 
eral Lee  as  a  cover  for  operations  by  his  right. 

Battery  No.  9  on  the  right  of  Fort  Stedman  was  occupied  by  Battery 
C-I,  which  had  been  temporarily  detached  with  the  IX.  Corps.  Our  men 
were  at  once  at  their  posts  on  hearing  the  firing  "  and  when  the  advancing 
enemy  were  distinguishable  in  the  dusk,  opened  upon  them  so  hotly  as  to 
check  and  cause  them  to  seek  shelter  in  a  depression  of  the  ground,  where 
they  were  held  under  canister  fire  till  7  a.  m.,  when  an  officer  escaping  from 
this  position  informed  Captain  Stone  that  if  he  would  not  fire  upon  them, 
there  were  between  200  and  300  of  the  enemy  who  would  come  in.  This 
arrangement  was  promptly  effected." 

Battery  C-I  remained  in   Forts  No.  9  and  McGilvery  on  the  IX.  Corps 


396  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY, 

line.  At  about  midnight  of  April  i,  Stone  opened  fire  in  the  bombard- 
ment ordered,  and  continued  with  varying  rapidity  till  3:30  A.  M.  of  the  3d, 
when  he  requested  of  Colonel  Ely,  commanding  the  infantry  brigade,  that 
if  he  advanced  he  would  at  least  take  a  section  of  the  battery  with  him. 
This  he  promised  to  do.  Soon  the  order  came,  and  cutting  through  the 
parapet,  the  section  advanced  as  rapidly  as  possible  and  arrived  inside  the 
city  by  4:1 5  A.  M.  It  was  probably  the  first  artillery  unit  to  enter  the  town. 
Stone  claims  that  no  other  artillery  had  entered  the  town  when  he  arrived. 

The  VI.  Corps  proceeded  to  Sailor's  Creek  April  6. 

Battery  E  having  been  assigned  to  the  3d  Division,  VI.  Corps,  "accom- 
panied the  division  in  all  its  marches  and  participated  in  all  engagements." 
In  the  afternoon  of  the  6th,  the  battery  was  ordered  by  General  Seymour 
(5th  Artillery)  to  a  position  commanding  the  enemy's  lines  "and  fired  with 
all  its  guns  till  the  works  were  carried."  The  corps  continued  the  pursuit 
till,  on  April  9,  it  halted  at  Clover  Hill  where  Lee's  army  surrendered. 

On  March  30,  the  V.  Corps  pushed  forward  to  the  crossing  of  the  Boydton 
and  Quaker  roads,  Rawles's  and  Vose's  batteries  being  placed  at  the  junction. 
In  the  afternoon  the  enemy  made  an  assault  at  this  point,  but  met  with 
repulse,  "the  two  batteries  doing  efficient  service."  The  troops  made 
a  rapid  march  on  the  9th  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  our  lines  engaged  with 
the  enemy. 

In  December,  1864,  the  X.  and  the  XVIII.  Corps  were  discontinued,  and 
the  XXIV.  and  XXV.  Corps  organized  from  the  troops  composing  the  Army 
of  the  James.  The  former  of  these  two  corps,  the  XXIV.,  included  our 
batteries  A  and  F. 

On  March  27,  two  of  its  divisions  withdrew  from  the  north  side  of  the 
James,  and  marching  all  night,  took  position  behind  the  II.  Corps  on  the 
left,  leaving  the  3d  Division  (Battery  F)  to  keep  the  lines.  Battery  F, 
Lieut.  Beecher,  broke  camp  on  the  New  Market  road,  April  3,  and  marched 
with  its  division  directly  to  Richmond. 

Battery  A  joined  Foster's  division,  the  first,  and  reaching  Hatcher's  Run, 
March  29,  took  position  in  front  of  the  interior  lines  of  the  Petersburg 
defenses,  April  2,  during  the  assault  on  Fort  Gregg,  "  one  of  the  most  des- 
perate of  the  war." 

"While  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  followed  in  the  track  of  the  enemy, 
the  Army  of  the  James  and  the  cavalry  advanced  on  their  left  and  endeavored 
to  head  them  off. 

"  General  Lee  succeeded  in  crossing  the  Appomattox,  but  upon  arriving 
at  the  Court  House  found  Sheridan's  cavalry  in  his  front,  and  the  Army  of 
the  James  on  his  left,  while  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  followed  hard  upon 
his  rear. 

"  General  Foster's  division  entered  the  field  and  opened  fire  on  the 
enemy  who  had  gained  the  hill  near  Appomattox  Court  House.  Lee] 
surprised  at  finding  a  division  of  infantry  in  front  of  him,  at  first  gave  ground 
but  seeing  only  a  division,  he  attacked  with  the  evident  intention  of  cutting 
it  off."  The  appearance  of  other  troops  fast  coming  up,  however,  soon 
proved  the  futility  of  such  an  attempt,  and  the  white  flag  put  an  end  to 
further  hostilities. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY.        397 

Battery  A  had  been  assigned  a  position  opposite  the  enemy's  extreme 
right,  and  there  engaged,  thus  dividing  with  Battery  B,  ist  Artillery,  the 
honor  of  being  one  of  the  last  two  batteries  engaged  against  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia. 

The  II.,  v.,  VI.  and  IX.  Corps,  with  batteries  C-I,  D-G  and  E,  after  vari- 
ous services  of  a  minor  character,  proceeded  to  Washington  and  took  part  in 
the  final  review. 

The  XXIV.  Corps  remained  in  Richmond  and  its  vicinity.  Battery  A 
was  to  be  found  at  Lynchburg,  Va.,  in  October,  '65,  while  F  remained  at 
Richmond  three  years  later. 

If  losses  are  any  indication  of  hard  fighting,  the  Fifth  can  claim  a  high 
place  in  such  a  category.  Of  all  the  regular  regiments,  infantry,  cavalry, 
and  artillery,  the  four  having  the  greatest  average  loss  per  unit  of  organ- 
ization are  the  Thirteenth  Infantry,  23.2  ;  the  Seventeenth  Infantry,  20.6 ; 
the  Twelfth  Infantry,  20,  and  the  Fifth  Artillery,  20.  The  total  loss  of  the 
Fifth  is  considerably  larger  than  that  of  any  other  artillery  regiment,  and 
there  are  only  five  larger  among  all  those  of  the  Regular  Army. 

Burnham's  battery,  H,  lost  44  at  Chickamauga  ;  Watson's,  I,  22  at 
Gettysburg ;  McKnight's,  M,  23  at  Cedar  Creek  ;  Griffin's.  D,  27  at  Bull 
Run  ;  Metcalf's  section  of  C-I,  23  at  the  Salient,  and  DeHart's,  C,  19  at 
Gaines  Mill. 

All  the  field  officers  originally  commissioned  in  the  regiment,  besides 
most  of  the  captains,  became  at  one  period  or  another  either  brigadier  or 
major  generals  of  volunteers.  The  fame  of  Generals  Harvey  Brown,  T.  W. 
Sherman,  Barry,  Getty,  Griffin,  Hunt,  Hayes,  Terrill,  Ayres,  Upton,  Weed, 
Ames,  Arnold  and  Williams,  all  officers  of  the  same  regiment,  illumine  the 
brilliant  record  which  the  Fifth  Artillery  earned  during  the  War  of  the  Re- 
bellion. 

XIV. 

After  the  war,  the  regimental  headquarters  removed  from  Fort  Rich- 
mond, N.  Y.  H.,  to  Fort  Monroe,  Va.,  Oct.  25,  '65,  and  there  remained  till 
June  10,  'd-],  when  it  proceeded  to  Columbia,  S.  C.  On  Feb.  8,  1868,  it  went 
to  Richmond,  Va.,  and  on  Nov.  7  to  Fort  Jefferson,  Fla. 

Most  of  our  batteries  were  withdrawn  from  the  field  the  latter  part  of 
October,  1865,  and  occupied  stations  at  Fort  Macon,  N.  C. ;  Charleston, 
S.  C. ;  Key  West,  Fort  Jefiferson  and  Barrancas,  Fla.  With  the  exception 
of  Batteries  F  and  G  they  turned  in  their  horses  and  guns  and  became  foot- 
batteries. 

The  regiment  turned  northward  early  in  1869  and  took  stations  along 
the  New  England  coast,  from  Fort  Trumbull,  Ct.,  to  Fort  Sullivan,  Me., 
with  headquarters  at  Fort  Adams,  R.  I.,  excepting  Battery  G,  which 
went  to  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  and  Battery  II,  which  in  October,  '73,  abandoned 
Fort  Sullivan  for  Madison  Barracks,  N.  Y. 

Bvt.  Major  General  Henry  J.  Hunt,  who  had  been  promoted  from  major 
of  the  Fifth  to  lieut.-col.  of  the  3d  Artillery,  returned  to  the  regiment  as 
colonel,  April  4,  1869,  and  assumed  command  about  the  middle  of  May. 

During  May,  1870,  the  Fenians  made  their  attempted  invasion  of  Can- 
ada, and  A,  B,  E,  H,  I,  G,  L,  M,  left  their  stations  and  proceeded  to  the 


398  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

scene  of  disturbance  in  northern  New  York  and  Vermont,  returning  early 
in  June. 

In  the  fall  of  1875  the  Fifth  visited  its  old  stations  in  the  South,  the 
headquarters  going  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  later  to  McPherson  Barracks, 
Ga.  The  batteries  took  post  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  St.  Augustine,  Key  West 
and  Barrancas,  Fla.,  and  Savannah,  Ga.  When  the  headquarters  moved  to 
Atlanta,  certain  batteries  that  had  garrisoned  Savannah  and  Charleston  took 
station  at  McPherson  Barracks. 

The  railroad  and  coal  strikes  of  1877  took  Batteries  B,  C,  D,  E,  I  and  M 
to  various  towns  in  Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia  and  Maryland  to  aid  in 
suppressing  violence  and  protecting  property. 

During  November,  1881,  the  regiment  turned  northward  again  and  gar- 
risoned the  forts  in  New  York  Harbor  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Hamilton. 

General  Hunt,  who  has  left  such  a  brilliant  and  enduring  record  as  Chief 
of  Artillery,  Army  of  the  Potomac,  retired  September  14,  1883,  after  being 
colonel  for  a  little  over  fourteen  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  John 
Hamilton,  the  father  of  the  present  system  of  sea-coast  target  practice 
which  was  originated  and  developed  to  a  certain  point  by  the  officers  of  the 
Fifth  Artillery,  under  his  direction. 

Battery  D,  Captain  Rawles,  became  a  light-battery  August  15,  1882,  with 
station  at  Fort  Omaha,  Neb.,  from  September  11,  and  later.  Fort  Douglas. 

As  the  spring  of  1890  approached,  it  became  evident  that  another  move- 
ment lay  in  store  for  the  Fifth,  and  soon  it  could  be  found  on  "  our  western- 
most frontier  "  garrisoning  the  posts  in  San  Francisco  Harbor,  and  Fort 
Canby,  Wash.,  with  headquarters  at  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco. 

Colonel  Alexander  Piper  had  assumed  command  of  the  regiment,  Au- 
gust 10,  1887,  but  did  not  accompany  it  to  the  West,  and  retired  not  long 
after  parting  with  it. 

The  railroad  disturbances  of  1894  took  Battery  B  from  Fort  Canby  for  a 
time  and  it  was  engaged  in  guarding  railroad  property  and  in  furnishing 
escorts  for  trains  from  Hope,  Idaho,  to  Missoula,  Montana  and  Sprague, 
Washington. 

General  Graham  and  staff  with  Batteries  A,  E,  H,  K  and  L  proceeded  to 
Sacramento,  Cal.,  July  10,  under  orders  from  department  headquarters,  for 
the  purpose  of  removing  obstructions  to  the  mails  and  to  execute  any  or- 
ders of  the  U.  S.  Courts  for  the  protection  of  property  and  to  prevent  in 
terference  of  inter-state  commerce. 

Order  having  been  satisfactorily  restored,  the  batteries  returned  to  their 
stations.  Sept.  3,  1894.  Here  they  now  remam  doing  the  round  of  garrison 
work  under  the  orders  of  Bvt.  Brigadier  General  William  M.  Graham,  Col- 
onel 5th  Artillery,  the  intrepid  commander  of  Battery  K,  ist  Artillery,  at 
Antietam  and  of  Horse-Battery  K  at  Gettysburg. 


Cbe  infantry 


Major-General 

GE(3RGE  BRINTON  McCLELLAN 

Commanding  the  Army,   1861-1862. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 


Compiled  in  the  Office  o( 

rHE  original  First  Infantry  was  first  ' 
gress  ni  .1.1,-  ii)iu>  ;.  1784.  to  ser 
tiiiu.  .ciHjlves  until  it  w: 

Si  '  the  "  Regiment  v 

*  biates.    Ihc  Act  of  April  30.  1790.  an 
n.^  whrn  a  second   regiment  was  for: 
cr  organization  becanv 


der  Resolve  of  Con« 

)!i!.}j.s,  and  was  con- 

'  by  the  Act  of 

r  the  service 


\ 


Jircvc:  lJiij;.iaier  'i^^-acial  Josiah  Harm.' 
c\  commandant"  of  the  regiment  and  co 
m  1792.     He  was -also  "  Genera!  in  Chief 
city  conducted  the  expedition  against  th. 
tember  and  October,  1790,     His  regimen 
Armstrong  and  a  detachment  of  30  men 

*-he  Miami  River,  October  19;  and  a  deta 

vllys  being  engaged,  October  22,  near  the  same  i^ 
'  .lior  AVvllvs  WHS  killed. 

who  had  been  a  major  genera! 
-^d  ••  General   in  Chief"  in  Marc^i 


;>roceede«1  apjainst  the  Miamis,  and  was 
than   Ha'  tjfferinga  loss  in  k;.l'. ;!  .1: 'i 

)Oo  out  ol  or  1401),    The  battle  took 

IV.    L.akes.  and  the  fugitive  army 
jes  of  Fort  Jefj'trrson.  29  miles  to 
'.y   ci.n.'u^  300  Strong,  was  foT^''    •       •■    ■  ■=■■ 
^'ave  the  army  a  new  organ 
■'tites."    The  Legion  pro. 

i  was  divided  into  four'su: 
'roopof  dragoons,  one  coir  p: 

one  of  riflemen,  eac* 
antry  \va?  mcr^fd  inv 


i.rength  of 
ach  of  whic!. 
!;:ry,  two  battalions  of  'i 
;ng  four  companies.     Ti 
legion. 

The  Legion    participated  in  the  Batt 
General  Wayne,  August  20.  i794-i" 
and  disheartened.     The  First   Sub 
aant  Colonel  J.   F.    Hamtrar 
'  ral  Wayne  in  his  report  of   '• 

<  ;sv.  paj'f  4c.  o£  the  "Hist' 
itl'-p.    Also,  >^!i!>endix— "First  ' 


4o: 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  Z7.  S.  ARMY. 


were  Colonel   Hamtranck,  Captain   Prior,  and  Lieutenant  W.  H.  Harrison 
(afterwards  President  of  the  U.  S.)  all  of  the  First  Sub-legion. 

The  Act  of  May  30,  1796,  discontinued  the  Legion,  and  the  line  of  the 
military  establishment  was  made  to  consist  of  the  "Artillerists  and  Engi- 
neers," two  companies  of  dragoons,  and  four  regiments  of  infantry,  the 
First  Sub-legion  resuming  its  old  designation  of  the  "  First  Regiment  of 
Infantry. "  Colonel  Hamtranck  was  continued  as  the  lieutenant-colonel 
commandant  of  the  regiment  until  the  reorganization  of  1802,  when  he 
became  its  first  full  colonel.  He  died  April  11,  1803,  while  commandant 
of  Detroit  and  its  dependencies. 

Colonel  Hamtranck  had  the  faculty  of  inspiring  men  with  confidence, 
and  although  he  was  a  rigid  disciplinarian,  was  beloved  by  his  men,  for 
he  was  kind  hearted,  generous  and  brave.  The  officers  under  his  command 
placed  a  stone  upon  his  grave,  which  is  in  the  grounds  attached  to  St. 
Anne's  Orphan  Asylum  at  Detroit,  as  a  "grateful  tribute  to  his  merit  and 
his  worth." 

In  the  year  1803,  the  Government  determined  to  explore  the  newly 
acquired  territory,  known  as  the  Louisiana  purchase,  as  far  as  the  course  and 
sources  of  the  Missouri  River  are  concerned,  and  to  determine  upon  the 
feasible  water  communication  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  To  accomplish  these 
purposes,  the  Lewis  and  Clarke  expedition  was  organized  by  the  President. 
Captain  Meriwether  Lewis,  the  head  of  this  expedition,  was  an  officer  of  the 
regiment,  and  at  the  time  secretary  to  the  President,  Thomas  Jefferson. 
The  party  proceeded  in  boats  from  St.  Louis,  examining  the  country  along 
the  Missouri  river  to  its  sources,  thence  through  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
down  the  Columbia  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  expedition  set  out  on 
May  14th,  1804,  and  reached  St.  Louis  on  its  return,  September  23,  1806. 

In  1807,  Captain  Lewis  was  appointed  Governor  of  Louisiana,  and  by  his 
firm  but  just  conduct,  soon  harmonized  the  various  factions  which  at  one 
time  threatened  serious  trouble  in  the  territory.  Captain  Lewis  inherited 
hypochondria,  and  whilst  suffering  under  a  temporary  derangement  of 
mind,  he  put  an  end  to  his  life,  while  en  route  from  St.  Louis  to  Washing- 
ton, in  September,  1809. 

For  many  years  following  General  Wayne's  victory  the  Indians  appear 
to  have  given  little  or  no  trouble,  and  the  regiment  remained  in  garrison  at 
Detroit  and  vicinity  until  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  1812. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  1812,  the  first  blood  of  the  War  of  1812  was  shed  in 
a  skirmish  not  far  from  Detroit,  and  in  August  General  Hull  sent  an  ex- 
pedition from  that  place  to  open  communication  with  the  River  Raisin  and 
to  escort  an  expected  supply  train  into  Detroit.  Among  the  troops  so  sent 
were  two  detachments  of  the  First  Infantry,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  D. 
Stansbury  and  Ensign  R.  A.  McCabe.  The  enemy  was  met  at  Maguaga, 
August  9,  and  defeated,  yet  the  troops  were  recalled  to  Detroit  without 
acomplishing  anything  farther,  and  on  the  i6th  of  the  same  month  were 
included  in  Hull's  disgraceful  surrender  of  the  troops  under  his  command. 

Heald's  Company  of  the  First  Infantry  was  at  this  time  stationed  at 
Fort  Dearborn  (now  Chicago),  and  Captain  Heald  had  received  orders 
from  General  Hull   to  evacuate   his   station,   distribute   the   government 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.  403 

property  among  the  Indians,  and  proceed  to  Detroit.  He  obeyed  orders 
but  had  hardly  begun  his  march  (August  15)  when  he  was  attacked  by  ten 
times  his  force  of  Indians,  and  after  two-thirds  of  his  men  had  been  killed 
or  wounded  was  forced  to  surrender. 

Later  in  the  year  (September  5  to  8)  the  Indians  attacked  Fort  Madison, 
a  short  distance  from  the  present  city  of  St.  Louis.  Lieutenants  Hamilton 
and  Vasquesof  the  First  Infantry  with  a  small  detachment  of  the  regiment 
garrisoned  the  fort,  and  after  a  gallant  defense  drove  the  enemy  away. 

A  general  "  Return  of  the  Army  "  of  date  July  i,  1814,  reports  the  First 
Infantry,  214  strong,  as  under  orders  to  join  the  "Division  of  the  Right," 
which  garrisoned  the  Lake  frontier  from  Buffalo  to  Sacketts  Harbor,  and 
it  is  probable  that  the  detachment  of  99  men  under  Captain  John  Campbell, 
First  Infantry,  which  was  attacked  by  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  while  in 
boats  near  the  mouth  of  Rock  River  on  the  Mississippi,  was  moving  in 
obedience  to  these  instructions.  The  detachment  lost  36  in  killed  and 
wounded. 

The  regiment  joined  General  Brown's  army  on  the  Niagara  River  on  the 
day  of  the  battle  of  Niagara,  July  25,  1S14,  and  during  the  action  was  not 
attached  to  either  brigade.  At  this  time  it  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  R.  C.  Nicholas,  as  its  colonel  —  Jacob  Kingsbury  —  was  the  in- 
spector general  of  the  military  department  in  which  it  was  serving.  The 
regiment  took  part  also  in  the  siege  of  Fort  Erie, — August  i  to  September 
17,  1814. 

The  war  had  no  sooner  come  to  an  end  than  the  army  was  reduced  (Act 
of  March  3,  181 5)  to  a  total  of  10,000  men,  to  consist  of  artillery,  infantry 
and  riflemen,  in  such  proportions  as  the  President  should  judge  proper.  He 
fixed  the  proportion  by  the  order  of  May  17,  181 5,  at  one  regiment  of  light 
artillery,  the  Corps  of  Artillery  (32  companies),  8  regiments  of  infantry  and 
one  of  riflemen.  Special  pains  appear  to  have  been  taken  in  this  reorgan- 
ization to  prevent  any  continuance  in  the  new  organizations  of  the  regi- 
mental traditions  of  the  old,  for  not  a  single  regiment  of  infantry  retained 
its  original  number.  The  First  Infantry  of  the  preceding  pages  became  a 
part  of  the  new  Third  Infantry,  while  the  old  Second,  Third,  Seventh  and 
Forty-fourth,  were  united  to  form  the  new  First  Infantry.  The  old  Fourth 
went  into  the  new  Fifth ;  the  Fifth  into  the  Eighth ;  the  Sixth  into  the 
Second,  and  the  Eighth  into  the  Seventh. 

The  present  First  Regiment  of  Infantry  was  organized  pursuant  to  Act 
of  March  3,  181 5,  and  General  Orders  of  date  May  17,  iSis.from  the  Second, 
Third,  Seventh  and  Forty-fourth  Regiments  of  Infantry,  and  was  assigned 
to  duty  in  the  Division  of  the  South  with  headquarters  at  Pass  Christiana, 
La.  Not  one  officer  of  the  old  First  Infantry  was  assigned  to  it  nor  were 
any  from  the  old  Second  or  Seventh,  although  the  reorganization  order 
would  seem  to  require  it.  Seventeen  officers  of  the  3d  and  44th  Regiments 
which  had  so  recently  greatly  distinguished  themselves  at  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans,  were  so  assigned,  and  the  remainder  were  apparently  selected  from 
the  army  at  large. 

Brigadier  General  Daniel  Bissell  was  retained  in  the  army  with  reduced 


404  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

rank,  being  made  colonel  of  the  First  with  the  brevet  of  brigadier-general. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  George  Croghan,  who  afterwards  became  the  inspector 
general  of  the  army,  was  made  the  lieutenant-colonel ;  and  Brevet  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel  Thomas  K.  Jesup,  who  was  afterwards  quartermaster  general 
was  the  major. 

The  Act  of  March  2,  1821,  again  reduced  the  army,  the  ordnance  and 
artillery  being  consolidated  into  four  regiments,  the  number  of  infantry 
regiments  reduced  to  seven,  and  the  rifle  regiment  being  disbanded. 

General  Bissell  left  the  service  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Talbot 
Chambers.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Croghan  had  resigned  in  1817  and  had  had 
several  successors;  Lieutenant  Colonel  Z.  Taylor  was  now  assigned  to  the 
regiment.  Major  Jesup  had  been  promoted  in  1817  to  the  Third  and  had 
been  succeeded  by  Major  R.  Whartenby,  who  now  retained  his  place  as  major 
of  the  regiment.     Many  changes  also  took  place  in  the  lower  grades. 

The  headquarters  of  the  First  Infantry  were  established  at  Baton  Rouge, 
La.,  and  appear  to  have  remained  in  Louisiana  until  1828,  when  the  regi- 
ment relieved  the  Fifth  at  Fort  Crawford  (Prairie  du  Chien),  Fort  Snelling, 
and  Fort  Winnebago  (Green  Bay).  In  1831  the  garrison  of  Fort  Winnebago 
was  moved  to  Fort  Armstrong  (Rock  Island,  111.). 

The  Black  Hawk  War  of  1S32  took  place  in  the  region  garrisoned  by  the 
First,  and  Companies  A,  B,  G  and  K  were  with  General  Atkinson  at  the 
battle  of  the  Bad  Axe,  August  2,  1832.  In  this  action  Major  Bliss  com- 
manded the  battalion,  and  Colonel  Taylor,  who  was  now  the  colonel  of  the 
regiment,  the  brigade  to  which  it  was  attached. 

In  1837  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  Florida  and,  with  the  exception 
of  Company  C,  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Okeechobee,  December  25,  1837. 
On  this  occasion  Colonel  Taylor  commanded  the  entire  force  engaged,  and 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Davenport  the  regiment,  which  was  held  in  reserve  until 
the  action  was  nearly  over.     In  this  report  Colonel  Taylor  says : 

"To  Lieutenant  Colonel  Davenport  and  the  officers  of  the  ist  Infantry  I  feel  under 
many  obligations  for  the  manner  in  which  they  have  under  all  occasions  discharged 
their  duty  ;  and  although  held  in  reserve  and  not  brought  into  battle  till  near  its  close, 
yet  their  eagerness  to  engage  and  the  promptness  and  good  order  in  which  they  entered 
the  hammock  when  the  order  was  given  for  them  to  do  so,  is  the  best  evidence  that 
they  would  have  sustained  their  own  characters,  as  well  as  that  of  the  regiment,  had  it 
been  their  fortune  to  have  been  placed  in  the  hottest  of  the  battle." 

Colonel  Taylor  was  brevetted  brigadier  general  for  this  action,  and  on 
the  15th  of  May,  1838,  succeeded  General  Jesup  in  the  command  of  the 
army  of  Florida.  The  regiment  now  was  kept  almost  continually  on  the 
move,  until  the  arrival  in  Florida  in  May,  1839,  of  General  Macomb,  who 
held  a  great  council  with  the  Indians,  and  was  led  to  believe  that  he  had 
concluded  a  treaty  of  peace  with  them  ;  yet  on  the  23d  day  of  July  follow- 
ing they  treacherously  attacked  Colonel  Harney's  command  of  28  men  at 
Charlotte's  Harbor,  killing  more  than  half  of  them.  Hostilities  were 
resumed  but  the  Indians  avoided  any  direct  conflict  with  the  troops,  and 
kept  them,  as  formerly,  constantly  scouting,  almost  always  without  tangible 
result. 

Early  in   1840  General  Taylor   requested  to  be  relieved  from   duty  in 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.  405 

Florida,  and  his  request  was  granted  to  taice  effect  on  the  ist  of  May.  The 
regiment  was  still  in  Florida  in  November  of  that  year,  but  early  in  the 
summer  of  1841  returned  to  its  old  stations, — Forts  Winnebago,  Snelling, 
Crawford  and  Atkinson, — in  the  northwest.  General  Taylor  was  given 
higher  command  from  this  time  forward  and  his  immediate  connection 
with  the  regiment  ceased,  so  that  when  Lieutenant  Colonel  Davenport 
was  promoted  to  the  Sixth  in  1842  and  was  desirous  of  remaining  with  the 
First,  a  mutual  transfer  was  arranged  and  Colonel  Davenport  became  the 
colonel  of  the  First  in  July,  1S43.  In  1S45  regimental  headquarters  were 
moved  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  and  the  regiment  garrisoned  that  station  and 
Fort  Scott,  Mo. 

During  the  Mexican  War  a  part  of  the  regiment  continued  to  garrison 
these  stations  and  Fort  Snelling,  but  Companies  C,  E,  G  and  K,  under 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Henry  Wilson,  joined  General  Taylor  in  Northern 
Mexico  and  did  gallant  service  at  the  capture  of  Monterey.  In  this  battle 
Colonel  Wilson  commanded  a  brigade  and  Captain  Abercrombie  the  bat- 
talion, which  suffered  a  loss  of  43  officers  and  men  killed  or  wounded. 
Lieutenant  Territt  was  killed.  Lieutenant  Dilworth  mortally  wounded,  and 
Captains  Abercrombie  and  Lamotte  were  wounded. 

When  General  Taylor  sent  all  his  regulars  to  join  General  Scott  early 
in  the  year  1847,  this  battalion  went  with  them  and  was  present  at  the  siege 
of  Vera  Cruz  (March  9  to  28,  1847),  and  was  afterwards  designated  as  the 
garrison  of  the  City  and  Castle,  where  it  remained  until  the  end  of  the  war. 
It  was  then  stationed  upon  the  line  of  the  Rio  Grande  where  it  remained 
for  many  years. 

On  the  31st  of  January,  1850,  Colonel  Davenport  resigned  from  the 
army  and  was  succeeded  by  Brevet  Major  General  Bennett  Riley,  who 
was  then  commanding  the  military  department  of  Upper  California.  Gen- 
eral Riley  died  June  9,  1853,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Joseph  Plymp- 
ton. 

In  January,  1850,  the  regiment  garrisoned  Forts  Merrill,  Mcintosh, 
Duncan  and  Ringgold  Barracks,  and  early  in  this  year  the  Indians  became 
very  troublesome,  murdering  settlers  and  stealing  stock,  and  many  attempts 
were  made  to  punish  them. 

Captain  King  of  the  First,  commanding  at  Fort  Mcintosh,  sent  Lieuten- 
ant Hudson,  with  a  detachment  of  Company  G  in  pursuit  of  Indian  horse 
thieves,  April  3,  1850.  They  encountered  a  party  of  Indians  on  the  7th  and 
had  a  severe  fight  in  which  one  soldier  was  killed  and  Lieutenant  Hudson 
and  three  men  were  wounded. 

Captain  Plummer  of  the  First,  commanding  at  Fort  Merrill,  sent  out 
Lieutenant  Underwood  with  a  sergeant  and  12  men  June  8,  1S50,  to  open  a 
direct  road  between  that  post  and  Laredo.  He  met  and  exchanged  shots 
with  Indians  on  the  8th,  and  on  the  12th  had  a  fight  with  them  in  which  he 
was  wounded  and  seven  of  his  men  were  killed  or  wounded. 

From  this  time  until  the  year  1856  there  appears  to  have  been  little  of 
interest  in  the  history  of  the  regiment. 

In  September,  1856,  a  scouting  party  from  Fort  Clark,  which  included 
Captain  Gilbert  and  18  men  of  Company  B,  surprised  three  parties  of  In- 


406  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

dians  near  the  junction  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  Pecos  rivers,  killing  four 
and  wounding  four  of  them. 

In  July,  1857,  the  Indians,  numbering  from  80  to  100,  attacked  a  mail 
escort  from  the  8th  Infantry,  and  a  wood  party  consisting  of  a  sergeant  and 
six  men  of  the  ist  Infantry,  at  a  place  called  the  "  Ripples." 

A  detachment  of  40  men  of  the  ist  Infantry  at  Fort  Lancaster  under 
Lieutenants  Haskell  and  Sherburne,  with  40  men  of  the  Eighth  from  Fort 
Davis,  was  sent  out  against  them.  The  men  were  placed  in  the  wagons  and 
the  column  was  given  the  appearance  of  a  provision  train.  The  ruse  was 
successful  and  the  Indians,  supposed  to  be  Mescalero  Apaches,  attacked  the 
train,  July  24,  1857,  and  were  driven  ofif  with  loss. 

Lieutenant  J.  E.  Powell,  ist  Infantry,  left  Fort  Arbuckle  February  23 
1859,  with  a  detachment  composed  of  men  from  Companies  D  and  E,  ist 
Cavalry, and  E,  ist  Infantry,  in  pursuit  of  Comanche  Indians.  He  met  and 
defeated  them  the  next  day,  killing  five,  with  a  loss  of  three  men  wounded, 
one  mortally. 

On  May  7,  i860,  Sergeant  T.  G.  Dennin,  Company  K,  ist  Infantry,  in 
command  of  the  escort  to  a  train  going  to  Fort  Lancaster,  was  attacked  by 
40  or  50  mounted  Indians,  who  were  repulsed.  The  sergeant  and  party  were 
commended  for  their  courage  and  cool  judgment. 

Colonel  Plympton  died  June  5,  i860,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Carlos 
A.  Waite,  who,  on  the  ist  of  January,  1861,  had  his  headquarters  with  a  part 
of  his  regiment  at  Fort  Chadbourne,  Texas.  The  other  companies  were 
then  at  Fort  Lancaster,  Camp  Cooper  and  Camp  Verde,  in  Texas,  and  at 
Forts  Cobb  and  Arbuckle  in  the  Choctaw  Nation. 

Texas  seceded  from  the  Union  February  i,  1861,  and  appointed  commis- 
sioners to  confer  with  General  Twiggs  in  regard  to  the  surrender  of  all 
Government  property  and  the  removal  of  all  U.  S.  troops  from  the  State. 
General  Twiggs  was  relieved  from  the  command  of  the  Department  of 
Texas  January  28,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Waite,  who  found  every- 
thing military  in  a  chaotic  condition  and  devoted  his  whole  energy  to  getting 
his  troops  safely  out  of  the  State  and  back  into  loyal  territory.  But  five  com- 
panies of  his  own  regiment  were  in  Texas, — A,  G,  H,  I  and  K, — the  remainder 
being  in  the  Indian  Territory.  The  Texas  companies  were  ordered  to  ren- 
dezvous with  other  troops  of  the  Department  at  Green  Lake.  20  miles  from 
Indianola,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  that  place. 

Companies  A,  H  and  I  got  safely  away,  but  the  non-commissioned  staff 
and  band,  with  Companies  G  and  K,  were  captured  April  25,  on  transports, 
at  Saluria,  Texas,  by  the  Texan  forces.  They  were  immediately  paroled, 
engaging  not  to  serve  against  the  Confederates  until  exchanged,  and  sailed 
on  the  schooner  Horace,  reaching  New  York  May  31. 

The  first  transport  that  got  safely  away  was  ordered  to  leave  two  com- 
panies of  the  First  at  Key  West,  and  probably  did  so,  for  a  Return  of  the 
Department  of  Florida  of  date  December,  1861,  reports  a  part  of  the  regi- 
ment at  Fort  Taylor.  These  companies  were  relieved  early  in  1862  and 
in  April  of  that  year  Companies  A,  H  and  I,  had  joined  the  other  compa- 
nies of  the  regiment  in  the  West. 

Company  G  was  reorganized  in  1861,  and  in  October  of  that  year  formed 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 


407 


a  part  of  the  city  guard  of  Washington,  D.  C.  It  was  still  in  Washington 
in  May,  1862,  but  for  Pope's  campaign  in  Northern  Virginia  (August  16  to 
September  2,  1862)  it  was  attached  to  the  6th  Infantry  battalion,  and  with 
it  formed  a  part  of  the  2d  Brigade.  2d  Division,  5th  Corps.  At  the  Second 
battle  of  Bull  Run  it  was  under  the  command  of  Captain  Marston  and  lost 
eleven  men  killed  and  wounded. 

On  the  night  of  September  16-17  at  Antietam  the  battalion  was  on 
picket  duty,  and  on  the  20th  took  part  in  the  action  near  Shepherdstown. 

At  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  Company  G  was  attached  to  the  2d  In- 
fantry battalion  and  with  it  crossed  the  river  December  13,  and  on  the  14th 
was  under  fire  all  day  within  short  range  of  the  enemy's  line.  It  recrossed 
the  river  on  the  i6th. 

This  company  remained  with  the  2d  Infantry  in  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac until  after  January  31,  1S63. 

The  five  companies  of  the  regiment  in  the  Indian  Territory  at  the  out- 
break of  the  war, — B,  C,  D,  E  and  F,— marched  to  Fort  Leavenworth, 
reaching  that  post  May  31,  1861,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Colonel 
W.  H.  Emory,  who  had  been  directed  (April  17)  to  collect  all  the  troops  in 
the  Indian  Territory  and  take  them  to  that  station. 

On  the  24th  of  July,  1861,  the  organization  of  General  Nathaniel  Lyon's 
army  at  Springfield,  Mo.,  was  announced,  and  Captain  Plummer's  battal- 
ion, consisting  of  Companies  B,  C  and  D,  ist  Infantry,  and  a  company  of 
recruits  for  the  Mounted  Rifles  (3d  Cavalry),  formed  a  part  of  its  third 
brigade. 

This  battalion  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  Mo.,  August 
10,  1 861,  losing  80  officers  and  men  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  It  was  in 
the  advance  from  the  first,  and  in  the  battle  was  on  the  left  of  the  line. 
The  conflict  lasted  six  hours  almost  without  interruption  and  left  the  Union 
forces  in  full  possession  of  the  field.  Captains  Plummer,  Gilbert  and  Hus- 
ton, and  Lieutenant  Wood  were  mentioned  for  gallantry,  the  two  first  being 
wounded. 

At  the  siege  of  New  Madrid,  March  3  to  14,  1862,  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D, 
H  and  I,  ist  Infantry,  were  present  and  were  not  assigned  to  any  division, 
but  were  detailed,  March  4,  as  a  support  to  the  artillery.  Companies  A  and 
H,  under  Captain  Mower,  manned  a  siege  battery,  and  the  men  of  this  com- 
mand were  the  first  to  enter  the  enemy's  works,  March  14,  1862, 

Immediately  after  the  capture  of  New  Madrid  the  Union  forces  were 
pushed  down  the  right  bank  of  the  Mississippi  and  batteries  were  con- 
structed, the  lowest  being  on  Ruddle's  Point  nearly  opposite  Tiptonville, 
through  which  latter  place  all  the  enemy's  supplies  for  Island  No.  10 
were    received.     On    the    17th   of   March,   five   of   the   enemy's  gunboats 

"  advanced  against  the  battery, — which  consisted  of  two  24-pdr.  siege-guns  and  two 
lo-pdr.  Parrotts,  manned  by  a  detachment  of  the  1st  Infantry  (Company  I),  under 
Lieutenant  Kinzie  Bates,  *  *  *  The  gunboats  ran  up  to  within  300  yards  and  a 
furious  cannonade  was  kept  up  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  when  they  were  repulsed  with 
the  loss  of  one  gunboat  sunk,  several  badly  damaged,  and  many  men  shot  down  at 
their  guns  by  our  sharpshooters  from  the  rifle-pits.     Our  loss  was  one  man   killed. 


40S  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

From  that  time  no  attempt  was  made  against  the  battery  and  all  communication  from 
below  with  the  forces  near  Island  No.  lo,  was  cut  off." 

Although  their  line  of  communication  was  cut  the  Confederates  held 
their  position  until  April  8,  when  they  surrendered.  The  final  attack  by 
the  Union  forces  on  the  7th  was  supported  by  a  battery  of  32-pounders 
under  Capt  Williams,  ist  Infantry,  which  had  been  erected  a  few  days  earlier 
opposite  Watson's  Landing. 

Later  in  the  same  month  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  H  and  I  were  at  Ham- 
burg, Miss.,  under  Captain  George  A.  Williams,  and  on  the  24th  the  bat- 
talion was  detailed  to  man  the  heavy  siege  artillery,  consisting  of  two  20- 
pounder  Parrotts,  four  30-pounder  Parrotts,  and  four  24-pounder  siege  guns. 
With  the  exception  of  the  20-pounders,  which  were  attached  to  the  reserve, 
the  heavy  batteries  were  directed  to  remain  temporarily  at  Hamburg  and 
to  place  the  guns  in  position  to  protect  the  storehouses  there.  On  the 
13th  of  May  the  battalion  was  before  Corinth  with  its  siege  train,  and  on 
the  15th  the  60th  Illinois  Volunteers  were  detailed  to  support  its  guns. 
On  the  29th  the  20-pounders  and  30-pounders  opened  fire,  doing  consider- 
able execution,  and  on  the  30th  the  enemy  evacuated  the  place.  The  works 
were  at  once  occupied  by  the  Union  forces  and  the  First  Infantry  battalion 
with  other  troops  took  station  there. 

When  the  five  companies  came  in  from  the  Indian  Territory  they  were 
stationed  at  Fort  Leavenworth  and  Brevet  Major  W.  E.  Prince,  captain  of 
Company  E,  ist  Infantry,  commanded  that  post  for  many  months. 

This  company  under  Lieut.  Ofifley  was  sent  with  other  troops,  August 
12-14,  on  a  reconnoissance  to  Independence,  Mo.,  but  did  not  come  into 
contact  with  the  enemy. 

It  was  also  sent  August  17-27,  1862,  with  an  expedition  to  Kansas  City, 
which  place  was  reported  in  danger  of  an  attack.  The  company  manned 
a  light  battery  on  this  occasion  and  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  C.  S. 
Bowman,  4th  Cavalry,  The  expedition  moved  August  17  and  after  re- 
pairing the  fortifications  of  Kansas  City,  moved  on  in  search  of  the  enemy, 
who  was  finally  found  in  an  almost  impenetrable  forest  about  fifteen  miles 
from  Independence,  Mo.  Colonel  Burris,  who  commanded  the  column, 
reports : 

"  I  then  moved  with  my  command  in  a  westerly  direction  toward  the  nearest  point 
to  where  water  could  be  obtained,  when  soon  the  enemy  was  seen  emerging  from  the 
woods,  marching  south,  and  crossing  our  line  of  march  at  right  angles,  directly  in  our 
rear.  We  quickly  took  position  on  an  eminence  near  the  Hickory  Grove  with  the  bat- 
tery, supported  by  the  infantry  in  the  centre  and  a  battalion  of  cavalry  on  either  flank. 
The  enemy  (some  1000  or  1200  yards  distant)  formed  line  of  battle,  but  after  a  few 
well  directed  shots  from  Bowman's  battery  their  line  was  broken,  they  were  thrown 
into  confusion,  and  their  march  to  the  south  resumed.  Following  them  up  with  small 
detachments  of  cavalry  they  were  soon  discovered  to  be  in  full  retreat." 

In  October  and  November,  1862,  Companies  E  and  F  were  at  Fort  Scott, 
Kansas,  very  much  reduced  in  numbers;  and  in  February,  1863,  Company 
E  was  at  Fort  Leavenworth. 

Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  H  and  I,  at  Corinth  were  still  in  charge  of  the 
heavy  artillery  in  position  for  the  defense  of  that  place  when  the  Confed- 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         409 

erates  attacked  it,  October  3  and  4,  1862.  Company  C  under  Lieutenant 
Robinett  manned  Battery  Robinett ;  Companies  D  and  I,  Battery  Williams, 
and  Companies  A.  B,  and  H.  Battery  Phillips.  Captain  G.  A.  Williams, 
was  in  command  of  all  the  siege  artillery,  and  reports  as  follows  : 

"  About  3.30  A.  M.  October  4,  the  enemy  opened  on  our  forts  and  their  supports 
with  artillery.  Battery  Robinett  returned  the  fire  immediately.  *  *  *  I  opened 
with  three  30-pounder  Parrott  guns,  immediately  followed  by  Battery  Phillips  with  an 
8-inch  howitzer  which  enfiladed  the  rebel  battery.  *  *  *  The  rebel  artillery  was 
silenced  in  less  than  thirty  minutes,  and  they  retired  leaving  one  gun  and  a  caisson 
on  the  field.  About  9.30  or  10  A.  M.,  the  enemy  were  observed  in  the  woods  north  of 
the  town  forming  in  line,  and  they  soon  made  their  appearance  charging  towards  the 
town.  As  soon  as  our  troops  were  out  of  the  line  of  fire  of  my  battery  we  opened 
upon  them  with  two  30-pounder  Parrott  guns  and  one  8-inch  howitzer  which  enfiladed 
their  line  *  *  *  and  continued  our  fire  until  the  enemy  were  repulsed  and  had  regained 
the  woods. 

"  During  the  time  the  enemy  were  being  repulsed  from  the  town  my  attention  was 
drawn  to  the  left  side  of  the  battery  by  the  firing  from  Battery  Robinett,  where  I  saw 
a  column  advancing  to  storm  it.  After  advancing  a  short  distance  they  were  repulsed, 
but  immediately  reformed  and,  storming  the  work,  gained  the  ditch.  They  then  re- 
formed, and,  restorming,  carried  the  ditch  and  the  outside  of  the  work,  the  supports 
having  fallen  a  short  distance  to  the  rear  in  slight  disorder. 

"  The  men  of  the  First  U.  S.  Infantry,  after  having  been  driven  from  their  guns 
(They  manned  the  siege  guns)  resorted  to  their  muskets  and  were  firing  from  the  inside 
of  their  embrasures  at  the  enemy  on  the  outside,  a  distance  of  about  ten  feet  interven- 
ing ;  but  the  rebels  having  gained  the  top  of  the  work,  our  men  fell  back  into  the 
angle  of  the  fort  as  they  had  been  directed  to  do  in  such  an  emergency.  Two  shells 
were  thrown  from  Battery  Williams  into  Battery  Robinett,  one  bursting  on  top  of  it 
and  the  other  near  the  right  edge.  In  the  meanwhile  the  nth  Mo.  Vols,  (in  reserve) 
changed  front,  and,  aided  by  the  43d  and  63d  Ohio  Vols,  with  the  27th  Ohio  Vols,  on 
their  right,  gallantly  stormed  up  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  battery,  driving  the  enemy 
before  them.  The  battery  could  not  open  on  the  retreating  enemy,  for  its  commander, 
— Lieutenant  Robinett, — was  wounded,  and  13  of  the  26  men  that  manned  it  were 
either  killed  or  wounded." 

General  Stanley  says  concerning  this  part  of  the  conflict  :— 
"At  the  same  instant  the  nth  Missouri  and  the  27th  Ohio  rushed  upon  the  enemy 
at  a  run  without  firing,  and  the  hill  was  cleared  in  an  instant,  the  enemy  leaving  the 
ditch  and  grounds  covered  with  his  dead  and  wounded.  Many  threw  down  their  arms 
and  called  for  quarter.  The  old  soldiers  of  the  First  Infantry  quit  their  cannon  and 
picked  up  their  old  trusty  muskets  and  prevented  the  enemy  crossing  the  parapet  with 
the  bayonet.     The  enemy  was  repulsed  and  the  fight  was  over." 

On  the  day  after  the  battle— October  5— the  battalion  with  othertroops, 
was  assigned  as  the  garrison  of  Corinth  and  remained  there  until  General 
Grant  ordered  it  to  Memphis,  January  22,  1863.  At  this  time  Major 
Maurice  Maloney  was  in  command. 

During  February,  1863,  the  battalion,  still  consisting  of  Companies  A,  B, 
C,  I),  H  and  \,  under  Major  Maloney,  moved  from  Corinth  to  Memphis  and, 
later,  to  the  vicinity  of  Vicksburg.  It  was  nominally  a  part  of  the  ist  Brig- 
de,  14th  Division,  13th  Corps,  but  was  actually  in  charge  of  a  siege  train 
throughout  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  never  served  with  its  brigade. 


4IO  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY 

On  the  22d  of  March.  General  McClernand  was  directed  to  forward  at 
once  to  the  Yazoo  Pass  expedition  four  30-pdr.  Parrotts,  with  not  less  than 
80  men  of  the  ist  Infantry,  to  be  under  the  command  of  Captain  G.  A. 
Williams,  ist  Infantry;  but  as  General  Grant  wrote  on  the  same  day  that 
"  It  is  now  clearly  demonstrated  that  a  further  force,  in  by  way  of  Yazoo 
Pass,  can  be  of  no  service,"  it  is  probable  that  this  order  did  not  go 
into  eflfect. 

Captain  E.  D.  Phillips  of  the  First  reports,  under  date  of  April  22, 
1863,  from  "Camp  at  Millikens  Bend,  La.,"  that  on  the  17th  April  he  had 
opened  fire  upon  the  court-house  and  railroad  depot  in  Vicksburg  with  two 
30-pdr,  Parrotts  placed  in  a  casemate  battery  opposite  the  town,  and  had 
continued  the  firing  with  increasing  accuracy  until  the  night  of  the  20th, 
when,  in  obedience  to  instructions,  he  had  embarked  his  detachment,  guns, 
ammunition,  etc.,  on  a  transport  and  had  reached  the  camp  of  the  First  In- 
fantry on  the  date  of  the  report. 

At  the  time  of  the  first  assault  upon  Vicksburg  (May  22),  Captain  Ofifley 
with  a  detachment  of  the  regiment  was  in  charge  of  a  sunken  battery  con- 
taining two  30-pdr.  Parrotts,  situated  on  that  part  of  the  line  occupied  by 
the  3d  Division,  17th  Corps,  afterwards  known  as  Battery  Logan  ;  while 
Major  Maloney,  with  the  remainder,  was  opposite  the  point  assaulted  by 
the  2d  Brigade,  14th  Division,  and  the  2d  Brigade,  loth  Division, 

General  McClernand  reports  concerning  this  assault  that  "  A  portion  of 
the  ist  U.  S.  Infantry,  under  Major  Maloney,  serving  as  heavy  artillery 
added  to  their  previous  renown.  Neither  officers  nor  men  could  have  been 
more  zealous  and  active.  Being  in  the  centre,  they  covered  in  considerable 
part  the  advance  of  Benton's  and  Lawler's  brigades  and  materially  promoted 
their  partial  success." 

This  battery  was  on  an  elevation  about  600  yards  distant  from  the  salient 
of  the  enemy's  line  which  was  assaulted,  and  commanded  a  fine  view  of  all 
the  movements  in  its  front.  General  Grant  afterwards  frequently  visited 
one  of  the  batteries  served  by  the  battalion  during  the  siege,  to  watch 
the  effect  of  its  fire  and  that  of  the  other  batteries  in  sight.  His  favorite 
seat  was  on  a  certain  log  which  soon  became  known  as  his  and  was  always 
reserved  for  him. 

On  the  17th  of  June  the  30-pdr.  Parrotts  were  moved  to  a  redoubt  far 
advanced  in  the  sap,  where  they  were  established  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Branagan,  ist  Infantry,  while  Captain  Ofiiey  was  given  two  9-in. 
Dahlgrens  in  Battery  Logan. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  at  4.30  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  mine  was  sprung 
under  one  of  the  enemy's  works  and  the  45th  Illinois  Volunteers  charged 
into  the  gap  thus  made.  Hand  grenades  were  freely  used  on  both  sides  in 
this  fight.  Private  William  Lazarus  of  Company  I,  ist  Infantry,  being  de- 
tailed on  the  Union  side  to  throw  them.  After  throwing  about  twenty  he 
was  mortally  wounded,  when  three  men  were  detailed  from  the  same  com- 
mand to  continue  the  work. 

The  regiment  added  greatly  to  its  reputation  for  gallantry  and  efficient 
service  during  the  siege  and,  though  always  on  duty  at  the  front,  met  with 
little  loss. 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR Y.  ^\\ 

With  the  successful  termination  of  the  siege  (July  4,  1863).  the  besieging 
army  was  at  once  made  use  of  in  other  directions,  and  the  First  Infantry 
finally  went  to  New  Orleans  where  it  became  the  provost  guard  and  was 
quartered  in  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  opposite  Lafayette  Park.  Here  if  was 
joined  by  its  colonel— R.  C.  Buchanan— who  had  been  promoted  to  the 
regiment  from  the  4th  Infantry,  February  8,  1S64,  by  the  retirement  of 
Colonel  Waite.  In  December,  1865,  however.  Colonel  Buchanan  left  the 
regiment  on  detached  service  and  was  succeeded  in  command  by  Lieutenant 
Colonel  W.  H.  Wood. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  the  regiment  went  to  Jackson  Barracks,  where 
it  remained  till  1S69,  actively  engaged  in  the  stirring  events  of  early  recon- 
struction times,  in  which  it  rendered  efficient  service. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1869  it  was  transferred  to  the  department  of  the 
Lakes,  with  headquarters  and  five  companies  at  Fort  Wayne,  two  companies 
at  Fort  Porter,  two  at  Fort  Brady  and  one  at  Fort  Mackinac. 

In  April  of  this  year  the  regiment  was  consolidated  with  the  43d  In- 
fantry, under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1869.  The  43d  was  a  Veteran  Reserve 
regiment,  and  many  of  the  officers  received  into  the  First  by  the  consolida- 
tion had  been  disabled  through  wounds  received  or  disease  contracted  dur- 
ing the  war.  One  effect  of  the  consolidation  was  that  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Pinkney  Lugenbeel  succeeded  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wood. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1870,  Colonel  Buchanan  was  retired  from  ac- 
tive service  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Thomas  G.  Pitcher  (late  44th 
Infantry)  from  the  unassigned  list. 

In  May,  1S72,  Companies  I  and  K  were  sent  to  Houghton,  Mich.,  to  quell 
a  riot  which  had  developed  among  the  miners  of  the  Calumet  and  Hecla 
copper  mine.  The  mere  presence  of  the  troops  was  sufficient  to  prevent 
the  destruction  of  property  of  great  value  and  the  proposed  flooding  of  the 
mine. 

The  regiment  served  in  the  Department  of  the  Lakes  until  July,  1874, 
when  it  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  Dakota,  exchanging  stations 
with  the  22d  Infantry.  The  headquarters  and  six  companies  took  station  at 
Fort  Randall ;  A  and  B  companies  were  sent  to  Fort  Hale  ;  while  F  and  H 
garrisoned  Fort  Sully. 

On  July  6,  1875,  a  detachmentof  eleven  men  of  Company  G,  ist  Infantry, 
under  Sergeant  Danvers,  who  had  been  sent  to  the  Ponca  Agency  to  pro- 
tect the  Poncas  against  an  anticipated  raid  of  the  Sioux,  had  a  fight  with 
the  latter  in  which  several  Indians  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  detach- 
ment loaded  an  old  cannon  with  pieces  of  iron,  and  with  this  improvised 
ammunition  repulsed  three  assaults  after  which  the  attacking  party  with- 
drew. 

In  consequence  of  the  Custer  Massacre  (August,  1876),  Companies  G  and 
K  were  sent  to  Standing  Rock  Agency,  now  Fort  Yates.  Here  some  of 
the  officers  and  the  few  men  remaining  from  the  war  period,  renewed  an 
experience  gained  during  the  war, — the  building  of  log  huts  for  occupancy 
during  the  winter. 

In  May,  1877,  Companies  B,  G,  H  and  K,  were  sent  to  the  cantonment 
on    Tongue    River,    Montana,  and  during  the   summer  these   companies 


412  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

thoroughly  explored  the  country  between  the  Yellowstone,  Tongue,  Powder, 
and  Little  Missouri  rivers  and  the  Black  Hills,  and  formed  a  part  of  the 
command  which  drove  the  remnant  of  Lame  Deer's  band  into  the  agency, 
for  which  service  it  received  the  thanks  of  General  Sheridan.  It  was  owing 
to  the  long  and  continued  marches  made  by  these  companies  that  General 
Miles  did  not  take  the  battalion  with  him  when  he  left  Tongue  River  to 
head  off  the  Nez  Perces.  Lieutenant  Maus,  ist  Infantry,  was,  however, 
selected  by  General  Miles  to  accompany  him  and  was  with  the  scouts  when 
the  Indian  camp  was  discovered.  He  rendered  most  valuable  service  in 
the  series  of  fights  which  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  Chief  Joseph  and  his 
band. 

Colonel  Pitcher  was  retired  from  active  service  June  28,  1878.  The  Act 
of  June  17,  1878,  had  prohibited  all  promotion  above  the  grade  of  captain, 
and  in  consequence  the  First  Infantry  was  without  a  colonel  until  the  re- 
striction was  removed  in  the  spring  of  1879,  when  Lieutenant  Colonel  W. 
R.  Shafter  of  the  24th  Infantry  was  promoted  to  the  First  to  date  trom 
March  4,  1879. 

Companies  F  and  K  formed  a  part  of  the  garrison  of  Fort  Meade,  Da- 
kota, while  that  post  was  building  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1878.  Officers 
and  their  families,  and  the  men,  lived  in  tents  until  well  into  the  winter,  and 
whenever  the  thermometer  dropped  below  — 30°,  as  it  frequently  did,  the 
experience,  to  say  the  least,  was  not  pleasing. 

In  June,  1880,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  the  Department  of  Texas,  and, 
during  the  summer  of  that  year,  the  companies,  with  the  exception  of  C 
and  F  at  Rir.ggold  and  B  at  San  Antonio,  were  engaged  in  opening  up  a 
wagon  road  and  the  country  between  the  mouth  of  the  Pecos  River  and 
theChenati  Mountains.  Upon  the  completion  of  this  duty  the  companies 
took  station  at  Fort  McKavett,  and  a  few  months  later  at  Fort  Davis  and 
sub- posts. 

The  Indian  outbreak  in  Arizona  in  the  spring  of  1882  caused  the  regi- 
ment to  be  sent  to  that  Department,  where  it  remained  until  July,  1886, 
the  companies  garrisoning  Forts  Grant,  McDowell,  Bowie,  Huachuca, 
Lowell,  Verde,  Thomas,  Apache,  and  Whipple  Barracks.  During  this  period 
the  companies  did  garrison  duty,  detachments  being  frequently  sent  out  to 
guard  water-holes.  Several  of  the  officers,  notably  Lieutenants  Maus,  Pettit 
and  Faison,  rendered  valuable  service  in  the  field  during  the  Geronimo 
campaign. 

In  July,  1886,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  department  of  Cali- 
fornia, where  it  is  at  present  (January,  1895)  serving.  The  Indian  troubles 
in  Nebraska  and  South  Dakota  took  the  regiment  to  those  States  in  Decem- 
ber, 1890.  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  G  and  H,  formed  a  part  of  the  com- 
mand which  was  employed  in  the  field  until  the  early  spring  in  guarding 
the  Pine  Ridge  Agency  and  aiding  to  avert  what  threatened  to  be  one  of 
the  most  serious  conflicts  in  which  the  Sioux  have  at  any  time  been  con- 
cerned. The  band  of  the  regiment  accompanied  the  command  from  Cali- 
fornia, and  was  the  means  of  giving  much  pleasure  to  the  officers  and  men 
of  the  different  organizations  located  in  its  vicinity.  It  was  the  only  band 
present  at  the  review  of  all  the  troops  under  General  Miles'  command, — 


THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  \.  4  1 3 

some  three  thousand  or  more, — which  was  held  before  their  departure  from 
the  agency. 

First  Lieutenant  John  S.  Mason,  Jr.,  died  in  camp  at  Pine  Fridge  Agency. 
February  13.  1891. 

Upon  being  relieved  from  this  duty  the  companies  of  the  regiment  re- 
turned to  their  stations  in  the  Department  of  California  early  in  March, 
1891. 

The  regiment  has  had  numerous  summer  camps  of  instruction,  fre- 
quently joining  with  the  National  Guard  of  the  State  in  this  duty.  The 
camps  have  been  located  at  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Barbara  and  Monterey. 

The  recent  railroad  strikes  took  the  regiment  into  the  field.  Owing  to 
the  bitter  feeling  prevailing  in  California  against  the  Southern  Pacific  Rail- 
road company,  the  strike  in  that  State  early  developed  a  serious  phase  which 
was  intensified  by  the  failure  of  the  National  Guard  to  respond  properly  to 
the  demands  made  upon  it  by  the  State  authorities.  Under  these  condi- 
tions the  services  of  the  regular  troops  were  peculiarly  valuable,  and  much 
useful  information  can  be  derived  from  a  study  of  the  arrangements  made 
for  the  journey  of  the  headquarters  and  five  companies  of  the  regiment 
from  Oakland  to  Los  Angeles  when  escorting  the  first  train  through  after 
the  inauguration  of  the  strike. 

Companies  of  the  regiment  have  been  stationed  at  Alcatraz,  the  Presidio 
and  Gaston,  and  they  now  form  the  garrisons  of  Angel  Island  and  Benicia 
Barracks  and  San  Diego. 

The  following  officers  and  enlisted  men  of  the  regiment  have  been  men- 
tioned in   orders   from   the  War   Department   for  distinguished   service. 

Captain  Marion  P.  Maus,  General  Orders  No.  39,  1891,  "  For  gallantry  in 
action  against  Geronimo's  band  of  hostile  Apache  Indians,  near  the  Aros 
River,  Mexico,  January  10,  18S6,  and  in  the  encounter  with  Chihuahua 
troops  on  the  following  day  (nth)  and  for  the  marked  skill  and  ability  with 
which,  after  the  death  of  its  commanding  officer,  he  conducted  the  expedi- 
tion back  to  the  United  States." 

General  Orders  No.  41,  1891.  "May,  1885,  and  eleven  months  follow- 
ing," for  services  in  the  field  in  Arizona  and  Sonora. 

Captain  Thomas  H.  Barry,  Private  George  Klinhaus  and  George  Wilken- 
sen.  Company  A,  and  Frank  Hennessy  (now  out  of  service)  Company  B, 
General  Orders  No.  70,  1893,  "  For  meritorious  conduct  in  saving  a  sailor 
from  drowning  in  San  Francisco  Bay,  California,  October  2,  1892." 

Lieutenant  Samson  L.  Faison,  General  Orders  No.  41,  1891,  "  May,  1885, 
and  eleven  months  following,"  for  services  in  the  field  in  Arizona  and 
Sonora. 

Lieutenants  Lewis  H.  Strother  and  Sydney  A.  Cloman,  General  Orders 
No.  100,  1891,  the  former,  for  highly  efficient  services  while  conducting  a 
band  of  Cheyenne  Indians  from  Pine  Ridge,  South  Dakota,  to  Fort  Keogh, 
Montana;  and  the  latter,"  For  the  excellent  judgment  and  discretion  with 
which  he  executed  the  instructions  of  Major  General  Miles  in  the  arrest,  at 
White  Clay  Creek,  South  Dakota,  of  the  Indian  Plenty  Horses." 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY* 

By  Lieutenant  W.  M.  WRIGHT,  Adjutant  2D  U.  S.  Infantry. 

THE  history  of  the  regiment  covers  such  a  long  period  and  the  records 
from  1791  to  181 5  are  so  cloudy  and  incomplete  that  it  is  not  deemed 
practicable  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  the  events  of  that  time. 
Besides,  there  is  grave  doubt  as  to  whether  we  have  the  right  to 
claim  the  record  of  the  original  Second  Infantry,  that  regiment  having  been 
consolidated  with  the  First  Infantry  in  the  reorganization  of  March  3,  181 5. 
This  sketch  will,  therefore,  be  divided  into  two  parts,  the  first  extending 
from  1791  to  181 5,  and  the  second  from  181 5  to  the  present  date. 

FIRST    PART. 

The  Act  of  March  3,  1791,  added  to  the  army  the  Second  Regiment  of 
Infantry,  with  the  same  organization  as  the  regiment  then  in  service,  viz. : — 
a  lieutenant-colonel  commandant,  two  majors,  eight  captains,  eight  lieuten- 
ants, eight  ensigns,  one  surgeon,  two  surgeon's  mates,  and  eight  companies 
of  about  100  men  each.  Colonel  James  Wilkinson  of  the  Revolutionary 
Army,  who  afterwards  became  general-in-chief,  accepted  the  position  of 
colonel  commandant. 

In  the  fall  of  this  year  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  take  the  field  against 
the  Miami  Indians  and  proceeded  to  Fort  Washington,  now  Cincinnati, 
arriving  there  the  middle  of  September.  About  the  end  of  October  the 
army  under  Governor  St.  Clair  commenced  a  campaign  against  Little  Tur- 
tle, chief  of  the  Miamis.  On  the  4th  of  November,  1791,  about  60  miles 
from  Fort  Washington,  the  Indians,  1500  strong,  surprised  the  troops  and 
put  them  to  flight  with  great  slaughter.  The  American  army  numbered 
2000,  and  of  these  38  officers  and  555  men  were  killed  or  missing,  and  21 
officers  and  224  men  were  wounded,  many  of  whom  died.  It  being  impos- 
sible for  the  campaign  to  continue,  the  army  returned  to  Fort  Washington 
for  the  winter. 

In  May,  1792,  the  "Legion"  became  the  military  organization  of  the 
United  States  and  the  Second  Infantry  was  called  the  Second  Sub-legion. 
Under  this  title  it  formed  a  part  of  General  Anthony  Wayne's  army  till 
May,  1796,  and  in  1794  was  with  the  command  which  defeated  the  Miami 
Indians  so  signally  at  the  junction  of  the  Au  Glaize  and  Maumee  rivers. 

On  the  I  St  of  November,  1796,  pursuant  to  the  act  of  May  30  of  that 
year,  the  Legion  was  discontinued  and  the  Second  Sub-legion  became  again 
the  Second  Regiment  of  Infantry.  For  nine  years  the  regiment  remained 
in  the  Northwest,  and  in  1805,  under  Colonel  Thomas  Butler,  was  stationed 
in  the  South  with  headquarters  at  New  Orleans.  In  September,  1814,  the 
regiment  was  made  famous  by  the  gallant  defense  of  Fort  Bowyer  (now 
Fort  Morgan),  Alabama,  against  overwhelming  odds  of  British  and  Indians. 

*  An  abridgment  of  Lieut.  VV.  M.  Wright's  History  of  2d  U.  S.  Infantry. 

414 


THE  SECONJy  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.        415 

Major  Lawrence,  "as  brave  a  spirit  as  ever  stood  in  his  country's  defense." 
was  in  command  of  the  post  and  of  120  of  the  Second  Infantry.  He  was 
brevetted  for  gallantry  in  this  action,  and  Captains  Chamberlain,  Brown- 
low  and  Bradley,  with  Lieutenants  Villard,  Sturgis,  Conway,  H.  Saunders, 
T.  R.  Saunders,  Brooks,  Davis  and  C.  Saunders,  were  all  mentioned  by 
General  Jackson  in  dispatches.  Captain  John  M.  Davis  of  the  regiment  was 
made  a  brevet  major  for  gallantry  at  the  siege  of  New  Orleans. 

The  regiment  went  North  in  the  spring  of  1815  and  was  consolidated 
with  the  First  Infantry  by  the  Act  of  March  3d  of  that  year,  and  here  the 
chronicle  of  the  original  Second  Infantry  comes  to  an  end. 

SECOND    PART, 

A  new  Second  Infantry  was  now  formed  in  accordance  with  the  Act 
quoted  above,  by  the  consolidation  of  the  6th,  i6th,  22d,  23d,  and  32d  Regi- 
ments of  Infantry,  so  it  would  appear  that  the  date  of  organization  of  the 
present  regiment  would  be  that  of  the  Sixth  Infantry, — namely,  April  3, 
1808.  On  the  regimental  roster  for  1815  we  find  Hugh  Brady  as  colonel, 
and  Henry  Leavenworth  and  Ninian  Pinkney  as  major  and  lieutenant- 
colonel  respectively. 

Colonel  Brady  entered  the  service  as  an  ensign  of  infantry  in  1792,  was 
mustered  out  as  captain  in  June,  1800,  colonel  22d  Infantry  in  July,  1812, 
transferred  to  the  Second  Infantry  in  May,  181 5,  and  was  from  that  time 
continuously  in  the  service  as  colonel  of  the  regiment  until  his  death  in 
1851,  at  which  time  he  had  been  a  colonel  for  39  years,  and  the  colonel  of 
the  Second  Infantry  for  36  years. 

Immediately  after  its  organization  the  regiment  was  stationed  at  Sack- 
etts  Harbor  and  Plattsburg,  N,  Y.,  and  remained,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  company  moves,  at  these  stations  until  January,  1822,  when  the  entire 
regiment  was  concentrated  at  Sacketts  Harbor.  In  June,  1822,  Colonel 
Brady,  with  regimental  headquarters  and  Companies  A,  B,  D,  I  and  K,  em- 
barked at  BufTalo  on  the  steamboat  Superior  en  route  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie, 
where  they  built  a  cantonment  which  was  named  after  the  colonel  of  the 
regiment  which  post  is  still  known  as  Fort  Brady.  Late  in  the  year  regi- 
mental headquarters  returned  to  Sacketts  Harbor. 

From  this  time  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in  1832,  the 
record  is  almost  uneventful.  The  regiment  usually  occupied  two  or  more 
of  the  stations  upon  the  Northern  Frontier, — Forts  Brady,  Howard,  Mack- 
inac, Gratiot  or  Niagara ;  Madison  Barracks,  Detroit  or  Houlton  (wheri  a 
part  of  the  regiment  built  Hancock  Barracks),  with  frequent  interchanges  of 
stations  among  the  companies. 

In  June,  1832,  Companies  A,  B,  D,  G,  H  and  I  formed  a  part  of  the  force 
destined  for  General  Scott's  command,  then  organizing  at  Chicago  for  the 
Black  Hawk  War,  which  had  been  going  on  for  some  time  with  a  large  bal- 
ance of  killed  and  wounded  against  the  government.  Asiatic  cholera  broke 
out  while  the  troops  were  at  Detroit  and  their  sufferings  were  terrible.  As 
soon  as  the  epidemic  had  somewhat  abated  the  command  moved  and  in 
August  was  at  Rock  River,  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Illinois. 

In  October,  1832,  the  battalion  returned  from  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and 


4i6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  companies  were  at  first  stationed  at  Forts  Dearborn,  Mackinac  and  Ni- 
agara, but  in  May,  1834,  Companies  A,  B,  G  and  I,  were  at  Fort  Brady ;  C, 
E,  F  and  K,  at  Hancock  Barracks  ;  and  D  and  H  at  Fort  Gratiot. 

In  the  spring  of  1836  the  Creek  Indians  commenced  to  show  signs  of 
hostility,  which  resulted  in  sending  Companies  F  and  K  in  May  to  Fort 
Mitchell,  Ala.,  near  the  Creek  Agency.  As  soon  as  they  arrived  Captain 
Dearborn  with  his  command  was  ordered  to  escort  a  party  of  emigrating 
Creek  Indians  to  their  destination  at  Irvington,  Ala.,  and  in  September, 
General  Jesup  ordered  these  two  companies  to  proceed  to  Lounds  County, 
Ga.,  for  the  protection  of  that  and  adjoining  counties  against  the  depreda- 
tions of  the  Indians. 

Companies  A,  D,  G  and  H  were  sent  to  Tampa  Bay,  Fla.,  from  their 
northern  stations  the  next  year,  arriving  September  21  ;  and  in  September 
1838,  regimental  headquarters  and  the  four  companies  then  at  Hancock 
Barracks  were  also  sent  there.  The  entire  regiment  was  now  concentrated 
in  Florida  and  all  the  companies  were  most  actively  engaged  in  this  most 
arduous  duty  until  the  close  of  hostilities  in  the  spring  of  1842.  It  would  be 
tedious  to  chronicle  the  different  stations  of  the  regiment,  for  it  was  on  the 
move  daily,  fighting  and  building  posts  and  roads.  Some  idea  may  be 
formed  of  the  labors  of  the  troops  from  the  fact  that  over  90  forts  and  stock- 
ades, and  480  miles  of  road  were  built  by  the  army  in  Florida. 

In  March,  1839.  Captain  Russell  was  proceeding  in  an  open  boat  on  the 
Miami  River  to  Fort  Dallas  with  a  portion  of  his  company  (I),  while  the 
other  part  was  marching  by  land,  when  his  boat  was  fired  upon  by  the  In- 
dians who  were  concealed  on  the  shore.  Not  a  man  was  touched  by  the 
first  fire,  and  Captain  Russell  at  once  ordered  the  men  to  row  for  the 
shore  and  attack  the  enemy.  Being  in  the  bow  of  the  boat  he  was  the  first 
to  land  and  had  given  but  a  few  brief  orders  when  he  was  pierced  by  five 
Indian  bullets,  one  of  which  passed  through  his  brain  killing  him  instantly. 
His  subaltern.  Lieutenant  Woodruff,  continued  the  fight  and  brought  his 
captain's  body  to  Fort  Dallas.  Captain  Russell  was  a  most  popular  and 
efficient  officer,  and  his  death  was  mourned  by  the  entire  army. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Cummings,  for  many  years  in  command  of  the  regi- 
ment, was  promoted  to  the  4th  Infantry,  December  i,  1839,  and  Major 
Bennett  Riley,  4th  Infantry,  became  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Second.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  regimental  headquarters  were  at  Picolata  under  Major 
Loomis,  and  the  regiment  was  scattered  from  one  end  of  the  territory  to  the 
other.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Riley  assumed  command  of  the  regiment  in 
April,  1840,  and  headquarters  were  moved  to  Fort  No,  12, 

In  May,  Lieutenant  Martin,  with  three  men  of  the  regiment,  en  route 
from  Wakahosta  to  Micanopy,  was  attacked  by  Indians,  receiving  three 
wounds.  Two  of  his  men  were  killed  and  the  other  brought  the  alarm  to 
the  post.  Lieutenant  Sanderson,  7th  Infantry,  started  to  the  rescue  but 
was  ambushed  and  killed  with  five  of  his  men. 

In  1841  Lieutenants  Anderson,  McKinstry,  and  Davidson,  led  an  expe- 
dition to  the  St.  Johns,  For  two  days  and  nights  they  crept  towards  the 
Indian  camp,  which  contained  57  of  Aluck's  band.  "With  a  force  of  but  24 
men   they  routed  the  Indians  and,  but  for  the  treachery  of  their  guide. 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.       4  t  7 

would  have  avenged  in  characters  never  to  be  eflaced  the  monstrous  cruel- 
ties practised  upon  the  defenceless  inhabitants  of  Florida.  All  of  the 
above-named  ofTicers  were  mentioned  in  orders  by  Colonel  Worth,  com- 
manding in  Florida,  and  in  dispatches  to  the  Major  General  commanding 
the  Army. 

In  March  Lieutenant  Alburtis  was  in  command  at  Fort  Russell,  near 
Pilatka.  His  post  was  attacked  and  nearly  captured  by  Halleck  Tustenug- 
gee,  but  Alburtis  made  a  brilliant  counter-attack  and  drove  him  off  with 
heavy  loss.     The  Second  lost  half  a  dozen  men  killed  and  wounded. 

Early  in  1842  the  Seminole  War  began  to  show  signs  of  coming  to  an 
end  and  the  Second  was  engaged  in  keeping  the  enemy  on  the  move  and, 
in  doing  so  had  several  fights,  losing  a  few  men.  The  troops  engaged  in 
this  duty  were  under  Major  Plympton.  On  the  25th  of  January  with  80 
men  of  the  regiment  he  gallantly  encountered  Halleck  Tustenuggee  on 
the  head  of  the  Hawk  River,  which  runs  into  Druin's  Lakeeast  of  St.  Johns. 
A  well  contested  fight  ensued  which  lasted  45  minutes.  The  enemy  re- 
treated, leaving  two  warriors  wounded  on  the  field,  one  of  whom  died. 
One  soldier  was  killed  and  two  wounded.  The  evidence  of  blood  on 
several  trails  leading  from  the  battle  ground  was  a  guarantee  that  some  of 
the  Indians  had  sufTered  from  bullet  or  buckshot. 

In  May  of  this  year  the  regiment  embarked  on  transports  at  Pilatka 
and  reached  New  York  early  in  June,  en  route  to  their  old  stations 
along  the  lakes.  Headquarters,  with  Companies  C,  D,  F  and  K,  were 
stationed  at  Buflfalo  Barracks,  now  Fort  Porter  ;  A  at  Fort  Niagara  ;  B,  E 
and  I,  at  Madison  Barracks  ;  G  at  Fort  Ontario,  and  H  at  Plattsburg. 

There  was  no  change  until  1845,  when  headquarters  and  F  went  to 
Detroit  Barracks,  and  C,  D,  E  and  K,  were  moved  from  their  Lake  Erie 
stations  to  Mackinac,  Gratiot,  Brady  and  Wilkins,  respectively. 

Texas  was  annexed  in  March,  1845,  and  in  April  of  the  next  year 
diplomatic  relations  were  broken  oflf  and  war  declared  with  Mexico.  Gen- 
eral Zachary  Taylor,  of  Florida  fame,  fought  and  won  the  battles  of 
Palo  Alto  ar,d  Resaca  de  la  Palma  in  May,  and  in  July  was  on  his  way 
to  Monterey,  at  which  point  the  gallant  Second  was  ordered  to  join  him. 
Major  G.  W.  Allen  and  Lieutenant  J.  S.  Woods,  2d  Infantry,  were  in 
both  these  fights.  Lieutenant  Woods  was  afterwards  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Monterey  while  serving  with  the  4th  Infantry. 

Headquarters,  with  Companies  D,  E,  F  and  K,  rendezvoused  at  New- 
port Barracks,  Ky.,  August  12,  1846,  and  reached  General  Taylor's  base  01 
supplies  at  Camargo  on  the  Rio  Grande  River,  September  20. 

Companies  A.  B,  G,  H  and  I,  met  at  Fort  Columbus,  N.  Y.  Harbor,  em- 
barked September  2d,  and  reached  Camargo  October  13. 

The  entire  regiment,  except  C  Company  which  had  been  left  at  Macki- 
nac for  some  unknown  reason,  was  now  concentrated  at  Camargo  under 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Bennett  Riley,  but  arrived  too  late  to  take  part  in  the 
gallant  attack  and  capture  of  the  city  of  Monterey. 

The  regiment  joined  Twiggs'  Brigade  at  Montemorelos,  December  17, 
which,  with  Patterson's  Brigade,  was  about  to  start  for  Victoria  as  a  corps 
of  observation.  They  were  recalled  to  Monterey  on  account  of  an  expected 


41 8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

attack  by  Santa  Anna  at  Saltillo,  but  this  rumor  proved  unfounded,  and  on 
Christmas  day,  1846,  the  regiment  was  again  on  the  road  to  Victoria,  ar- 
riving there  after  several  skirmishes  with  the  enemy  along  the  road. 

The  regimentleft  Victoria  January  14,  1S47,  and  arrived  atTampico  on 
the  25th,  sailing  for  Lobos  Island  late  in  February.  On  March  2d  the  fleet 
of  transports  and  vessels  of  war  weighed  anchor  at  Lobos  Island  and  within 
a  week  the  entire  force  landed,  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man,  on  the 
beach  of  Sacrificios,  a  few  miles  south  of  Vera  Cruz. 

The  investment  of  Vera  Cruz  began  at  once.  Twiggs'  Brigade  occupied 
the  extreme  left  of  the  American  line.  While  it  was  moving  into  position, 
Lieutenant  William  Alburtis,  a  young  officer  of  the  regiment  who  served  with 
great  distinction  during  the  Seminole  War,  was  killed  by  a  cannon  ball  from 
one  of  the  Mexican  batteries.  Lieutenant  D.  Davidson  was  wounded  at  the 
same  time.  On  the  13th  of  March  the  investment  of  the  place  was  com- 
plete. This  had  not  been  accomplished  except  by  the  heaviest  labor  on  the 
part  of  the  troops.  The  Second  Infantry,  being  on  the  extreme  left,  had  to 
carry  and  haul  all  impedimenta  and  rations  over  the  sand  hills  and  through 
"intervening  forests  and  chapperal"  as  no  transportation  had  yet  arrived 
from  the  depot  at  Brazos.  Vera  Cruz  and  the  Castle  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa 
surrendered  March  28th,  after  a  siege  of  15  days.  The  troops  rested  until 
April  8,  when,  all  preparations  for  a  forward  movement  having  been  made 
the  army  commenced  its  march  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  the  Second  being  in 
the  leading  division  under  Twiggs. 

Santa  Anna,  with  theremnantsof  his  army  which  had  been  so  thoroughly 
whipped  by  General  Taylor  at  Buena  Vista  seven  weeks  before,  was  reported 
to  be  at  Jalapa,  After  a  most  fatiguing  march  the  regiment  arrived  at  Plan 
del  Rio  on  the  nth,  where  it  encamped  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  rear 
troops.  The  pass  of  Cerro  Gordo  was  at  the  far  end  of  the  valley,  and  here 
Santa  Anna  had  taken  up  a  very  strong  position  to  oppose  the  further  ad- 
vance of  the  Americans.  His  line  crossed  the  National  Road,  on  which 
Scott  must  pass,  some  three  or  four  miles  from  Plan  del  Rio. 

On  the  17th  Twiggs'  Division  was  ordered  forward  on  the  National  Road, 
and  after  some  heavy  skirmishing  captured  a  fortified  hill  called  the  Alataya. 
Lieutenant  C.  E.  Jarvis,  2d  Infantry,  was  wounded  in  this  engagement  and 
several  men  of  the  regiment  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  i8th  Twiggs  was 
ordered  to  move  forward  before  daylight  and  take  up  his  position  across  the 
National  Road  in  the  enemy's  rear  so  as  to  to  cut  oflf  a  retreat  to  Jalapa. 
"  After  the  artillery  had  been  engaged  some  time,  he  ordered  Riley's  Brigade 
[Lieutenant-Colonel  Bennett  Riley,  commanding  brigade  and  Second  In 
fantry]  to  move  forward  through  the  valley  passing  to  the  right  of  the  Tele- 
grafo  Hill,  turn  to  the  left  of  the  Mexican  line  and  seize  the  Jalapa  road  in 
rear."     (Wilcox,  p.  287.) 

During  this  movement  the  regiment  advanced  under  heavj^fire  from  the 
Telegrafo,  and  Captain  G.  W.  Patten,  2d  Infantry,  was  shot  through  the 
hand  by  a  grape  shot.  The  enemy  appeared  in  force  on  the  sides  of  the 
mountain  along  the  base  of  which  the  brigade  must  pass,  and  opened  an 
annoying  fire  on  its  left  flank.  Riley  detached  two  companies  of  the  Second, 
one  under  Captain  J.  W.  Penrose  and  one  under  Lieutenant  N.  H.  Davis, 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        419 

who  engaged  the  enemy  in  greatly  superior  numbers,  obliging  the  brigade 
to  form  line  to  the  left  to  assist  them.  Riley  was  soon  in  the  enemy's  left 
rear,  and  General  Twiggs  ordered  the  rest  of  his  division  to  move  forward 
from  the  crest  of  the  Alataya  and  storm  the  position  which  was  done  in 
gallant  style. 

"  General  Twiggs'  order  to  Harney  to  charge  was  well  timed.  Santa 
Anna  had  directed  a  part  of  his  forces  on  the  Telegrafo  to  oppose  Riley, 
who  (hard  fighter  that  he  was)  met  and  drove  them  back  just  as  Harney's 
men  carried  the  works  on  the  crest."  (Wilcox,  p.  2S9.)  In  this  fight  Lieu- 
tenant Nathaniel  Lyon,  2d  Infantry,  with  his  company  captured  three  guns. 
The  Mexicans  were  defeated  overwhelmingly  all  along  the  line,  and  Santa 
Anna  and  the  Mexican  army  were  not  heard  of  again  until  Scott  was 
within  a  few  miles  of  Mexico. 

On  the  19th  of  April  the  regiment  entered  Jalapa,  remaining  until  the 
end  of  May,  when  it  set  out  for  Puebla.  The  marching  was  delightful,  the 
road  level,  the  country  sterile  with  slight  exceptions  and  the  air  crisp.  The 
troops  remained  at  Puebla  some  time,  awaiting  reinforcements  and  supplies 
which  the  War  Department  seemed  utterly  unable  to  furnish.  Company  C 
joined  the  regiment  July  7,  1847. 

The  army  commenced  its  march  from  Puebla,  August  7,  and  the  Second 
was,  as  usual,  with  the  adv^anced  troops.  They  arrived  and  camped  at 
Ayotla  on  the  nth  remaining,  there  until  the  i6th.  On  the  19th  they  moved 
to  St.  Augustin  and  immediately  advanced  to  attack  the  enemy  under 
General  Valencia  who  had  drawn  up  his  division  for  battle  at  Contreras. 

In  the  two  days'  battle  of  that  name  they  had  the  same  duty  assigned 
them  as  at  Cerro  Gordo,  viz. — that  of  turning  the  enemy's  position  ;  but 
this  time  the  position  was  turned  and  the  work  carried  without  the  assist- 
ance of  a  frontal  attack. 

"  The  brigade  moved  on  until  the  advanced  regiment  reached  a  ravine  on  the  right 
of  San  Geronimo. '  *  *  *  Riley  now  passed  through  the  village  and  Captain  Wessells' 
company  was  detached  to  cover  a  reconnoissance  made  by  Captain  Canby,  A.  A.  G., 
and  Lieutenant  Tower  in  the  direction  of  Valencia's  camp.  Further  to  the  right, 
Captain  Silas  Casey's  company  engaged  a  body  of  lancevs,  supposed  to  be  the  Guana- 
huato  Regiment,  and  repulsed  them  with  a  loss  of  both  men  and  horses.  Several  of 
Casey's  men  were  wounded,  A  Mexican  cavalry  force  threatening  Wessells,  he 
attacked,  drove  it  off,  and  was  then  ordered  to  hold  his  position  and  observe  and  report 
any  movement  of  the  enemy  from  his  intrenchments."    (Wilcox,  p.  365.) 

The  Second  was  now  some  distance  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  brigade 
and  in  danger  of  being  cut  off,  so  the  7th  Infantry  was  ordered  up  to  its 
support.  While  they  were  coming  up  the  enemy  threatened  a  charge  on 
the  Second,  but  the  regiment  was  thrown  into  square  to  receive  it  and 
nothing  more  than  a  demonstration  was  made.  The  regiment  returned  to 
San  Geronimo  where  it  remained  during  the  night.  Early  on  the  morning 
of  the  2oth  they  moved  out  of  the  village.  Riley's  Brigade  was  in  advance 
and  led  oflf  by  the  flank.  The  night  was  so  dark  and  the  ground  so  difficult 
that  it  was  not  until  near  daylight  that  its  rear  cleared  the  village.  At  this 
time  Riley's  Brigade  consisted  of  the  2d  Infantry,  7th  Infantr>%  and  the  4th 
Artillery  acting  as  infantry. 


42  o 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


"  The  troops  were  moved  to  the  attack  in  a  deep  ravine  around  the  left  and  rear  of 
the  enemy.  After  moving  several  hundred  yards  to  a  slope  leading  to  a  high  point  of 
the  ridge,  they  came  up  out  of  the  ravine  and  found  that  the  enemy  had  just  dis- 
covered the  movement  and  was  turning  his  guns  and  disposing  his  infantry  for  resis- 
tance." (Ripley.) 

The  leading  divisions  of  the  brigade  were  deplo5'ed  as  skirmishers  and 
the  regiment  soon  became  hotly  engaged  with  the  enemy  who  served  two 
guns  upon  it  with  rapidity  and  received  the  shock  with  a  noisy,  rolling  dis- 
charge of  musketry.  Their  aim,  however,  was  inaccurate  and  but  little  loss 
was  sustained.  The  advance  was  not  interrupted  for  an  instant,  for  the 
troops,  having  delivered  their  fire,  rushed  down  with  loud  shouts  in  a  vigor- 
ous charge,  and  entered  the  intrenchments  almost  in  a  a  body. 

The  mass  of  Mexicans  yielding  before  Riley's  vigorous  charge,  gave  way 
and  fled  headlong  down  the  road  in  the  direction  of  San  Angel.  In  this 
engagement  Captain  Wessells  and  Lieutenants  Lovell,  Tilden  and  Gardner 
were  wounded,  and  several  enlisted  men  were  killed.  "  The  battle  of  Con- 
treras  was  fought  and  won  a  little  after  sunrise  on  the  20th  of  August, 
1847."  (Wilcox,  p.  400.) 

The  pursuit  was  taken  up  immediately  through  the  village  of  San  An- 
tonio and  on  to  the  village  of  Churubusco,  where  Santa  Anna  had  taken 
up  a  strong  position  along  the  near  bank  of  the  stream. 

"  South  of  the  stream,  some  hundred  yards,  lay  the  scattered  houses  of  the  village  of 
Churubusco.  One  of  the  most  westerly  of  these  was  a  massive  stone  convent  which 
had  been  prepared  for  defense.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  field  work,  having  embrasures 
and  platforms  for  many  cannon,  and  was  the  right  point  of  the  Mexican  line."  (Ripley.) 

Here  for  the  second  time,  in  this  day  of  its  greatest  glory,  the  regiment 
stood  gallantly  to  its  work  and  did  the  heaviest  fighting  done  by  any  troops 
that  day.  Under  Captain  Morris  it  attacked  the  right  of  the  Mexicans  on 
the  west  side  of  the  convent,  the  7th  Infantry  being  ordered  to  its  support. 
The  regiment  advanced  through  a  cornfield,  and  as  it  passed  out  of  this  into 
an  open  space  in  front  of  the  convent,  a  volley  of  musketry  killed  Lieutenant 
Thomas  Easley,  a  company  commander,  and  killed  or  wounded  twelve  men 
with  him.  Captain  J.  R.  Smith,  struggling  forward  under  the  severest  fire, 
was  twice  badly  wounded,  and  14  men  with  him  were  struck  down  at  the 
same  time.  The  Mexicans,  elated  by  the  effects  of  their  terrible  fire, 
moved  out  of  the  convent  for  a  counter-attack,  but  it  was  repulsed  by  the 
Second  U.  S.  Infantry.  An  attempt  was  made  to  advance  and  carry  the 
work,  but  it  was  not  successful,  and  the  battle  raged  with  renewed  fury. 

Captain  Thompson  Morris,  commanding  the  2d  Infantry,  states  (referring 
to  the  sorties  of  the  Mexicans)  that  a  column  of  several  hundred  passed 
out  of  the  front  gate  of  the  convent  and,  under  cover  of  the  standing  corn, 
advanced  towards  the  left  of  his  regiment,  but  was  driven  back;  that  a 
second  effort  was  made  and  checked,  and  that  subsequent  sallies  met  the 
same  fate.     (Wilcox,  p.  389.) 

Finally  the  Mexican  left  was  driven  in,  but  still  the  convent  held  out 
and  was  not  taken  until  the  colors  of  the  Second  Infantry  were  planted  in 
its  rear.  The  battle  of  Churubusco  was  now  won  but  the  fighting  had  been 
very  severe  and  the  losses  correspondingly  heavy.     Our  regimental  losses 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 


421 


were  as  follows :— Captain  J.  W,  Anderson,  killed  ;  Captain  J.  R.  Smith, 
twice  wounded  ;  Lieutenant  Julius  Hayden,  severely  wounded  ;  Lieutenant 
Christopher  Lovell,  twice  wounded  ;  Lieutenant  Thomas  Easley,  killed ; 
Lieutenant  W.  M.  Gardner,  wounded  the  second  time  in  one  day;  and 
Lieutenant  T.  W.  Sweeney,  severely  wounded.  Seventeen  officers  of  the 
regiment  were  present  on  August  20th,  and  before  sunset  seven  were  either 
killed  or  hors  de  combat,  and  about  forty  men  either  killed  or  wounded  at 
Churubusco  alone. 

The  night  of  the  20th  was  spent  in  bivouac  on  the  ground  so  dearly 
won,  and  on  the  21st  the  regiment  marched  to  Coyoacan,  near  the  City  of 
Mexico,  where  it  remained  during  the  armistice.  It  took  post,  September 
7,  in  the  Hacienda  Nalvarte,on  the  extreme  right  of  the  American  line,  and 
remained  in  this  position  with  the  rest  of  the  brigade,  threatening  the 
enemy's  left  during  the  fierce  fight  at  Molino  del  Rey,  but  was  ordered  up 
in  the  afternoon  to  assist  in  the  capture  of  the  place,  arriving  too  late  to 
be  of  any  assistance.  The  regiment  advanced  to  Piedad  on  the  9th  Sep- 
tember. 

A  question  now  arose  as  to  whether  it  would  be  most  advantageous  to 
cannonade  and  capture  the  Citadel  of  Chapultepec  at  the  west  of  our  line, 
or  to  operate  on  the  line  of  the  San  Antonio  gate  on  the  east.  The  western 
or  Chapultepec  line  having  been  chosen,  the  Second  was  left  at  Piedad  to 
assist  in  the  demonstration  on  the  San  Antonio  gate.  It  remained  in  this 
position,  skirmishing  frequently  with  the  enemy,  until  it  entered  the  City 
of  Mexico  on  the  14th  of  September,  1S47. 

Although  the  Second  was  not  engaged  at  Chapultepec  on  the  13th,  the 
storming  party  from  General  Quitman's  position  was  largely  composed  of 
the  regiment  and  was  led  by  Captain  Silas  Casey,  2d  Infantry. 

"  A  detail  from  Twiggs'  Division  consisting  of  250  men  and  13  officers.  Captain 
Silas  Casey,  2d  Infantry,  commanding,  was  ordered  to  report  to  General  Quitman 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  as  the  storming  party  of  the  right  of  the  line." 

At  8  o'clock  A.  M.  on  the  13th,  Lieutenant  C.  M.  Wilcox  was  ordered 
by  General  Quitman  to  go  at  once  to  Captain  Casey  and  give  the  order  to 
advance. 

"On  reaching  the  storming  party  the  order  was  given  to  Captain  Casey  who 
formed  his  line  in  a  few  seconds  and  gave  the  order  '  forward.'  They  moved  down 
the  road  towards  Chapultepec  at  a  double-quick,  and  for  600  yards  were  exposed  to  a 
raking  fire  from  the  Castle,  but  were  partially  concealed  from  view  and  protected  from 
the  fire  of  the  batteries  near  the  road  by  several  adobe  houses  to  the  left  of  it,  and  by 
rows  of  maguey  growing  along  the  edge  of  the  ditch.  Beyond  the  houses  showers  of 
grape  came  from  the  guns  of  the  batteries  on  the  left  of  the  road,  passing  among  and 
over  the  men,  causing  a  few  casualties,  and  the  hostile  musketry  opened,  knocking 
over  a  few  men.  *  *  *  Two  hundred  yards  beyond  the  adobe  houses  the  road 
made  a  slight  bend  to  the  left ;  200  yards  beyond  this  were  the  two  Mexican  batteries  ; 
and  in  advance  of  the  bend  a  short  distance  was  a  ditch,  eight  or  ten  feet  deep  and 
nine  or  twelve  feet  wide.  Here  the  stormers  were  brought  to  a  halt,  as  the  ditch  could 
not  be  passed."     (Wilcox,  pp.  459-60.) 

"  But  the  troops  held  their  ground  and  pressed  on,  until,  finally,  the  castle  above 
having  been  taken,  they  entered  the  Mexican  barricade  with  a  portion  of  the  Rifle 
Regiment."     (Ripley.) 


422 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


Captain  Casey  and  Lieutenants  Lyon  and  Steele  were  wounded  in  this 
action.  After  the  march  into  the  City  of  Mexico  on  the  14th,  the  regiment 
was  engaged  most  of  the  day  in  street  fighting. 

The  war  was  now  over  but  the  regiment  remained  in  the  City  until  the 
17th  of  December,  on  which  day  it  marched  to  Tacubaya  and  went  into 
camp  until  March  27,  1848,  when  it  left  for  home,  reaching  Fort  Hamilton, 
N.  Y.  Harbor,  in  September.  Three  months  later  the  entire  regiment  was 
on  board  transports  bound  for  California  via  Rio  Janeiro,  Cape  Horn  and 
Valparaiso. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Bennett  Riley,  2d  Infantry,  was  promoted  colonel  of 
the  First  Infantry  in  January,  1850.  He  was  a  most  gallant  officer  and  com- 
manded the  Second  throughout  the  Seminole  and  Mexican  wars.  In  1843 
he  presented  the  regiment  with  a  drum-major's  baton.  On  the  silver  knob 
is  engraved  the  date  of  presentation  with  his  name  and  the  regimental 
motto  "  Noli  me  tangere."  This  baton  has  been  carried  ever  since  at  the 
head  of  the  regiment  and  is  the  most  valuable  regimental  relic  we  have. 
Colonel  Riley  was  brevetted  colonel  for  Chakotta,  Florida  ;  brigadier  gen- 
eral for  Cerro  Gordo,  and  major  general  for  Contreras.     He  died  in  1853. 

The  regiment  remained  in  California  until  late  in  1853,  occupying  sta- 
tions from  Goose  Lake,  Oregon,  on  the  north,  to  Yuma,  Arizona,  on  the 
south,  and  scouting  over  the  entire  country  as  far  as  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Sierra  Nevadas.  The  companies  were  stationed  but  a  few  months  in  any 
one  place  and  all  their  moves  were  made  by  marching,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  trips  on  transports  up  and  down  the  coast.  After  the  return  of  the 
regiment  to  New  York  it  moved  west  to  Carlisle  Barracks  and  thence  down 
the  Ohio  and  up  the  Missouri  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  it  arrived  in  June 
and  July,  1854. 

For  the  next  six  years,  or  until  the  commencement  of  the  war,  the  com- 
panies were  stationed  along  the  Missouri  River  and  as  far  west  as  Forts 
Kearny  and  Laramie.  Among  the  posts  occupied  were  Ridgeley,  Pierre, 
Abercrombie,  Randall  and  Miller. 

In  1851  Colonel  Brady  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  E.  A.  Hitchcock,  who 
resigned  in  1855  and  Colonel  Francis  Lee  took  command  of  the  regiment. 
Colonel  Lee  died  in  January,  1859,  and  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Colonel 
D.  S.  Miles,  who  was  killed  at  Harper's  Ferry. 

In  January,  1S61,  the  regiment  was  stationed  as  follows  :  Headquarters 
and  Companies  E  and  F  at  Fort  Kearny;  A,  D  and  I,  at  Fort  Abercrombie ; 
C  and  K  at  Fort  Ripley  ;  Gand  H  at  Fort  Riley  ;  and  B  at  Fort  Scott.  In 
February,  Company  B  (Captain  Lyon)  was  transferred  to  St.  Louis  Arsenal. 
It  was  engaged  (June  17)  in  the  action  fought  at  Booneville,  Mo. 

Headquarters  and  Companies  C  and  K  reached  Washington  from  the 
west  in  July  and  were  engaged  at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21,  but  suf- 
fered small  loss.  These  companies  were  with  Major  Sykes'  regulars,  who, 
"aided  by  Sherman's  Brigade,  made  a  steady  and  handsome  withdrawal, 
protecting  the  rear  of  the  routed  forces  and  enabling  many  to  escape  by  the 
Stone  Bridge,"  Companies  A,  D  and  I,  joined  regimental  headquarters  at 
Georgetown  in  August. 

During  July,  Companies  B  and   E  were  in  the  field  in  Missouri,  and  on 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY,        4^3 

August  2d  were  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  Dry  Springs,  Mo.  In  this  fight 
Company  E  was  commanded  by  ist  Sergeant  G.  H.  McLoughlin,  and  B  by 
1st  Sergeant  Griffin.  Captain  Steele,  2d  Infantry,  was  in  command  and 
makes  the  following  statement  in  his  report : 

"  About  5  o'clock  P.  m.,  Sergeant  McLoughlin's  line  of  skirmishers  was  attacked 
on  the  left  and  front  by  a  large  body  of  cavalry,  some  200  or  more  of  whom  were  on 
foot  and  about  the  same  number  mounted.  Sergeant  McLoughlin  gallantly  repulsed 
the  first  attack  but  was  soon  overwhelmed  with  numbers  and  obliged  to  retreat  upon 
the  reserve,  and  all  fell  back  into  the  road,  where  I  came  to  their  support  with  the 
other  two  companies  of  my  battalion.     (W.  R.,  Vol.   III.,  page  49.) 

One  man  of  E  Company  was  wounded.  The  rebels  were  finally  routed 
with  heavy  loss.  In  this  action  B  Company  was  in  support  of  the  volunteer 
troops. 

At  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  where  3700  men  attacked  23,000  Con- 
federates after  a  fatiguing  night  march,  and  fought  them  successfully 
over  six  hours,  the  same  companies  of  the  Second  played  their  usual  role  of 
brave  and  unflinching  devotion  to  duty  and  the  cause. 

The  action  commenced  at  daylight  on  the  loth  August,  1861,  General 
Lyon  commanding  the  Union  forces,  with  the  battalion  of  the  Second,  a 
battery,  and  some  volunteers  in  reserve.  Early  in  this  engagement,  while 
General  Lyon  was  leading  his  horse  along  the  line  in  rear  of  Captain  Tot- 
ten's  battery  and  endeavoring  to  rally  our  troops,  which  were  at  this  time 
in  considerable  disorder,  his  horse  was  killed  and  he  received  a  wound  in 
the  leg  and  one  in  the  head.  The  General  mounted  another  horse,  and 
swinging  his  hat  in  the  air,  called  to  the  troops  nearest  him  to  follow,  but 
in  a  short  time  a  fatal  ball  lodged  in  his  breast  and  he  was  carried  from  the 
field  a  corpse.  Thus  gloriously  fell  as  brave  a  soldier  as  ever  drew  sword,  a 
man  whose  honesty  of  purpose  was  proverbial,  a  noble  patriot,  and  one  who 
held  his  life  as  nothing  when  his  country  demanded  it  of  him. 

The  Union  forces  were  now  all  but  beaten,  but  just  at  this  time  the  ene- 
my was  observed  to  be  about  to  renew  his  efforts,  and  at  once  commenced 
along  the  entire  line  the  fiercest  and  most  bloody  engagement  of  the  day. 
Not  the  slightest  disposition  to  give  way  was  manifested  at  any  point.  Cap- 
tain Steele's  battalion  was  some  yards  in  front  of  the  line  and  in  imminent 
danger  of  being  overwhelmed  with  superior  numbers,  the  contending  lines 
being  almost  muzzle  to  muzzle. 

The  volunteers  rallied,  and  attacking  the  enemy's  right  flank  poured  in 
a  murderous  fire.  From  this  time  a  perfect  rout  took  place  throughout 
the  rebel  front,  and  it  was  evident  that  Totten's  battery  and  Steele's  little 
battalion  were  safe.* 

At  11.30  A.M.  the  Union  forces  withdrew  unmolested  to  Springfield, 
about  12  miles  distant.  In  this  action  the  regiment  lost  Captain  Nathaniel 
Lyon,  killed,  and  39  killed  or  wounded  of  the  98  men  present  for  duty  that 
morning. 

In  December  Companies  B  and  E  were  sent  to  Washington  where  the 
regiment  (except  Company  H,  at  Fort  Lamed,  Kansas)  was  concentrated 
under  the  command  of  Captain  A.  Sully.     It  remained  there  on  provost 

*  See  report  of  Major  S.  D.  Sturgis,  W.  R.,  Vol.  I,  page  64,  et  seq. 


424  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

duty  until  it  moved  to  Fortress  Monroe  in  March,  1862,  with  Sykes'  Brigade 
of  regulars  at  the  opening  of  the  Peninsular  Campaign.  From  the  time  of 
its  arrival  at  Fortress  Monroe  to  June  27th,  the  regiment  moved  up  the  Pen- 
insula to  the  Chickahominy,  skirmishing  with  the  enemy  and  in  reserve 
during  the  heavier  engagements. 

The  following  are  extracts  from  an  account  of  the  regiment  at  Gaines' 
Mill,  written  by  Major  F.  E.  Lacey  who  was  the  first  sergeant  of  Company  I 
in  this  the  first  heavy  fight  of  the  regiment  in  the  Civil  War. 

Bright  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  camp  was  broken,  everything  packed 
up,  and  we  moved  to  Mechanicsville  to  support  McCall's  Pennsylvanians  who  were  at 
that  point.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  our  line  is  formed  in  a  sunken  road 
near  the  old  mill  which  gives  the  battle  its  Union  name.  A  grave,  a  fatal  blunder  is 
here  made.  All  the  entrenching  tools  are  sent  to  the  rear.  We  are  here  between 
three  and  four  hours  before  the  action  commences, — ample  time  to  construct  works 
which  would  have  cost  the  enemy  dearly  to  approach.  About  11  o'clock  A.  m.,  the  Con- 
federate skirmishers  come  slowly  and  cautiously  into  view,  followed  by  artillery.  Dur- 
ing this  time  the  infantry  is  taking  position  in  a  strip  of  timber  immediately  in  our 
front.  The  first  gun  is  fired  by  the  rebels  ;  a  little  later  a  shot  from  the  enemy  kills 
four  of  our  men.  A  shell  from  one  of  our  guns  blows  up  a  caisson  in  a  Confederate 
battery  just  opposite  to  us.  Tne  artillery  duel  lasts  about  half  an  hour.  Soon  after  it 
ends  the  enemy's  infantry  comes  out  of  the  woods  to  attack  us.  As  they  are  forming 
line  the  Second  opens  fire  on  them  and  sends  them  reeling  to  the  timber.  A  fresh 
regiment  takes  its  place  and  meets  the  same  fate.  Two  musicians  of  I  Company — 
mere  boys — go  out  under  a  heavy  fire  and  bring  in  some  wounded  men.  Their  names 
are  Robert  Nelson  and  Bartly  Scanlan.  A  body  of  Confederates  now  comes  out  of 
the  timber  ;  the  Second  springs  at  them  with  cold  steel  and  drives  them  back  to  the 
woods. 

Here  Brinley  was  killed  and  Jordan  severely  wounded — shot  through  the  knee — 
two  gallant  officers,  a  great  loss  to  the  regiment.  The  intrepid  bearer  of  the 
National  colors, — Sergeant  Thomas  Madigan  of  A  Company,  a  veteran  of  the  Mexi- 
can War, — received  a  wound  from  which  he  died  a  few  days  later.  The  brave 
old  fellow  had  participated  in  every  battle  in  which  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  the 
war  with  Mexico.  The  next  to  take  his  place,— Corporal  Konsmiller,  a  fine  young 
German, — was  shot  through  the  head  and  killed. 

We  are  now  in  a  critical  position,  fighting  in  open  ground,  the  foe  in  the  woods. 
The  enemy  repeatedly  tries  to  break  our  line,  but  fails  ;  the  old  Second  never  wavers 
but  stands  like  an  iron  wall.  The  left  wing  of  the  corps  having  been  driven  back  a 
considerable  distance,  we  fall  back  and  form  in  an  old  peach  orchard.  This  position 
is  held  until  nearly  sunset.  Resistance  now  seems  to  be  in  vain,  our  ranks  are  fear- 
fully thinned,  so  we  fall  back  in  line  of  battle  with  colors  flying.  We  soon  come  to  a 
bunch  of  timber  and  are  halted  ;  the  left  wing  does  not  hear  the  command  and  con- 
tinues its  march  through  the  woods.  The  reason  for  the  halt  is  explained.  A  crip- 
pled battery  is  left  behind  us,  the  enemy  is  near  at  hand,  the  right  wing  is  asked  to 
save  the  battery  and  responds  with  a  hearty  cheer,  and  at  the  same  time  dashes  to  the 
front  led  by  Lieutenant  Parker,  2d  Infantry,  one  of  General  Sykes' aides.  The  bat- 
tery is  passed,  the  wing  halts  within  thirty  yards  of  the  advancing  enemy,  opens  fire 
and  brings  them  to  a  stand.  Lieutenant  Drum  greatly  distinguishes  himself.  Now 
the  fearless  Parker  receives  a  volley  :  he  sways  in  his  saddle  and  falls  from  his  horse 
dead.  The  guns  are  saved  ;  but  at  what  a  cost !  We  lose  more  men  in  this  last 
charge  than  at  any  time  during  the  day.     The  remnant  falls  back  and  at  dark  is 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OE  I NE AN  TRY.       425 

united  with  the  left  wing  and  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill,  after  eight  hours  of  hard 
fighting,  is  ended. 

We  kept  the  enemy  in  check  five  hours  against  overwhelming  odds,  losing  138 
men  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  The  strength  of  the  battalion  going  into  ac- 
tion was  446  aggregate. 

Sergeant  Lacey  was  severely  wounded  in  this  fight  and  became  an  ofhcer 
about  a  month  later. 

In  the  change  of  base  to  Harrison's  Landing  the  regiment  formed  a  por- 
tion of  the  rear  guard  and  took  part  in  the  action  at  Malvern  Hill,  suffering 
no  loss.  It  was  in  camp  at  Harrison's  Landing  until  August  14  when  it  left 
to  join  Pope's  army  in  front  of  Washington,  arriving  in  time  to  take  an 
important  part  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run. 

The  regiment  left  its  camp  on  the  Gainesville  road  early  on  the  morning 
of  August  30,  and  moved  in  the  direction  of  Bull  Run  Creek,  and  was 
formed  in  Ime  of  battle  on  the  left  bank  of  the  creek  between  8  and  9 
o'clock  A.  M.,  remaining  in  that  position  until  about  3.30  p.  m.,  when  orders 
were  received  to  fall  back  and  take  position  on  the  right  bank  of  the  creek 
in  the  timber,  near  the  crest  of  the  ridge.  It  remained  here  some  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes  before  the  enemy  opened  his  fire,  which  was  intensely 
severe  and  continued  so  for  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  when  it  was 
ordered  to  fall  back  to  the  timber  across  the  road.  Both  officers  and  men 
conducted  themselves,  without  a  single  exception,  in  the  coolest  and  most 
determined  manner,  although  casualties  were  very  numerous.  (W.  R..  Vol. 
XII,  Part  2,  page  499.) 

In  this  engagement  Lieutenant  Wm.  Kidd  was  killed  and  Lieutenants 
Ellinwood  and  Markley  wounded.   71  men  were  killed,  wounded  or  missing. 

The  regiment  left  camp  at  Centerville  September  2,  and  marched  to 
Antietam  Creek,  near  the  village  of  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  where  it  arrived 
September  15  and  went  into  position,  remaining  there  two  days  exposed  to 
the  enemy's  artillery  and  sharpshooters.  On  the  17th  it  crossed  the  creek 
and  went  into  action  in  support  of  Tidball's  battery  which  was  hard  pressed 
by  the  enemy.  Lieutenant  J.  S.  Poland,  who  was  in  command  of  the  regi- 
ment in  this  fight,  makes  the  following  statement  in  his  report : — 

"Lieutenant  McKee,  commanding  Companies  I  and  A,  2d  Infantry,  while  de- 
ploying to  the  front  was  severely  wounded  and  compelled  to  leave  the  field.  The 
command  of  these  companies  devolved  upon  ist  Sergeant  F.  E.  Lacey,  commanding 
Company  I,  2d  Infantry,  who  handled  them  well.  In  advancing  to  the  fence  at 
which  our  line  was  to  rest,  the  skirmishers  were  obliged  to  pass  over  a  ridge  completely 
commanded  by  the  enemy's  sharpshooters  and  battery  posted  to  the  left  of  the  corn- 
field in  front  of  the  right  of  my  line.  When  we  appeared  above  the  crest  the  enemy 
opened  with  a  heavy  fire  of  case  shot  and  canister.  The  line  did  not  waver  but  rapidly 
moved  to  the  fence.  The  right  advanced  beyond,  however,  before  I  could  convey 
the  order  to  them  to  halt  at  the  fence,  and  by  a  well  directed  fire  compelled  the  enemy's 
cannoneers  to  leave  their  guns.  *  *  *  Lieutenant  McLoughlin  and  Sergeant 
Lacey  commanded  the  companies  on  the  right.  Sergeant  Lacey  was  soon  after 
wounded  and  unwillingly  compelled  to  leave  the  field.  Our  position  was  held  until 
all  the  ammunition  had  been  expended  on  the  left  and  nearly  all  on  the  right." 

In  a  very  short  time  the  regiment  was  relieved  by  the  17th  Michigan 
and  the  ist  Battalion  of  the  14th  U.  S.  Infantry. 


426  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

The  regiment  camped  on  the  battle-field,  and  on  the  29th  crossed  the 
Potomac  at  the  ford  below  Shepherdstown,  W.  Va.,  in  pursuit  of  the 
enemy,  and  moved  about  a  mile  beyond  the  river  where  they  were  discov- 
ered in  force.  The  regiment  skirmished  all  day,  but  had  no  casualties  and 
recrossed  the  river  that  night.  In  this  fight  ist  Sergeant  Daniel  W.  Burke, 
of  B  Company,  distinguished  himself  by  returning  and  spiking  a  piece  of 
artillery  in  the  face  of  the  enemy's  sharpshooters. 

The  colonel  of  the  regiment,  Dixon  S.  Miles,  was  mortally  wounded  by 
a  piece  of  shell  at  Harper's  Ferry  during  September  and  died  shortly  after- 
wards.    Sidney  Burbank  succeeded  him  as  colonel  of  the  Second. 

The  regiment  camped  at  Sharpsburg,  obtaining  a  much  needed  rest  and 
reequipment,  until  October  28,  when  it  started  for  Fredericksburg,  Va, 
arriving  there  about  a  month  later. 

At  2. 1 5  p.  M.,  on  the  1 3th  of  December,  1 862,  the  regiment  left  its  bivouac 
near  Falmouth  and  formed  under  cover  of  the  Phillips  house  and  close  to 
the  ponton  bridge.  It  crossed  the  river  shortly  after  and  went  into  position 
on  the  left  of  the  road  on  the  south  side  of  the  village. 

"  At  5  p.  M.,  the  battalion  was  ordered  to  move  to  the  crest  of  the  hill,  100  yards 
in  advance  of  its  former  position,  to  protect  the  withdrawal  of  a  battery.  During  this 
forward  movement  the  battery  was  withdrawn  and  the  battalion  halted  in  rear  of  a 
ditch,  the  banks  of  which  afforded  good  cover." 

At  10  P.  M.,  they  advanced  to  within  about  80  yards  of  the  stone  wall 
occupied  by  the  enemy. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  14th  the  enemy  opened  a  murderous  fire,  driving  in  our 
pickets.  The  battalion  was  ordered  to  lie  down  behind  a  slight  elevation  of  ground 
(about  one  foot),  giving  some  protection,  where  it  was  obliged  to  remain  until  dark, 
under  a  terrific  fire,  the  plane  of  which  passed  not  more  than  a  foot  over  the  ground 
on  which  they  lay." 

"  To  move  even  was  sure  to  draw  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  sharpshooters,  who  were 
posted  in  the  adjacent  houses  and  in  tree  tops,  and  whose  fire  we  were  unable  to  re- 
turn. Thus  the  troops  remained  twelve  long  hours  unable  to  eat,  drink  or  attend  to 
the  calls  of  nature,  for  so  relentless  was  the  enemy  that  not  even  a  wounded  man  or 
our  stretcher-carriers  were  exempted  from  their  fire." 

"Never  did  discipline  shine  more  resplendently,  never  was  the  reputation  of  a 
regiment  more  nobly,  more  incontrovertably  confirmed  than  that  of  the  Second  :  never 
could  a  battalion  more  signally  gain  the  title  of  brave  and  excellent  soldiers  than  on 
that  ever-to-be-remembered  Sabbath  of  December  14,  1862."  (W.  R.,  Vol.  XXI., 
pages  426-27.) 

The  regiment  remained  in  Fredericksburg  until  the  morning  of  the  i6th, 
when  it  returned  to  its  old  camp  near  Potomac  Creek.  Sixteen  men  were 
wounded  in  this  battle  and  three  missing. 

The  regiment  spent  the  winter  of  1862-63  i"  its  camp  at  Falmouth,  and 
no  movement  of  consequence  was  made  until  late  in  April  when  the  Chan- 
cellorsville  campaign  commenced.  The  following  are  extracts  from  an 
account  written  by  Patrick  Breen,  who  was  a  corporal  in  the  color  guard  of 
the  regiment  during  this  battle,  and  afterwards  ist  sergeant  of  C  Company 
and  Ordnance  sergeant,  U.  S.  A.  He  is  now  retired  and  living  at  Vin 
cennes,  Ind. 

On  May  1st,  advancing  in  open  country  in  line  of  battle,  Captain  Salem  S.  Marsh 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        427 

commanding,  the  regiment  halted  on  the  right  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  in  the  centre  of  a 
field.  It  was  on  the  right  of  the  entire  5th  Corps.  Not  more  than  five  minutes  had 
elapsed  after  halting  in  line  before  a  volley  of  musketry  was  poured  into  our  ranks  by 
the  unseen  enemy,  who  had  been  hidden  from  view  by  the  heavy  timber  not  more  than 
200  yards  in  our  front.  After  the  first  fire  was  delivered  by  the  enemy  we  commenced 
to  peg  away  at  the  rebels  in  the  timber.  In  a  few  minutes  the  regiment,  with  the 
brigade,  fell  back  about  25  yards  and  opened  again  on  the  enemy.  The  fire  of  the 
regiment  had  a  telling  effect  on  the  rebels  as  they  could  be  seen  limping  off  the  field 
every  minute.  The  regiment  remained  in  its  new  position  but  a  short  time  when  it 
was  discovered  that  the  rebels  were  moving  around  our  flank.  Captain  Marsh,  ever 
on  the  alert,  was  quick  to  discover  the  intentions  of  the  enemy  and  immediately 
thwarted  the  move  by  changing  front  to  the  half-right,  at  the  same  time  maintaining 
his  position  in  line  with  the  brigade.  Shortly  after  this  a  rebel  bullet  struck  him  in 
the  forehead,  killing  him  instantly.  The  command  now  devolved  on  Captain  S.  A, 
McKee.  During  the  short  time  that  Captain  Marsh  was  in  command  of  the  regiment, 
he  endeared  himself  to  the  very  hearts  of  his  men  by  his  bearing  as  a  soldier  and  an 
officer,  and  his  gentlemanly  manner  at  all  times,  no  matter  what  the  occasion. 

After  we  attained  the  timber  to  the  right  of  the  turnpike  and  were  supported  by 
Hancock's  Division,  the  rebels  gradually  advanced,  very  cautiously,  and  we  did  not 
open  fire  on  them  until  within  short  range,  and  then  with  such  effect  that  they  very 
soon  retired  from  the  contest,  leaving  their  dead  and  badly  wounded  in  our  hands. 
Thus  ended  the  day  for  the  Second  Infantry  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  We  laid 
all  the  next  day  behind  improvised  breast  works,  rudely  thrown  up  with  whatever  im- 
plements were  at  hand  at  the  time  ;  even  the  bayonet  was  brought  into  use  in  this  en- 
trenching business.  The  regiment  remained  in  the  entrenchments  until  the  evening 
of  the  3d,  and  the  retreat  of  the  army  having  commenced  that  evening  in  a  drenching 
rain,  the  morning  of  the  4th  found  the  2d  Division,  5th  Corps,  the  last  troops  crossing 
the  river,  covering  the  retreat  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  2d  Infantry  was 
with  it. 

Company  H  from  Fort  Larned,  Kansas,  joined  the  regiment  at  Benson's 
Mills,  Va.,  June  13,  1863. 

The  regiment  left  Frederick  June  29,  and  made  long,  rapid  and  fatiguing 
marches  to  the  field  of  Gettysburg,  where  it  arrived  about  8  A.  M.  July  2, 
and  went  into  position  on  the  right  of  the  5th  Corps.  Twenty  men  of  the 
regiment  were  thrown  forward  as  skirmishers  into  a  body  of  woods,  beyond 
which  and  to  the  right  could  be  seen  the  enemy's  pickets.  After  a  skirmish 
of  nearly  two  hours,  during  which  there  was  considerable  firing  and  some 
casualties,  the  line  was  marched  by  a  flank  movement  to  the  left  and  rear 
about  two  miles,  where  it  rested  until  about  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  at 
which  time  it  moved  in  the  direction  of  the  heavy  cannonading  on  the 
extreme  left  of  the  Union  line  of  battle.  As  it  advanced  the  rapidity  of 
the  firing  increased  and  staff  officers  rode  up  rapidly  to  hurry  the  command 
to  the  front,  which  was  done  at  a  double-time.  As  soon  as  the  brigade 
reached  the  vicinity  of  Round  Top.  it  formed  line  to  the  right,  with  the  2d 
Infantrv  on  the  right  of  the  line,  and  advanced  at  a  double-quick  down  a 
steep  hill  and  across  a  marsh  fifty  yards  wide  and  ankle  deep  with  mire. 
During  this  movement  the  regiment  suffered  from  a  severe  fire  of  sharp- 
shooters from  the  right,  left,  and  front.  The  marsh  being  passed,  the  Second 
moved  rapidly  forward  and  drove  a  body  of  the  enemy's  sharpshooters  from 


42  8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

a  rocky  and  exposed  elevation,  pursuing  them  into  the  woods  beyond.  Here 
it  halted  and  took  shelter  behind  a  low  stone  wall  and  remained  inactive 
while  column  after  column  of  Union  infantry  moved  across  and  perpen- 
dicular to  its  front.  After  these  troops  had  passed,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  forward  beyond  the  wall  with  instructions  to  wheel  to  the  left  in  a 
rye  field.  The  wheel  was  about  half  completed  when  the  enemy  was  ob- 
served to  be  moving  rapidly  to  outflank  the  right,  so  the  Second  halted  and 
opened  a  rapid  and  continuous  fire,  which  was  sharply  returned. 

Major  A.  T.  Lee,  2d  Infantry,  commanding  the  regiment,  was  wounded 
at  this  time,  but  gallantly  retamed  command  until  the  loss  of  blood  com- 
pelled him  to  retire  just  at  the  close  of  the  battle.  Captain  McKee  succeed- 
ing him.  The  enemy  continued  to  grow  stronger  on  the  right  flank  and 
the  regiment  was  ordered  to  retire.  The  word  was  scarcely  given  when 
three  lines  of  the  enemy,  elevated  one  above  another  on  a  slope  to  the 
right,  poured  in  a  most  destructive  fire,  almost  decimating  the  regiment  and 
cutting  off  the  color  staff,  causing  the  colors  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
color  bearer.  Under  a  most  withering  fire  from  the  sharpshooters  on  the 
left  and  a  column  of  the  enemy's  infantry  on  the  right  and  rear,  overwhelmed 
with  a  perfect  storm  of  shot  and  shell,  the  regiment  fell  back  slowly,  re- 
crossed  the  stone  wall,  the  rocky  elevation  and  the  marsh  in  as  good  order 
as  the  formation  of  the  ground  would  admit,  and  returned  to  its  original 
position  on  the  crest  of  the  hill. 

On  June  30  the  returns  show  13  officers  and  224  men  present  for  duty. 
The  regiment  was  only  engaged  from  about  5.30  p.  M.  until  about  dark,  and 
in  this  short  time  lost  Lieutenant  Goodrich  and  seven  men  killed,  and 
Major  Lee  and  Lieutenants  McLoughlin,  Burke  and  Lacey,  with  53  men, 
wounded.  On  the  third  and  last  day  of  Gettysburg  the  regiment  was  in 
reserve,  and  although  held  in  readiness  was  not  engaged  again  during  the 
battle. 

The  regiment  left  the  battle-field  July  5,  and  having  taken  part  inarecon- 
noissance  near  Manassas  July  23,  reached  Warrenton  on  the  29th,  having 
marched  320  miles  since  the  ist  of  June. 

In  August  and  September  the  regiment  went  to  New  York  for  the  draft 
riots,  and  after  the  return  to  Virginia  in  September  took  part  in  the  Mine 
Run  campaign,  but  without  coming  into  contact  with  the  enemy. 

The  end  of  the  year  1863  found  the  regiment  encamped  at  Catlett's 
Station,  Va.  The  only  event  worthy  of  note  which  occurred  during  the 
next  three  months  was  the  death  of  Captain  McKee  of  the  regiment,  who 
was  killed  by  guerrillas  while  riding  from  one  camp  to  another. 

In  the  reorganization  incident  to  the  coming  of  General  Grant  in  the 
spring  of  1864,  the  Second  was  placed  in  the  ist  Brigade,  ist  Division,  5th 
Corps.  It  set  out  from  Rappahannock  Station  for  the  Wilderness  cam- 
paign at  sunrise  on  May  ist,  and  encamped  that  night  at  Brandy  Station. 
Crossing  the  Rapidan  at  Germannia  Ford  at  noon  on  the  following  day, 
the  regiment  found  itself  on  the  road  leading  to  Mine  Run  and  was  ordered 
forward  to  attack,  driving  the  enemy  some  distance  back  on  the  pike.  It 
was  severely  engaged  all  the  afternoon  and  returned  that  night  to  its  orig- 
inal position.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  next  day  it  was  placed  on  picket 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        4^9 

and  remained  on  that  duty  until  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  Sth. 
when  it  rejoined  the  rest  of  the  brigade  at  Laurel  Hill  and  was  engaged 
there  all  day. 

From  this  time  until  the  end  or  the  month  it  was  one  continuous  round 
of  marching,  fighting,  picket  duty,  and  entrenchment  building.  On  the  ist 
of  May  there  were  lo  officers  and  i8i  men  present  for  duty,  and  during  this 
campaign  the  loss  out  of  this  small  number  was  five  officers  wounded  and 
45  men  killed,  wounded  and  missing, 

June  I,  1864,  the  day  before  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  the  Second  In- 
fantry practically  ended  its  career  in  the  Civil  War.  The  commissioned 
and  enlisted  strength  had  reached  such  a  low  figure— less  than  100  men— 
that  in  accordance  with  the  request  of  the  regimental  commander  the  rc- 
mainmg  enlisted  men  were  transferred  to  C  Company,  and  that  company 
was  given  a  full  complement  of  officers,  non-commissioned  officers  and 
men.  After  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor, — where  this  company  lost  8  men 
killed  and  wounded,  and  two  officers  and  19  men  captured, — it  went  on 
duty  as  provost  guard  of  the  2d  Division,  5th  Corps. 

Regimental  headquarters  were  established  at  Newport  Barracks,  Ky., 
late  in  June,  and  immediate  steps  were  taken  to  recruit  the  regiment.  In 
December,  1864,  its  total  enlisted  strength  was  405.  At  this  time  Head- 
quarters and  Companies  A,  B,  ,  E,  G,  I  and  K,  were  at  Newport  Barracks 
Ky. ;  C  at  Elmira,  N.  Y. ;  F  at  Sandusky,  Ohio  ;  and  H  at  Trenton,  N.  J. 

In  the  fall  of  1865  the  entire  regiment  (except  H  Company,  at  JefTerson- 
ville,  Ind.)  was  concentrated  at  Crittenden  Barracks.  In  spite  of  the  ex- 
traordinary efforts  to  bring  the  regiment  up  to  a  proper  numerical  strength 
it  still  lacked  314  men  in  January,  1866,  but  in  July  several  detachments 
came  out  from  Fort  Columbus,  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  month  only  13 
men  were  required. 

The  regiment  remained  in  Kentucky,  with  the  exception  that  a  few  com- 
panies were  temporarily  stationed  in  West  Virginia,  until  April,  1869,  when 
it  moved  south  to  Georgia. 

In  accordance  with  the  Act  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  1869,  the 
consolidation  of  the  Second  Infantry  with  the  Sixteenth  took  place  at  At- 
lanta, Ga.,  in  April  and  May  of  that  year.  By  this  consolidation  Colonel 
Burbank  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  S.  W.  Crawford.  Two  days  after  the 
consolidation  the  regiment  left  Atlanta  and  took  station  as  follows :  Head- 
quarters and  Companies  B,  D  and  I  at  Huntsville,  Ala. ;  A,  F  and  K  at 
Mobile,  Ala. ;  ^  and  E  at  Montgomery,  Ala. ;  and  G  and  H  at  Atlanta. 

Headquarters  were  moved  from  Huntsville  to  Mobile  in  January,  1872. 
In  February,  1872,  Colonel  Crawford  retired,  promoting  Colonel  Wallen. 
During  the  same  year  regimental  headquarters  left  Mobile  on  account  of 
the  prevalence  of  ye'low  fever  and  took  station  at  Mount  Vernon  Barracks 
until  December  when  they  were  transferred  to  McPherson  Barracks. 
While  at  this  station  Colonel  Wallen  was  retired  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Charles  Woods,  5th  Infantry,  was  promoted  to  the  Second,  only  to  be  re- 
tired eight  months  later.  He  was  succeeded  in  December,  1874,  by  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Frank  Wheaton,  21st  Infantry,  who  joined  the  regiment  at 
Atlanta  and  remained  constantly  in  command  until  April  25,  1S92,  when  he 


430  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  AEMY. 

was  appointed  a  brigadier  general  and  took  command  of  the  Department  of 
Texas. 

In  October,  1876,  several  companies  were  ordered  to  various  points  in 
the  South  during  the  excitement  attending  the  presidential  election  of  that 
year.  This  delicate  duty  having  been  satisfactorily  performed  the  com- 
panies returned  to  their  proper  stations  and  for  the  first  time  since  the 
Civil  War  the  entire  regiment  was  together  at  Atlanta  in  April,  1877.  In 
February  of  this  year  Lieutenant  Mclntyre  was  brutally  murdered  in 
Gelnier  County,  Ga.,  while  on  duty  with  and  guarding  two  U.  S.  deputy 
marshals  and  revenue  officers  engaged  in  arresting  illicit  distillers.  The 
party,  consisting  of  Lieutenant  Mclntyre,  one  corporal  and  two  deputies, 
were  in  the  house  of  one  Jones,  seated  and  talking  quietly,  when  an  armed 
mob  of  25  or  30  supposed  illicit  distillers  surrounded  the  house,  burst  open 
the  front  door,  and  with  insults  and  imprecations  commenced  a  rapid  dis- 
charge of  fire-arms  at  the  four  men  and  several  women  and  children  in  the 
room.  After  a  desperate  fight  of  five  or  more  minutes,  Lieutenant  Mcln- 
tyre fell  dead  at  the  front  door,  shot  through  the  heart.  He  was  much 
beloved  in  the  regiment  and  had  served  continuously  and  creditably  in  the 
field  during  the  war.  The  regiment  had  now  been  in  the  South  since  leav- 
ing the  field  at  Cold  Harbor  m  June,  1864.  During  this  time  the  companies 
had  been  constantly  moving  from  point  to  point,  sometimes  by  rail  or  boat 
and  again  by  marching.  Their  duty  was  most  arduous  and  disagreeable, — 
acting  as  posses  for  U.  S.  marshals,  enforcing  the  election  laws  and  the  laws 
attendant  on  the  reconstruction,  breaking  up  illicit  distilleries,  etc.,  etc. 
The  following  were  some  of  their  stations: — Guyandotte,  W.  Va.,  Jackson- 
ville, Ala.,  Summerville,  Ga.,  Columbia,  S.  C,  Tuscaloosa,  Spartanburg, 
Chattanooga,  Asheville,  Tallahassee,  St.  Augustine  and  Aiken. 

The  Nez  Perces  Indians  were  on  the  warpath  in  the  spring  and  summer 
of  1877,  and  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Idaho  and  Washington  Territory 
to  take  part  in  the  campaign.  It  left  Atlanta  July  13,  and  proceeded  by 
rail  and  boat  to  Lewiston,  Idaho,  where  it  arrived  altera  journey  of  16  days. 
Soon  after  arriving,  the  regiment  marched  to  Spokane  Falls  to  head  off  the 
Indians  who  were  reported  as  moving  in  that  direction.  The  troops  were 
on  the  move  all  that  summer  and  fall,  but  in  December  had  settled  down 
for  the  winter  at  the  following  stations  : — Headquarters  and  Companies  A, 
B,  D.  F  and  G,  at  Fort  Lapwai,  I.  T. ;  E  at  Fort  Colville,  W.  T. ;  C  and  K 
at  Mount  Idaho ;  and  H  and  I  at  Spokane  Falls,  W.  T. 

In  March  and  April,  1878,  Companies  A,  G,  H  and  I,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
H.  C.  Merriam  commanding,  established  Camp  Coeur  d'Alene,  I.  T.,  at  the 
source  of  the  Spokane  River  on  Coeur  d'Alene  Lake,  and  soon  after  com- 
menced the  construction  of  the  most  beautifully  situated  post  in  the  country 
— Fort  Sherman. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  the  Bannock  Indians  left  their  reservation, 
and  a  portion  of  the  regiment  was  out  until  late  in  the  fall  and  aided 
materially  in  bringing  them  to  terms.  Company  C  did  harder  work  in  this 
campaign  than  any  other  organization  in  the  regiment,  marching  over  163c 
miles.  The  following  June  saw  this  company  in  the  field  again.  This  time 
they  were  after  a  marauding  band  of  Indians  known  as  the  "  Sheep-eaters." 


THE  SECOND  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        43' 

While  passing  through  a  deep  cafion  near  Big  Creek,  I.  T.,  on  July  27,  they 
were  ambushed  and  had  two  men  wounded.  Two  days  later  they  struck 
the  Indians  again  and  had  a  slight  skirmish  but  no  casualties,  and  on 
August  29  they  lost  one  man  killed  in  action  near  the  same  place. 

Regimental  Headquarters  moved  from  Fort  Lapwai  to  Fort  Cceur 
d'Alene  in  August,  and  Companies  D.  E  and  F,  marched  to  Lake  Chelan, 
W.  T.,  and  established  the  camp  since  immortalized  by  the  regimental 
ballad,  "  When  Camp  Chelan  was  new." 

January,  18S0,  found  the  regiment  stationed  as  follows :— Headquarters 
and  Companies  A,  B  and  G,  at  Fort  Coeur  d'Alene,  I.  T. ;  C  and  H  at  Fort 
Colville,  W.  T.;  D,  E  and  I,  at  Camp  Chelan,  W.  T. ;  F  at  Fort  Harney, 
Ore.,  and  K  at  Camp  Howard,  I.  T. 

In  October  the  companies  at  Chelan,  including  Company  F,  which 
arrived  therein  August,  moved  to  the  junction  of  the  Spokane  and  Columbia 
rivers  and  commenced  the  construction  of  the  post  now  known  as  Fort 
Spokane. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  regiment's  sojourn  in  the  Northwest,  little 
of  note  occurred  to  break  the  monotony  of  frontier  garrison  life.  Boise 
Barracks,  I.  T.,  Fort  Klamath,  Ore.,  and  Fort  Townsend,  W.  T.,  were  garri- 
soned by  companies  of  the  regiment  before  they  came  East  in  1886  to  Fort 
Omaha,  Neb.,  where  they  are  stationed  at  the  present  date  (March,  1895). 

The  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  Sioux  Campaign  of  1890-91  at  Pine 
Ridge,  and  was  under  fire  at  the  defense  of  the  agency  at  that  place.  The 
present  colonel,  John  C.  Bates,  was  promoted  to  the  regiment  from  the 
20th  Infantry  in  April,  1892,  when  General  Wheaton  was  promoted  brigadier 
general. 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY* 

By  Lieutenant  J.  H.  McRAE,  30  U.  S.  Infantry. 

THE  Third  United  States  Infantry  first  came  into  being  under  the  Act 
of  March  5,  1792,  an  act  for  making  farther  and  more  effectual  pro- 
visions for  the  protection  of  the  frontiers  of  the  United  States,  and 
which,  among  other  things,  provided  for  the  raising  of  three 
additional  regiments  of  infantry,  also  for  the  completion  of  the  battalion  of 
artillery  and  two  regiments  of  infantry  already  in  the  service.  Under  the 
provisions  of  Section  3  of  the  above  named  act,  the  Third  Infantry  was,  by 
direction  of  President  Washington,  organized  as  the  infantry  of  the  Third 
Sub-legion. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  army,  November  i,  1796,  under  the  Act  of 
May  30,  1796,  the  infantry  of  the  Third  Sub-legion  became  the  Third  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry,  with  Lieutenant-Colonel  Henry  Gaither  as  its  first 
commandant. 

From  its  organization  till  1800  the  regiment  was  stationed  along  the 
northwestern  frontier.  It  accompanied  General  Anthony  Wayne  in  his 
successful  campaign  against  the  Indians  in  1794,  during  which  the  entire 
regiment  was  engaged  in  action  against  hostile  Indians  at  Fort  Recovery, 
Ohio,  June  30,  and  again  at  the  rapids  of  the  Miami  of  Lake  Erie,  August 
20,  Lieutenant  Robert  Craig  being  killed  in  the  former  engagement.  In 
1800  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Mississippi  Territory  with  head- 
quarters at  Fort  Adams. 

Under  the  Act  of  March  16,  1802,  the  regiment  was  discharged  on  the 
first  of  the  following  June,  and  it  remained  out  of  service  until  its  reorgan- 
ization under  the  act  of  April  12,  1808,  with  Edward  Pasteur  as  its  first 
colonel.  Colonel  Pasteur  resigned  January  i,  iSio,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  William  Dent  Beall,  promoted  from  the  5th  Infantry.  On  the  24th 
of  April,  1812,  Joseph  Constant  of  the  Fifth  Infantry  became  colonel  of  the 
Third  by  transfer.  He  resigned  August  15,  1813,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  Gilbert  C.  Russell. 

From  its  reorganization  till  the  War  of  1812,  the  regiment  was  stationed 
at  various  posts  throughout  the  southern  Atlantic  States,  from  which  States 
it  had  been  recruited.  During  the  War  of  181 2  it  was  in  the  seventh  Mili- 
tary District,  the  headquarters  of  which  were  at  New  Orleans.  It  partici- 
pated in  the  campaign  against  the  Creek  Indians,  which  commenced  with 
the  massacre  at  Fort  Mimms,  August  30,  181 3,  followed  by  a  general  uprising 
of  the  Indians  along  the  southwestern  frontier,  and  ended  with  the  bloody 
battle  of  Emucfau,  or  Horse  Shoe  Bend,  March  25,  1814,  where  Jackson 
first  distinguished  himself  as  a  military  commander,  and  where  the  power 
of  the  great  Creek  nation  was  broken  forever. 

*  An  abridgment  of  Lieut.  J.  H.  McRae's  •'  History  of  the  3d  Infantrj'-" 
432 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        433 

A  part  of  the  regiment  was  with  Jackson  at  the  capture  of  Pcnsacola, 
Florida,  November  7,  1814,  and  a  part  was  with  him  later  when  the  brilliant 
victory  of  New  Orleans  was  won. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  army  under  the  Act  of  March  3,  181  5,  the 
Third  was  consolidated  with  the  2d.  7th,  and  44th,  to  form  the  First  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry;  and  a  new  Third  was  formed  by  the  consolidation  of 
the  ist,  17th,  24th,  28th,  and  30th  regiments.  The  Third  Infantry,  there- 
fore, includes  the  oldest  organization  in  the  United  States  Army.— the 
original  First  Infantry,  which  was  organized  under  a  resolve  of  Congress  of 
June  3,  1784.  Colonel  John  Miller  of  the  17th  was  retained  as  colonel  of 
the  Third,  Colonel  Russell  being  honorably  discharged.  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel Matthew  Arbuckle,  3d  Infantry,  remained  as  lieutenant-colonel  under 
the  new  organization,  and  Major  Charles  K.  Gardner,  the  author  of  the 
designation  of  companies  by  the  first  letters  of  the  alphabet,  became  major 
of  the  regiment.  Major  Gardner  was  succeeded  the  following  year  by 
Major  Zachary  Taylor,  who  was  reinstated  as  major  of  the  Third  Infantry, 
having  been  honorably  discharged  at  the  time  of  the  reorganization.  He 
was  promoted  to  the  4th  Infantry  April  20,  1S19. 

For  the  next  eleven  years  the  regiment  was  stationed  along  the  Great 
Lakes  and  vicinity,  garrisoning  at  different  times  the  posts  of  Detroit, 
Mackinac,  Forts  Howard,  Dearborn,  Knox,  Harrison,  Wayne,  Crawford, 
etc.  The  headquarters  were  at  Detroit  from  181  5  till  1821,  when  they  were 
transferred  to  Fort  Howard,  remaining  at  the  latter  place  until  the  summer 
of  1S26. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Colonel  Miller,  February  10,  181 8,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Joseph  Lee  Smith,  3d  Infantry,  became  colonel  of  the  regiment,  and 
remained  in  command  until  the  reorganization  of  the  army  in  June,  1821, 
when  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  Colonel  Ninian  Pinkney  became 
colonel  of  the  Third  in  his  place. 

In  1S26  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  Missouri,  and  in  September  was 
at  "  Camp  Miller,"  where  it  assisted  in  the  construction  of  a  new  post  which 
subsequently  was  named  Jeflferson  Barracks.  In  the  spring  of  1827  Colonel 
Leavenworth  (who  had  succeeded  Colonel  Pinkney  upon  the  death  of  the 
latter  in  December,  1825),  with  Companies  B,  D,  E  and  H,  selected  the 
present  site  of  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  in  April  of  the  following  year  the  en- 
tire regiment,  except  Companies  C  and  G  at  Fort  Armstrong,  was  concen- 
trated at  Cantonment  Leavenworth,  but  in  the  spring  of  1829  returned  to 
Jefferson  Barracks. 

Companies  E  and  K,  under  Captain  Lewis,  left  Jefferson  Barracks  No- 
vember 26,  and  arrived  at  camp  on  Black  Creek,  Choctaw  Nation,  Decem- 
ber 31.  Companies  A,  C,  G  and  I,  forming  the  first  battalion,  under  Major 
S.  W.  Kearny,  left  Jefferson  Barracks,  December  14,  1830,  for  service  in  the 
Choctaw  Nation,  and  arrived  at  Natchitoches,  on  the  Red  River,  where  it 
went  into  camp,  on  the  31st.  In  November,  1831,  this  battalion  took  station 
at  Cantonment  Towson,  Choctaw  Nation,  near  the  southeast  corner  of 
what  is  now  the  Indian  Territory.  In  September  of  that  year  the  field  and 
staff,  with  Companies  B,  D,  F  and  H,  were  transferred  from  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks to  Cantonment  Jesup,  La.,  where  the   headquarters  of  the  regiment 


434  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY, 

were  established  and  remained,  except  for  a  few  short  intervals,  until  or- 
dered to  Florida  in  the  fall  of  1840. 

General  Orders  of  February  12,  1834,  placed  Colonel  Leavenworth  in 
command  of  the  Left  Wing,  Western  Department,  and  while  on  an  expedi- 
tion in  what  is  now  the  Indian  Territory,  he  died  at  '■  Cross  Timbers,"  120 
miles  west  of  Fort  Towson,  on  the  21st  of  July  following. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  James  Many,  who  joined  at  Fort  Jesup 
and  assumed  command  of  the  regiment  January  3,  1835.  Colonel  Many  re- 
mained colonel  of  the  regiment,  though  unqualified  by  age  and  physical  dis- 
ability for  active  service,  until  his  death,  February  3,  1852,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  Thomas  Staniford,  promoted  from  the  Eighth.  Colonel 
Staniford  never  joined,  and  upon  his  death  just  three  years  later,  he  was 
succeeded  by  Colonel  Benjamin  L.  E.  Bonneville,  whose  adventures  are 
made  famous  by  Irving,  promoted  from  the  Fourth  Infantry.  Colonel  Bon- 
neville joined  the  following  December  and  assumed  command  of  the  regi- 
ment, which  he  retained  until  his  retirement,  September  9,  1861. 

In  the  spring  of  1837  Companies  B  and  E,  under  Brevet  Major  Belknap, 
were  detached  from  the  garrison  of  Fort  Jesup  to  the  Sabine  River  for  the 
purpose  of  opening  it  up  to  steamboat  navigation  from  Cook's  Ferry  to  its 
mouth,  a  distance  of  about  300  miles.  The  two  companies  first  formed  a 
camp  for  the  purpose  of  building  boats  by  which  means  to  descend  and  im- 
prove the  course  of  the  river,  opposite  Sabine  Town,  Texas.  Starting  on 
the  downward  course  September  23,  when  the  river  was  about  at  its  lowest, 
the  work  of  removing  snags  and  overhanging  trees  was  commenced  and  pro- 
gressed from  day  to  day  until  the  "  Raft,"  or  great  jam  of  logs,  was  encoun- 
tered nearly  half  way  from  Cook's  Ferry  to  the  head  of  Sabine  Bay.  This 
was  an  almost  solid  mass  of  surface  and  sunken  timber  completely  blocking 
the  river  from  bank  to  bank.  The  work  of  cutting  out  a  practicable  chan- 
nel through  the  obstructing  mass  was  finally  effected  through  the  incessant 
labor  of  two  weeks,  and  upon  arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  the  com- 
mand crossed  Sabine  Bay  to  a  point  on  the  Louisiana  side,  where  it  arrived 
and  went  into  camp  November  27.  The  companies  remained  there  until 
the  following  summer  when  they  returned  to  Fort  Jesup, 

Having  been  ordered  to  join  the  army  in  Florida  the  entire  regiment 
was,  during  the  month  of  October,  1840,  en  route  to  Fort  Brooke,  Tampa 
Bay,  via  New  Orleans,  and  by  November  20  was  concentrated  at  Fort 
Brooke,  Major  Wilson  commanding,  Colonel  Many  being  on  sick  leave  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Vose  on  detached  service  as  superintendent  of  the  gen- 
eral recruiting  service. 

For  the  next  two  and  a  half  years  the  regiment  bore  its  full  share  of  the 
hardships  and  arduous  duties  incident  to  the  Florida  War.  From  Fort 
Brooke  the  companies  were  dispersed  to  numerous  detached  posts  and 
camps  throughout  middle  and  west  Florida  and  along  the  Georgia  border, 
constantly  engaged  the  year  round,  patrolling  and  scouting  the  surround- 
ing country  and  swamps  in  search  of,  and  to  protect  settlers  against,  small 
bands  of  marauding  Indians.  Major  Wilson  commanded  the  regiment  and 
the  Western  District  until  relieved  by  Colonel  Vose,  November  22,  1841, 
who  continued  in  command  until   March  29  of  the  following  year,  when. 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        435 

having  been  promoted  to  the  4th  Infantry,  he  was  in  turn  relieved  by  Major 
Wilson.  The  latter  having  been  promoted  to  the  First  Infantry,  was  re- 
lieved in  command  July  25,  1S42,  by  Captain  Clark,  the  senior  ofTicer  pres- 
ent. Lieutenant-Colonel  Hitchcock  joined  and  assumed  command  of  Fort 
Stansbury  and  the  Western  District  on  the  12th,  and  of  the  regiment  on 
the  29th  of  October,  which  command  he  retained  during  the  remainder  of 
the  war. 

After  the  pacification  of  August  14,  1842,  the  troops  remaining  in 
Florida  (the  Third  and  Eighth  Regiments  of  Infantry  and  six  companiesof 
the  Fourth)  were  concentrated,  detached  camps  being  drawn  in  and  a  num- 
ber of  posts  abandoned.  The  headquarters  of  the  Third  were  at  Fort 
Stansbury,  12  miles  from  Tallahassee.  The  aggregate  strength  of  the  regi- 
ment at  this  time  was  690  men.  Three  companies  were  stationed  at  Can- 
tonment Morgan,  Horse  Key;  and  one  company  each  at  Forts  Pleasants, 
Robert  Gamble,  Hamilton,  Stansbury,  Ocilla,  and  Brooke. 

Although  General  Worth's  order  of  August  14  announced  that  hostili- 
ties with  the  Indians  had  ceased,  yet  they  were  to  be  carefully  watched  by 
the  military,  and  those  who  violated  their  treaty  agreements  to  be  secured 
if  possible  and  removed  to  their  new  home  in  Arkansas.  Tiger  Tail,  the 
most  noted  chief  remaining  in  Florida,  and  who  had  been  the  principal  in- 
strument in  protracting  the  war  three  years,  disregarding  his  promise  to 
move  south  to  the  allotted  reservation,  was  surprised  and  captured  in  his 
camp  by  Lieutenant  T.  Jordan,  3d  Infantry,  with  a  detachment  of  20  men. 

A  band  of  Creeks  under  the  chief  Pascoffer,  on  the  Ocklockonnee 
River,  was  causing  much  apprehension  along  the  border  of  West  Florida. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Hitchcock,  commanding  Third  Infantry,  stationed  at 
Fort  Stansbury,  was  ordered  to  besiege  the  country  by  land  and  water,  with 
boats,  mounted  men  and  footmen.  These  operations,  characterized  by  great 
skill  and  energy  on  Colonel  Hitchcock's  part,  seconded  by  the  zealous  ex- 
ertions of  the  officers  of  the  regiment,  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  Pascof- 
fer and  his  band  of  51  souls  (29  warriors)  January  9,  1843.  By  this  capture 
middle  and  west  Florida  were  relieved  entirely  of  Indians,  and  the  whole 
territory  of  the  most  inveterate  of  her  foes. 

Peace  being  at  last  restored  to  Florida,  the  regular  force  remaining  in 
the  Territory  was  reduced  to  one  regiment — the  Eighth  Infantry,  and  the 
Third  was  sent  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  where  it  arrived  and  reestablished  the 
regimental  headquarters  on  the  22d  of  April,  1843,  During  the  regiment's 
service  in  Florida  it  had  lost  three  men  killed,  and  three  officers  and  65 
men  who  died  of  disease. 

In  the  summer  of  1843  the  eight  companies  of  the  regiment  stationed  at 
Jefferson  Barracks  (K  and  I  having  been  detached  to  Fort  Leavenworth 
shortly  after  the  return  of  the  regiment  from  Florida)  and  eight  companies 
of  the  Fourth,  were  formed  into  a  school  for  brigade  drill  under  Colonel 
Kearny,  and  so  thoroughly  were  they  drilled  and  disciplined  during  the 
summer  and  fall  of  1843,  and  the  winter  of  1843  44,  that  they  gained  a  repu- 
tation throughout  the  service  which  placed  them  in  the  forefront  of  the 
army. 

In  the  spring  of  1844  the  entire  regiment  was  transferred  to  Camp  Wil- 


■436  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

kins,  near  Fort  Jesup,  and  with  the  Fourth  Infantry  at  Camp  Salubrity  and 
seven  companies  of  the  Second  Dragoons  at  Fort  Jesup,  became  the  "  Army 
of  Observation  "  under  General  Zachary  Taylor.  During  the  summer  of 
1845  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  where  it  arrived 
in  the  early  part  of  August,  and  with  the  4th,  5th,  7th,  and  8th  Regiments 
of  Infantry,  seven  companies  of  the  Second  Dragoons,  four  batteries  of 
light  artillery,  and  one  regiment  of  heavy  artillery  serving  as  infantry. — 
about  3000  in  all, — became  the  "  Army  of  Observation  of  Texas,"  still  under 
the  command  of  General  Taylor. 

The  regiment  remained  in  camp  at  Corpus  Christi  until  March  11,  1846, 
when,  as  part  of  the  Third  Brigade,  it  took  up  the  march  for  the  Rio 
Grande  with  Captain  Lewis  N.  Morris  in  command.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Hitchcock  was  absent  sick,  and  did  not  afterwards  serve  with  the  regiment 
during  the  war,  but  was  on  General  Scott's  staff  as  inspector  general  of  the 
army,  during  the  campaign  from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  Arriv- 
ing at  the  Rio  Grande  on  the  29th  at  a  point  directly  opposite  the  city  of 
Matamoras,  the  regiment  went  into  camp,  where  it  furnished  its  daily  quota 
of  officers  and  men  for  duty  in  the  construction  of  the  field  work  after- 
wards called  Fort  Brown. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  the  work  being  sufficiently  advanced,  the  command- 
ing general  made  a  movement  towards  the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  estab- 
lishing a  base  of  supplies.  The  Third  Infantry,  forming  a  part  of  the  com- 
mand, arrived  at  Point  Isabel  on  the  2d,  and  remained  there  until  the 
afternoon  of  the  7th,  at  which  time  the  army  commenced  its  march  for  its 
former  position  opposite  Matamoras.  The  regiment  was  engaged  in  the 
actions  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma  on  the  8th  and  9th  of  May,  in 
the  latter  warmly,  but  it  fortunately  escaped  with  but  little  loss,  the  ser- 
geant major  and  one  private  being  killed,  and  one  officer  and  six  enlisted 
men  wounded.  The  regiment,  with  one  company  of  the  Second  Dragoons 
and  one  battery  of  artillery,  was  ordered  to  pursue  the  enemy  after  Resaca 
de  la  Palma,  which  it  did  with  vigor,  halting  only  on  the  bank  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  where  it  bivouacked  for  the  night  and  where  it  remained  until  the 
I  ith  when  it  moved  to  the  old  camp  opposite  Matamoras. 

Major  Lear  joined  from  sick  leave  on  the  i6th  and  assumed  command 
of  the  regiment.  Crossing  the  river  on  the  i8th  the  regiment  remained  in 
camp  near  Matamoras  until  the  movement  upon  Monterey  commenced  in 
July.  While  in  camp  at  Matamoras  Companies  A,  B,  E  and  G,  having  the 
smallest  number  of  officers  present,  were  temporarily  broken  up,  the  pri- 
vates being  transferred  toother  companies  and  the  officers,  non-commis- 
sioned officers  and  musicians  sent  on  recruiting  service.  Company  A  was 
afterwards  reorganized  at  Vera  Cruz,  when  D  was  broken  up  and  the  men 
transferred  to  A.  Companies  B,  D  and  E,  were  reorganized  and  joined 
the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  at  Puebla  in  August,  1847.  Company  G 
was  reorganized  at  Governor's  Island  the  following  year  and  joined  at 
Puebla  on  the  regiment's  return  march  from  the  City  of  Mexico. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July  the  Third,  brigaded  with  the  Fourth  with  Colonel 
Garland  as  brigade  commander,  commenced  the  advance  into  the  interior. 
Marching  first  to  Camargo,  thence  to  Monterey,  it  was  warmly  engaged  in 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        437 

the  actions  which  ensued  on  the  21st,  22d,  and  23d  of  September.  On  the 
2iPt  the  regiment  formed  part  of  the  assaulting  column  upon  the  eastern 
defenses  of  the  city,  which  were  gallantly  carried,  with  a  loss,  however,  tothe 
regiment  of  six  of  its  most  gallant  and  valuable  officers  and  16  men  killed  ; 
and  one  officer  (Captain  Bainbridge)  and  29  men  wounded, — a  total  loss  of 
52  out  of  an  effective  strength  of  14  officers  and  248  men.  The  following 
named  officers  were  killed  :  Captains  L.  N.  Morris,  P.  N.  Barbour,  and  G.  P. 
Field,  and  Lieutenants  D.  S.  Irwin  and  Robert  Hazlitt.  The  last  named 
was  killed  while  fearlessly  exposing  himself  in  attempting  to  place  his  mor- 
tally wounded  commanding  officer  under  cover.  Major  Lear  died  October 
31  of  the  wounds  then  received.  Upon  the  death  of  Major  Lear  the  com- 
mand of  the  regiment  devolved  upon  Captain  Bainbridge,  who,  upon  his 
promotion  to  the  7th  Infantry  in  the  following  February,  was  succeeded  by 
Captain  E.  B.  Alexander  who  retained  the  command  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 

After  the  surrender  of  Monterey  on  the  24th  September  the  regiment 
was  encamped  at  Walnut  Springs,  about  four  miles  from  the  city,  where  it 
remained  until  the  13th  of  December,  when  it,  together  with  most  of  the 
regular  troops  under  General  Taylor,  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  Tampico, 
en  route  to  Vera  Cruz.  At  Tampico  the  troops  embarked  for  the  general 
rendezvous  at  Lobos  Island,  thence  to  Vera  Cruz,  where  they  landed  March 
9.  1847,  and  the  regiment  took  part  in  the  siege  of  the  place  which  followed. 

After  the  capture  of  Vera  Cruz,  General  Scott's  army  was  detained  a 
month  awaiting  transportation,  and  then  began  that  brilliant  and  wonderful 
march  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  during  which  there  was  not  even  a  skirmish  in 
which  our  troops  were  not  victorious,  and  always  against  greatly  superior 
numbers  (sometimes  three  to  one)  posted  in  strong  works  and  natural  de- 
fenses. The  Third  Infantry  was  still  in  Smith's  Brigade,  Twiggs' Division, 
which  was  the  first  to  leave  Vera  Cruz,  taking  up  the  line  of  march  April 
8,  1847. 

The  enemy  was  first  discovered  strongly  posted  on  the  heights  of  Cerro 
Gordo,  the  first  high  spur  of  mountain  met  with  on  the  national  road  from 
Vera  Cruz  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  In  the  battle  of  April  18,  the  regiment 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Alexander,  and  with  the  7th  Infantry  and  ist 
Artillery,  under  Colonel  Harney,  2d  Dragoons  (General  Smith  being  sick), 
formed  the  assaulting  column  to  carry  the  heights  of  Telegrafo,  the  key- 
point  of  the  enemy's  position,  which  was  crowned  with  artillery  and 
strengthened  with  palisades  and  breastworks.  This  strong  and  important 
position  was  carried  by  a  brilliant  charge — the  Seventh  on  the  right,  the 
Third  on  the  left,  and  the  First  Artillery  in  rear  as  support.  General 
Scott  makes  special  mention  of  this  charge  in  his  report  of  the  battle.  After 
explaining  the  great  importance  of  carrying  the  position  and  naming  the 
troops  detached  for  the  purpose,  he  says  : 

"  The  style  of  execution,  which  I  had  the  pleasure  to  witness,  was  most 
brilliant  and  decisive.  The  brigade  ascended  the  long  and  difficult  slope  of 
Cerro  Gordo,  without  shelter  and  under  tremendous  fire  of  artillery  and 
musketry,  with  the  utmost  steadiness.,  reaching  the  breastworks  drov^e  the 
enemy  from  them    planted  the  colors  of  the  First  Artillery,   Third  and 


438  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Seventh  Infantry,  the  enemy's  flag  still  flying,  and  after  some  rnmutes  of 
sharp  firing  finished  the  conquest  with  the  bayonet.  It  is  a  most  pleasing 
duty  to  say  that  the  highest  praise  is  due  to  Harney,  Childs,  Plympton, 
Loring,  Alexander,  their  gallant  officers  and  men,  for  this  brilliant  service, 
independent  of  the  great  results  which  followed." 

The  Telegrafo  being  captured  there  was  but  a  feeble  and  brief  resistance 
offered  at  other  points.  Our  army  gained  a  most  complete  and  decisive 
victory.  The  Third  formed  part  of  the  pursuing  column,  which  so  hotly 
pressed  the  retreating  army  that  nearly  the  whole  of  it  was  dispersed  and 
disorganized.  The  losses  of  the  regiment  in  this  battle  were  9  men  killed 
or  mortally  wounded ;  and  two  officers  (Lieutenants  Ward  and  Bee)  and  24. 
men  wounded. 

The  lictonous  army  now  moved  on  to  Jalapa  and  from  there  to  Puebla. 
As  the  time  of  about  4000  of  General  Scott's  volunteers  had  expired,  the 
army  was  delayed  here  until  August  before  sufficient  reinforcements  were 
received  to  warrant  an  advance.  The  onward  movement  from  Puebla  com- 
menced August  7,  with  Twiggs'  Division,  to  which  the  Third  still  belonged, 
again  in  advance,  it  being  a  rule  with  General  Scott  that  one  of  the  two 
regular   divisions  should  always  be  in  front. 

From  Puebla  to  the  City  of  Mexico  is  about  160  miles,  and  the  army, 
having  crossed  the  Rio  Frio  Mountains  without  opposition,  descended  into 
the  basin  in  which  the  city  is  situated  and  arrived  at  Ayotla  August  11,  at 
which  place  and  along  Lake  Chalco,  the  army  was  concentrated  preparatory 
to  an  advance  upon  the  City  of  Mexico. 

The  Third  Infantry,  still  under  Captain  Alexander  and  in  Smith's 
Brigade, — which  was  temporarily  commanded  by  Major  Dimick,  ist  Artil- 
lery, General  Smith  being  in  command  of  all  the  forces  which  made  the 
attack, — was  warmly  engaged  and  took  a  gallant  and  important  part  in  the 
battle  of  August  19th  and  20th,  the  first  of  those  remarkable  battles  around 
and  in  view  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  which  resulted  in  the  capture  on 
the  morning  of  the  20th  of  the  important  position  of  El  Pedregal,  or  Con- 
treras. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day — August  20 — the  most  severe  of  all 
the  battles  fought  in  the  basin  of  Mexico  took  place  at  the  hamlet  of 
Churubusco,  which  contained  a  fortified  convent  and  a  strong  field  work  at 
the  head  of  the  bridge  over  which  the  causeway  to  the  capital  passed.  Im- 
mediately after  the  victory  of  Contreras  General  Scott  moved  his  little 
army,  confident  of  another  victory,  against  these  strong  works  held  by  at 
least  three  times  his  numbers,  the  whole  remaining  force  of  Mexico  being 
assembled  in  or  in  supporting  distance  of  them,  with  the  determination  to 
make  a  last  desperate  stand  to  save  their  beloved  capital.  To  Twiggs' 
Division  was  given  the  capture  of  the  citadel  of  the  works,  the  strongly 
fortified  convent,  and  in  the  assault  which  followed  the  ever  gallant  •'  Buff 
Sticks"*  played  the  most  conspicuous  part.  That  part  is  best  told  in  Gen- 
eral Scott's  own  words.     In  his  report  of  the  battle  he  says  : 

"  Finally,  twenty  minutes  after  the  tete  de  pont  had  been  carried  by 

*  A  designation  by  which  the  regiment  was  universally  known  on  account  of  its  clean,  sol- 
dierly appearance  at  all  times. 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         439 

Worth  and  Pillow,  and  at  the  end  of  a  desperate  conflict  of  two  hours  and  a 
half,  the  church  or  convent — the  citadel  of  the  strong  line  of  defense  along 
the  rivulet  of  Churubusco— yielded  to  Twiggs'  Division  and  threw  out  on 
all  sides  signals  of  surrender.  The  white  flags,  however,  were  not  exhibited 
until  the  moment  when  the  Third  Infantry,  under  Captain  Alexander,  had 
cleared  the  way  by  fire  and  bayonet  and  had  entered  the  work.  Captains 
J.  M.  Smith  and  O.  L.  Shepherd,  both  of  that  regiment,  with  their  com- 
panies had  the  glory  of  leading  the  assault.  The  former  received  the  sur- 
render and  Captain  Alexander  instantly  hung  out  from  the  balcony  the 
colors  of  the  gallant  Third." 

The  following  extract  is  from  the  report  of  the  Mexican  officer  in 
command  : 

"  The  first  to  present  himself  upon  the  parapet  was  the  valiant  Captain 
James  M.  Smith  of  the  Third  Infantry,  who  gave  an  example  of  valor  Vo 
many  following  him  ;  and  no  less  magnanimous  than  daring,  scarcely  hcid 
he  ascertained  that  now,  on  our  part,  no  resistance  was  made,  than  1  e 
showed  a  white  flag." 

The  losses  of  the  regiment  at  Contreras  and  Churubusco  were  six  men 
killed;  one  missing;  and  three  officers  (Captains  Craig  and  Chandler,  and 
Lieutenant  Buell)  and  26  men  wounded. 

After  their  defeats  at  Contreras  and  Churubusco,  and  after  losing  in 
killed  and  prisoners  a  number  equal  to  our  entire  army,  and  treble  as  much 
ordnance  as  our  army  had  in  its  siege  train  and  field  batteries,  thcenemy  fell 
back  to  the  very  gates  of  the  city.  Pending  negotiations  for  peace  between 
the  two  governments  an  armistice  was  agreed  upon,  which  went  into  effect 
August  23,  and  our  army  went  into  cantonment  in  the  neighbonng  villages 
along  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  to  the  south  of  the  city.  The  Mexicans 
were  so  enraged  by  the  ultimatum  given  by  our  government  on  the  2d  of 
September,  that  they  immediately  commenced  to  strengthen  their  defenses, 
in  violation  of  the  terms  of  truce,  whereupon  General  Scott  declared  the 
armistice  at  an  end  and  commenced  preparations  to  enter  the  capital,  result- 
ing in  the  battles  of  Molino  del  Rey,  Chapultepec,  and  Mexico,  on  the  8th, 
13th  and  14th  days  of  September,  respectively. 

General  Smith's  Brigade  having  been  left  at  San  Angel  as  a  reserve  and 
as  a  guard  to  the  general  depot,  the  Third  did  not  participate  in  the  capture 
of  Molino  del  Rey,  but  was  actively  and  gallantly  engaged  in  the  other 
battles.  On  the  12th  Companies  D  and  I  were  detached  to  support  the 
battery  engaged  in  bombarding  the  Mexican  fortifications  at  the  Garita 
Ninio,  Perdido.  On  the  same  evening  a  selected  party  of  three  officers  and 
57  men  was  detached  to  form  a  part  of  the  storming  party  of  regular  troops 
against  the  fortress  of  Chapultepec.  On  the  morning  of  the  1 3th  the  main 
body  of  the  regiment  (Companies  D  and  I  having  not  yet  joined)  moved 
forward  to  support  the  attack  upon  tha  strong  fortress,  Smith's  Brigade 
having  reinforced  Quitman's  Division  and  forming  the  right  of  the  column. 
Chapultepec  was  carried  about  9.30  A.  M.  on  the  13th,  and  the  regiment  then 
pushed  forward  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating  army,  and  participated  in  the 
taking  of  the  different  batteries  along  the  Belen  causeway  leading  into  the 
city,  particularly  at  the  Garita  de  Belen,  or  southwest  gate  of  the  city,  which 


440  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

was  taken  with  considerable  loss,  the  troops  being  under  both  direct  and 
flank  fire  from  the  strong  fortress,  called  the  Citadel,  just  within  the  gate, 
and  from  behind  the  stone  pillarsand  arches  of  the  aqueduct  along  the  road. 
Here  the  regiment.  Companies  D  and  I  having  joined  late  in  the  afternoon, 
remained  during  the  night.  Worth's  Division  had  pursued  the  enemy  along 
the  San  Cosme  causeway  and  had  also  entered  the  city  by  the  San  Cosme 
gate.  These  victories  of  the  13th  of  September  closed  the  active  operations 
of  the  war.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  14th,  the  Third,  which  had  so 
signally  distinguished  itself  during  this  war,  was  among  the  first  (Quitman's 
Division)  who  marched  into  the  grand  plaza  of  the  city  and  hoisted  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  "  Halls  of  the  Montezumas."* 

General  Santa  Anna  had  evacuated  the  city  during  the  night,  but  before 
doing  so  had  liberated  some  2000  convicts,  who,  joined  by  about  as  many 
others — deserters  and  populace — caused  considerable  annoyance  and  casu- 
alty to  the  army  when  it  entered  the  city,  by  firing  upon  it  from  housetops, 
etc.  The  Third  was  engaged  during  the  greater  part  of  the  14th  in  sup- 
pressing this  outbreak,  with  severe  loss  to  the  regiment. 

The  losses  of  the  regiment  on  the  13th  and  14th  of  September  were 
12  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  and  48  wounded.  During  the  whole 
war  the  regiment  lost  52  (including  six  officers)  killed,  and  140  (including 
seven  officers)  wounded.t 

The  war  was  now  over,  but  following  the  excitement  of  the  recent 
battles  and  the  capture  of  the  city,  irregular  diet,  etc.,  many  men  of  the 
regiment  fell  sick  and  died.  The  returns  show  that  from  April  till  Decem- 
ber, 1847,  there  were  120  deaths  in  the  regiment  from  disease. 

The  army  remained  in  and  around  the  City  of  Mexico  until  the  follow- 
ing June,  when  the  treaty  of  peace  having  been  ratified  by  the  United 
States  Senate,  the  evacuation  commenced.  The  Third  Infantry  left  the 
city  on  the  morning  of  the  5th,  and  arrived  at  Vera  Cruz  July  3.  Left  Vera 
Cruz  on  the  9th  on  the  ship  Masconomo,  and  arrived  at  Camp  Jefferson 
Davis,  East  Pascagoula,  Miss.,  July  21,  1848. 

In  October  and  November  Headquarters  and  Companies  A,  B,  C,  E,  I 
and  K,  were  transferred  to  Texas,  taking  station  at  Camp  Salado,  four  miles 
from  San  Antonio;  and  Companies  D,  F,  G  and  H,  to  JefTerson  Barracks, 
where  they  remained  until  the  following  April  when  they  were  sent  to  Fort 
Leavenworth. 

During  the  winter  of  1848-49,  while  the  Texas  battalion  under  Brevet 
Major  Van  Home  was  encamped  on  the  Salado  River,  at  about  i  o'clock  on 
a  quiet  starlit  morning  the  sentinel  over  the  storehouse  suddenly  found  him- 
self walking  in  water.  He  gave  the  alarm  and  in  an  instant  the  hitherto 
peaceful  camp  was  in  a  furore  of  excitement  and  terror,  for  as  men,  women 
and  children  tumbled  out  of  bed,  they  found  themselves  in  water.     When 


♦There  is  a  drum-major's  baton  now  in  possession  of  the  regiment,  presented  to  it  by  its  old 
brigade  commander,  General  Persifor  F.  Smith,  the  wooden  portion  of  which  is  part  of  the 
flagstaff  of  the  capitol  building,  or  national  palace,  of  Mexico,  and  the  metal  portion  is  made  of 
Mexican  silver. 

t  Of  the  officers  serving  with  the  Third  Infantry  during  the  Mexican  War,  six  afterwards  be- 
came major  generals  of  volunteers  during  the  Civil  War,  and  one  a  major  general  and  one  a 
brigadier  general  in  the  C.  S.  A. 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        44' 

the  sun  arose  that  morning  the  insignificant  rill  of  the  night  before  had  be- 
come a  sea  of  raging  waters,  in  some  places  two  or  more  miles  in  width. 
Every  vestige  of  the  camp  was  completely  swept  away  by  the  force  of  the 
torrent,  but  such  had  been  the  promptness,  efficiency  and  discipline  of  all 
concerned  that  only  one  life  was  lost,  that  of  a  non-commissioned  officer  of 
the  regimental  staff,  supposed  to  have  been  drowned  in  his  sleep.  His 
body  was  never  recovered.  The  regiment  lost  everything,— clothing,  bag- 
gage, personal  effects,  private  papers,  etc.,  while  the  Government  lost  arms, 
ammunition,  quartermaster  and  subsistence  stores,  everything  except  the 
horses  and  mules  which  had  saved  themselves  and  helped  to  save  the 
women  and  children.  The  force  of  the  flood  was  so  great,  that,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  armchest  full  of  muskets  found  lodged  in  a  drift  in  the  Cibolo 
River,  some  50  miles  below  the  camp,  nothing  was  ever  recovered. 

During  the  month  of  May,  1849,  there  were  35  deaths  from  cholera  in 
the  companies  at  Camp  Salado  and  11  in  the  battalion  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth. 

On  the  ist  of  June,  1849,  the  six  companies  in  Texas  under  Major  Van 
Home  were  sent  to  El  Paso  del  Norte,  arriving  at  camp  five  miles  below  El 
Paso  September  8,  a  distance  of  about  670  miles.  Companies  D,  F,  G  and 
H,  under  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  Alexander  (who  was  also  commanding 
the  regiment),  left  Fort  Leavenworth  about  the  middle  of  May  for  Santa 
Fe,  where  they  arrived  July  22.  The  entire  regiment  was  now  in  New  Mex- 
ico, headquarters  and  three  companies  being  at  Santa  Fe  ;  two  companies 
at  the  posr  opposite  El  Paso  ;  and  the  others  scattered  along  the  Rio  Grande 
as  far  north  as  Taos,  N.  M. 

The  regiment  remained  in  New  Mexico  until  i860,  and  the  returns  show 
the  different  companies  to  have  been  almost  continuously  on  the  march 
(while  not  engaged  in  building  new  posts)  changing  stations,  escorting 
trains  over  hundreds  of  miles  of  trackless  wilderness  infested  with  hostile 
Indians,  on  exploring  expeditions,  scouts,  and  campaigns  against  Indians. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  engagements  with  Indians,  and  some  of  the 
more   important  expeditions  in  which   portions  of  the  regiment  took  part 

during  this  time  : 

1849. 

August  16  to  September  26  ;  expedition  against  Navajo  Indians ;  Compa- 
nies D,  F,  G  and  H.  October  17  to  November  12;  expedition  against 
Apache  Indians  ;  Company  E. 

1852. 

February  6  ;  engagement  with  Apaches  near  Fort  Webster  ;  Company  K  ; 
three  men  killed.  February  19  to  March  31  ;  expedition  against  Apaches  on 
Gila  River  ;  Company  B.  June  6;  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  L.  S.  Craig 
was  shot  and  killed  by  two  deserters  from  Fort  Yuma,  while  in  command  of 
the  International  Boundary  Line  Survey  escort,  of  which  his  company  (A) 
formed  part. 

1854. 

April  6  to  June  15  ;  expedition  against  the  Jicarilla  Apaches;  Company 
G.  April  14  to  May  1 1  ;  scout  into  the  White  Mountains  against  Mescalero 
Apaches  ;  Company  C.  June  18  to  August  15  ;  expedition  against  Mescalero 


442  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Apaches  near  head  of  Rio  Yula  ;  Companies  A,  E  and  I.  June  30 ,  Lieu- 
tenant J.  E.  Maxwell  killed  in  action  with  J icarilla  Apaches  near  Moro  River, 
40  miles  south  of  Fort  Union,  while  in  command  of  a  detachment  of  the 

Second  Dragoons. 

1856. 

March  ;  expedition  against  Gila  and  Mogollan  Apaches ;  Companies  B 
and  I,  which  marched  between  500  and  600  miles  during  the  month  and  en- 
gaged the  enemy  at  Sierra  Almagre  on  the  21st,  and  near  Rio  Meimbris  on 
the  29th.     March  20  ;  engagement  with  Apaches,  Fort  Thorn  ;  detachments 

of  D,  F  and  I. 

1857. 

January  31  to  February  5  ;  expedition  to  Canon  Medera  against  Apaches; 
Company  I.  April  to  September;  expedition  against  the  Gila  and  Mogollon 
Apaches,  under  Colonel  Bonneville;  Companies  B,  C,  I  and  K  and  detach- 
ment of  E,  with  following  engagements  : 

May  24,  Canon  de  los  Muertos  Carneros,  B  and  detachment  E  ;  June  2, 
Mogollon  Mountains,  C  and  detachment  F  ;  June  27,  Gila  River  with 
Coyotero  Apaches,  C  and  detachments  of  F  and  K ;  one  officer  and  three 
men  wounded  with  arrows. 

1858. 

January  i  to  February  1 1 ;  scout  against  Kiowa  Indians  in  neighborhood 
of  Manzana  ;  Company  F.  March  to  September ;  Mormon  expedition  into 
Utah  ;  Companies  A,  E  and  F.  May  30  ;  engagement  with  Navajo  Indians 
at  Ewell's  hay  camp  near  Fort  Defiance;  detachments  of  B  and  G.  Sep- 
tember, October  and  November;  campaign  against  Navajos;  engagements: 

September  19  to  24,  Canon  de  Chelly,  Company  G;  September  25, 
Laguna  Negra,  Company  B;  October  i,  Bear  Springs,  Company  B;  October 
10,  Ranchos  de  los  Anagones,  Company  G  ;  November  9,  near  Fort  De- 
fiance, Company  F. 

1859. 

January  27  to  February  5  ;  scouts  into  the  Pueblo  Indian  country  near 
Zuni;  Company  B.  July  18  to  August  17;  scout  to  Moqui  villages  and 
region  south  and  west  of  Fort  Defiance  ;  Company  K.  August  and  Sep- 
tember ;  scouts  into  the  Navajo  country  ;  Companies  C,  D,  E  and  K.  No- 
vember I  to  12;  campaign  against  Tuni-Cha  Navajos;  Companies  B,  C  and 
G.  November  14;  engagement  with  Tuni-Cha  Navajo  Indians  near  Fort 
Defiance  ;  detachments  of  B,  C,  E  and  G. 

i860. 
January  17  ;  engagement  with  Navajos  near  Fort  Defiance ;  detachments 
of  B,  C,  E  and  G.  January  18  to  22  ;  engagements  with  Navajos  near  Fort 
Defiance  and  Sixteen  Mile  Pond  ;  detachments  of  B,  C,  E,  F  and  G.  Feb- 
ruary 8  ;  engagement  with  Navajos  near  Fort  Defiance  ;  detachments  of 
B,  C,  E  and  G.  April  5  ;  engagement  with  Navajos  near  Fort  Defiance ; 
detachment  of  B.  April  30;  attack  on  Fort  Defiance  by  Navajos;*  Com- 
panies B,  C  and  E. 


*  For  full  account  see  "  Reminiscences  of  Fort  Defiance,  N.  M.,  i860,"  published  in  No.  13, 
Vol.  4,  Journal  ok  the  Military  Service  Institution. 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        443 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  i860  the  regiment  was  transferred  from 
the  Department  of  New  Mexico  to  that  of  Texas,  where  the  companies  were 
distributed  as  follows: — Headquarters  and  Companies  B,  D,  G,  li  and  K, 
at  Fort  Clark,  Colonel  Bonneville  commanding;  Companies  A,  C  and  E,  at 
Ringgold  Barracks,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Electus  Backus  commanding;  Com- 
panies F  and  I  at  Fort  Mcintosh,  Major  C.  C.  Sibley  commanding.  These 
were  the  stations  of  the  different  companies  at  the  close  of  the  year  i860. 

As  the  mighty  war  clouds  which  hovered  over  the  country  were  then 
fast  lowering,  the  regular  troops  stationed  in  Texas  were  ordered  to  evacu- 
ate that  State  by  way  of  the  coast.  Headquarters  and  Companies  B,  D,  G, 
H  and  K,  under  Brevet  Major  O.  L.  Shepherd  (Colonel  Bonneville  on 
leave),  left  Fort  Clark  March  19,  1861,  and  arrived  at  Indianola  on  the  7th 
of  April.  The  line  of  march  took  them  through  the  city  of  San  Antonio, 
just  before  reaching  which  instructions  were  received  from  Colonel  Waite 
(who  had  relieved  General  Twiggs  of  the  command  of  the  Department), 
that,  as  there  was  some  excitement  among  the  citizens  of  the  place,  it  would 
be  well  if  the  command  marched  around  the  city. 

"  However,  the  old  regiment  was  not  in  the  habit  of  sneaking  around  by 
the  by-ways  when  the  main  road  was  open,  and  Major  Shepherd  called  a 
council  of  the  officers ;  the  matter  was  laid  before  them,  and  without  a  dis- 
senting voice  it  was  determined  that  the  trunks  and  boxes  should  be  opened 
and  full  dress  uniform  gotten  out  and  put  on,  band  instruments  unpacked, 
and  the  regimental  flags  removed  from  their  cases ;  and  that  we  should 
march  through  San  Antonio  with  everything  that  we  possessed  flying, 
blowing  and  beating;  so  that  for  awhile  everything  was  in  confusion,  and 
the  leeward  side  of  every  wagon  in  the  train  became  an  extemporized 
dressing-room," 

Thus  they  entered  and  passed  through  the  town  with  "  colors  flying,  band 
playing,  and  every  man  and  officer  as  fine  as  brass  and  bullion  could  make 
him."* 

At  Indianola  the  command  embarked  for  New  York  Harbor,  where  it 
arrived  April  25. 

Companies  C  and  E  had  embarked  for  Fort  Hamilton,  N.Y.  Harbor,  the 
month  before.  From  there  they  were  sent  to  Fort  Pickens,  Florida,  where 
they  arrived  April  16,  and  participated  in  the  following  engagements  before 
joining  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  the  ensuing  year  :  Santa  Rosa 
Island,  October  9;  bombardment  of  Fort  Pickens,  November  22  and  23; 
Fort  Barrancas,  January  i  ;  and  Fort  Pickens,  May  9  to  12.  The  companies 
lost  two  men  killed  and  seven  wounded. 

Companies  A,  F  and  I,  less  fortunate,  were  compelled  to  surrender  to  an 
overwhelming  force  of  Confederates  under  Colonel  Van  Dorn,  at  Mata- 
gorda Bay,  near  Indianola,  April  26,  the  men  and  officers  being  paroled 
until  such  time  as  they  could  be  exchanged.  They  rejoined  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  regiment  the  following  year,  every  enlisted  man  being  reported 
"  present  or  accounted  for,"  although  many  had  received  tempting  offers  of 
commissions  in  the  Confederate  service. 

The  headquarters  and  battalion  of  five  companies  left  Fort  Hamilton 

*  Major  Bell  on  the  evacuation  of  Texas  by  the  Third  Infantry. 


444  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY, 

for  Washington  May  9,  and  in  the  early  part  of  June  the  battalion  was  o-r- 
dered  to  reinforce  General  Patterson's  command.  It  went  by  rail  to  Car- 
lisle, Pa.,  and  marched  to  and  forded  the  Potomac  near  Williamsport, 
making  part  of  one  day's  march  toward  the  enemy,  when  it  was  recalled  to 
Washington,  making  a  forced  march  while  returning  which  rivalled — at 
least  in  the  amount  of  fatigue  it  imposed — the  famous  retreat  from  Bull 
Run,  the  command  being  on  their  feet  and  marching  for  twenty  hours  out 
of  twenty-four. 

On  the  4th  of  July  the  battalion  was  transferred  from  Washington  to 
Arlington  Heights  where  it  remained  until  the  i6th,  when,  with  two  com- 
panies of  the  Second  and  one  of  the  Eighth  Infantry,  all  formed  into  one 
battalion  under  Major  George  Sykes,  it  took  its  place  in  the  column  start- 
ing out  on  that  short  and  memorable  campaign  ending  in  the  disastrous 
battle  of  Bull  Run.  This  "small  but  incomparable  body  of  infantry,"  the 
only  regular  infantry  in  the  column,  formed  part  of  the  First  Brigade  (Por- 
ter's), Second  Division  (Hunter's). 

It  is  impossible  in  the  limits  of  this  sketch  to  give  more  than  the  briefest 
outline  of  the  part  taken  by  the  regiment  in  this  campaign  or  in  any  of  the 
campaigns  and  battles  which  followed,  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  do  more, 
as  that  part  is  a  portion  of  the  written  history  of  our  country.  Its  gallant 
conduct  in  this,  the  first  great  battle  of  the  war,  its  unflinching  steadfast- 
ness and  perfect  order  in  covering  the  flight  of  the  panic  stricken  army,  was 
but  a  presage  of  that  which  was  to  distinguish  it  throughout  the  war.  The 
regiment  lost  in  this  battle  five  men  killed,  26  missing,  and  four  wounded  ; 
also  two  officers  wounded  and  taken  prisoners. 

After  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  the  battalion  returned  to  Washington  and 
there  formed  part  of  the  Provost  Guard.  A  few  days  after  its  return  it  was 
reviewed  by  President  Lincoln  accompanied  by  General  McDowell.  "In 
their  passage  down  the  line  they  drew  rein  in  front  of  the  colors,  when  the 
general,  turning  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  said,  '  Mr.  President,  there  are  the  men  who 
saved  your  army  at  Bull  Run.'  The  President,  looking  up  and  down  the 
line,  replied,  '  I've  heard  of  them.'  " 

During  the  winter  of  1861-62  the  battalion  of  the  regiment,  brigaded 
with  the  Tenth  Infantry,  remained  encamped  at  Franklin  Square.  Two  of 
the  paroled  companies  (F  and  I)  having  been  exchanged,  joined  during  the 
winter  from  Fort  Hamilton.  Companies  C  and  E  joined  from  Florida  the 
following  June  in  time  to  participate  in  the  seven  day's  fight  on  the  Penin- 
sula. Company  A  did  not  join  until  the  following  fall  when  the  whole 
regiment  was  once  more  united. 

In  March,  1862,  the  Third  left  Washington  for  Fortress  Monroe  to  join 
McClellan's  army  previous  to  its  advance  to  Yorktown.  It  was  commanded 
by  Major  N,  B.  Rossell  (Colonel  Charles  F.  Smith,  who  had  succeeded 
Colonel  Bonneville  upon  his  retirement  in  September,  1861,  being  on 
detached  service  as  major  general  of  volunteers)  and  formed  part  of  the 
Regular  Brigade,  commanded  by  General  Sykes.  The  regiment  participated 
in  the  siege  of  Yorktown  and  in  the  Seven  Days'  Fight,  taking  a  very  con- 
spicuous and  gallant  part  in  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill,  June  27,  when  its 
commanding  officer  and  six  men  were  killed,  19  men  wounded,  and  19  miss- 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        445 

ing;  and  of  Malvern  Hill,  June  30  and  July  2,  in  which  Lieutenant  McGuire 
and  four  men  were  killed,  11   men  wounded  and  9  missing. 

Upon  the  death  of  Major  Rossell  the  command  of  the  regiment  devolved 
upon  Captain  John  D.  Wilkins,  who  retained  it  until  the  following  spring. 
Colonel  Smith  died  April  25,  iS62,and  Colonel  William  HofTman,  promoted 
from  the  Eighth  Infantry,  became  colonel  of  the  regiment  and  remained 
such  until  the  consolidation  in  1S69.  He  did  not  serve  with  the  regiment, 
however,  during  the  war,  being  on  detached  service  as  commissary  general 
of  prisoners. 

From  the  Peninsula  the  regiment,  with  its  division  (now  become  Sykes' 
Division  of  Regulars)  was  transferred  to  the  Army  of  Virginia  under  General 
Pope — joining  in  time  to  participate  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  in 
which  no  regiment  played  a  more  prominent  role  than  the  3d  Infantry. 

It  arrived  on  the  old  battle-field  about  7  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
30th.  A  short  time  afterwards  its  brigade  was  formed  in  line  of  battle  in 
front  of  the  Dogan  House,  and  the  regiment  ordered  forward,  as  skirmishers, 
to  occupy  the  crest  of  the  hill  in  their  front,  their  left  resting  on  the  Alex- 
andria and  Warrenton  turnpike.  It  remained  in  this  position  about  three 
hours  when  orders  were  received  to  advance  the  line.  This  was  promptly 
and  gallantly  done,  driving  the  enemy  from  some  houses  in  front  of  their 
left — several  men  of  the  regiment  being  killed  and  wounded  here.  But  it 
was  later  in  the  day  that  the  regiment  and  brigade  was  to  conspicuously  dis- 
tinguish themselves — when  the  division  to  which  they  belonged  was  to  make 
a  charge  and  cover  a  retreat  destined  to  become  historical  for  the  stead- 
fastness and  intrepidity  of  the  participants  in  it.  It  "  saved  the  army,"  and 
drew,  on  the  field  of  battle,  from  General  MacDowell,  the  memorable  excla- 
mation, "  God  bless  the  regulars  !  "  The  regiment's  losses  in  this  battle  were 
two  officers  and  fourteen  men  wounded  and  thirty-one  men  missing,  total 
fifty-two. 

At  Antietam  the  division  was  held  in  reserve  at  least  most  of  the  time, 
and  did  not,  therefore,  take  as  prominent  a  part  as  usual  in  the  battle.  It  left 
Middletown  on  the  morning  of  the  1 5th  of  September,  crossed  South  Moun- 
tain, and  reaching  the  east  bank  of  Antietam  River,  took  position  behind 
some  hills  on  the  left  of  the  turnpike  leading  direct  to  Sharpsburg.  The 
Third  Infantry  was  at  once  thrown  out  as  skirmishers  and  occupied  the 
crest  of  the  river  bank  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  bridge.  It  remained  in 
this  position  all  night  and  until  relieved  by  the  4th  Infantry,  about  10  o'clock 
next  morning.  During  the  i6th  and  17th,  it  remained  in  reserve,  although 
exposed  to  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy's  artillery.  On  the  19th  the  regi- 
ment moved  forward,  with  its  division,  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating  enemy, 
passed  through  Sharpsburg,  and  on  the  20th  bivouacked  near  the  Potoma, 
opposite  Blackford's  Fort.  Skirmishers  were  here  thrown  out  in  front  of  each 
brigade  and  a  desultory  fire  maintainec  -jrith  those  of  the  enemy  on  the 
Virginia  side. 

At  the  battle  of  FrederiCKSDurg,  wnicn  came  next,  the  division  of  regu- 
lars first  acted  as  support  to  the  attack  on  Marye's  Hill,  It  left  its  bivouar 
at  Falmouth  on  the  afternoon  of  the  13th,  and  moved  towards  the  upper 
pontoon  bridge,  the  3d  leading  the  advance.     The  moment  the  head  of  the 


446  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

column  showed  itself,  the  enemy  opened  fire  upon  it  with  shot  and  shell, 
and,  while  awaiting  an  opportunity  to  cross,  the  regiment  lost  three 
men  wounded — one  mortally.  After  effecting  a  crossing,  the  regiment,  de- 
positing their  knapsacks  in  the  street,  moved  hurriedly  towards  the  scene 
of  action,  arriving  at  the  southern  edge  of  the  city  at  the  moment  the  attack 
on  the  enemy's  outworks  was  repulsed,  and  encountering  part  of  the  fire  of 
the  enemy,  by  which  several  men  were  wounded.  The  regiment  was  then 
ordered  to  the  right  and  took  position  in  the  cemetery.  About  midnight  it 
advanced  out  on  the  plank  road,  relieved  a  portion  of  Humphries'  Division, 
and  with  the  4th  Infantry  took  position  behind  a  tannery.  Skirmishers  were 
thrown  out  some  three  hundred  yards  to  the  right.  At  daybreak  the  enemy's 
pickets  and  sharpshooters  opened  a  brisk  fire  upon  them,  from  their  in- 
trenchments,  but  a  stone's  throw  away,  when  they  were  withdrawn,  but  not 
until  some  were  killed  and  several  wounded.  They  still  remained  under 
constant  front  and  enfilading  fire  from  the  enemy,  within  one  hundred 
yards,  securely  sheltered  behind  stone  walls  and  rifle  pits,  and,  as  General 
Sykes  said  in  his  report  of  the  battle,  "could  offer  no  resistance  only  the 
moral  effect  of  that  hardihood  and  bravery  which  would  not  yield  one  foot 
of  the  line  they  were  required  to  protect.  No  better  test  of  the  qualities  of 
troops  could  be  shown  than  that  displayed  by  these  brigades.  Patience, 
endurance,  discipline  and  courage  were  conspicuous." 

About  1 1  A.  M.,  the  3d  and  4th  effected  an  entrance  into  the  tannery  with 
their  bayonets,  through  the  brick  walls.  They  soon  after  loopholed  the 
walls  and  from  these  and  the  windows  they  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy 
from  the  houses  and  rifle-pits  on  the  right,  relieving  the  brigade,  in  great 
measure,  from  the  fire  of  the  sharpshooters  during  the  remainder  of  the  day. 
At  12  o'clock  that  night  the  regiment  was  relieved,  having  held  the  position 
24  hours,  and  proceeded  to  the  city  and  bivouacked  near  St.  George's  Church. 
During  the  evening  of  the  15th  it  changed  position  three  times.  Toward 
morning  it  was  placed  in  front  and  nearest  the  enemy,  where  it  remained 
until  the  whole  army  had  crossed  safely  to  the  northern  banks  of  the  Rap- 
pahannock, when  it  received  orders  to  fallback,  being  the  last  to  recrossthe 
river.     The  losses  in  this  battle  were  three  men  killed  and  12  wounded. 

Shortly  after  this,  while  in  camp  at  Henry  House,  the  regiment  was  re- 
organized. Its  strength  present  having  been  reduced  to  12  officers  and  408 
enlisted  men,  Companies  A,  D,  E  and  H  were  broken  up,  the  men  trans- 
ferred and  the  officers  attached  to  other  companies.  It  remained  a  six  com- 
pany organization  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  regiment  took  part  in  Burnside's  famous  "  Mud  March,"  and,  later, 
in  the  battles  of  Dowall's  Tavern  and  Chancellorsville.  In  the  latter  it 
moved  with  the  attacking  column  and  participated  in  the  engagements  of 
May  1st.  On  the  2d,  3d,  4th  and  5th,  it  held  its  position  in  the  line  of  bat- 
tle. It  also  assisted  here  in  driving  back  to  the  field  of  battle  some  of  the 
fugitives  of  the  Eleventh  Corps.  The  losses  in  this  battle  were  four  men 
wounded  and  four  missing. 

Gettysburg  came  next.  As  part  of  the  First  Brigade  of  Regulars  it  ar- 
rived on  the  battle-field  early  in  the  morning  of  July  2,  having  on  the  three 
consecutive  days  previous  marched  over  62  miles.     It   first  acted  as  reserve 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        447 

for  the  right  and  centre,  but  during  the  afternoon  was  hastily  sent  to  the  left, 
where  it  participated  in  the  fierce  fightingaround  the  Round  Tops  and  near 
Devil's  Den,  where  the  slaughter  of  the  regular  infantry  was  so  fearful.  But 
they  "once  more  justified  their  old  reputation;  not  a  single  man  left  the 
ranks,  and  they  allowed  themselves  to  be  decimated  without  flinching. 
Eleven  hundred  combatants  only  out  of  an  effective  force  of  2000  are  left 
standing."  Captain  Freedly,  who  commanded  the  regiment,  was  so  seriously 
wounded  in  the  knee  that  he  never  rejoined  the  regiment  and  was  ul- 
timately retired.  Lieutenants  Butler,  Parker  and  Morton  were  wounded,  8 
men  were  killed,  61  wounded,  six  mortally,  and  two  were  missing,  making  a 
total  loss  of  75  out  of  an  effective  strength  of  less  than  300. 

The  remnants  of  the  regiment,  now  under  Captain  Lay,  remained  in  line 
of  battle  all  day  during  the  3d.  On  the  4th  it  was  sent  out  on  reconnois- 
sance  and  had  a  brisk  skirmish  with  the  enemy,  after  which  it  returned  to 
its  station  below  Little  Round  Top,  but  was  immediately  sent  out  again  on 
the  front  line  of  pickets.  It  remained  on  picket  that  night  and  until  the 
pursuit  of  the  enemy  commenced  the  next  day. 

During  the  summer  of  1S63  the  regiment  was  sent  to  New  York,  where 
it  arrived  August  21,  to  assist  in  suppressing  the  Draft  Riots.  Leaving 
New  York  September  14  it  again  took  the  field  and  participated  in  the  op- 
erations which  led  up  to,  and  was  engaged  in,  the  battle  of  Rappahan- 
nock Station,  November  7,  one  man  being  wounded. 

It  took  part  in  the  Mine  Run  campaign,  November  26  to  December  2, 
after  which  it  was  again  sent  to  New  York  Harbor  where  it  remained, 
stationed  at  Forts  Richmond,  Hamilton  and  Columbus,  until  October,  1864, 
when  it  was  transferred  to  Washington  and  stationed  at  Camp  Relief  in  the 
northern  outskirts  of  the  city. 

In  February,  1865,  the  regiment,  with  a  total  strength  present  of  only  11 
officers  and  212  men,  was  again  sent  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  It  joined 
at  Petersburg,  and  was  stationed  from  that  time  until  the  end  of  the  war  at 
General  Meade's  headquarters,  participating  in  all  the  subsequent  engage- 
ments of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until  the  final  surrender  of  Lee's  army 
at  Appomattox.  Thus  ended  the  war,  the  Third  having  borne  a  meritorious 
part  in  21  battles  and  sieges,  losing  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing  a  total 
of  267  men, — a  number  equal  to  its  average  strength  present  during  the  war. 

In  the  celebrated  race  between  Sherman  and  Meade  after  the  surrender  of 
the  Confederate  armies,  when  both  strove  to  reach  the  city  of  Washington  the 
first,  the  Third  marched  (by  odometer)  2>2}4  miles  in  three  days,  and  this  a 
greater  part  of  the  time  in  rain  and  mud.  In  the  grand  review  of  the  armies 
beforePresident  Lincoln,  the  Third,  as  part  of  the  Provost  Guard,  was  the  lead- 
ing infantry  regiment  of  the  column.  On  the  4th  of  July  the  regiment,  with  the 
loth  Infantry,  was  ordered  in  haste  to  General  Wright's  headquarters,  a  few 
miles  away,  to  quell  the  threatened  mutiny  in  the  Provisional  Corps,  or 
proposed  "Corps  of  Observation."  It  remained  on  duty  there  until  the 
27th,  when  it  was  transferred  to  the  barracks  at  Washington  Arsenal. 

In  the  fall  the  regiment  was  transferred  by  rail  to  St.  Louis,  where  it  ar- 
rived October  29.  Here  Companies  A,  D,  E  and  H,  were  reorganized  De- 
cember 19,  595  recruits  having  been  received. 


448  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

In  the  spring  of  1866  the  regiment,  now  commanded  by  Colonel  (bvt. 
M.  G.)  Hoffman  who  had  joined  during  the  winter,  left  St.  Louis  for  Kansas 
and  the  Indian  Territory,  where  it  remained  for  the  next  eight  years.  The 
following  is  a  chronological  list  of  engagements  of  portions  of  the  regiment 
with  hostile  Indians  during  this  time 

1867. 
May  23  ;  Big  Timbers,  Kan. ;  detachment  of  E.     June  11  ;  near  Big  Tim- 
bers, Kan. ;  detachment  of  E.     June  15  ;  Big  Timbers,  Kan. ;  detacf-  ment  of 
E.    July  3;  near  Goose  Creek,  Colo.;  detachment  of  E.     September  22; 
Pawnee  Fork  Bluflf,  Kan. ;  detachment  of  A. 

1868. 
September  2  ;  Little  Coon  Creek,  Kan. ;  detachments  of  A,  F  and  H, 
September  11  to  15  ;  Sand  Hills,  I.  T.  ;  Company  F.  September  30;  Big 
Bend,  Kan. ;  Company  D.  October  i  ;  attack  on  Fort  Zara,  Kan. ;  Com- 
pany D,  October  i  ;  between  Forts  Larned  and  Dodge,  Kan. ;  Company  E. 
October  3  ;  Crow  Creek,  Kan. ;  detachment  of  D.  October  26  ;  near  Fort 
Dodge,  Kan. ;  Company  E.  November  19  ;  near  Fort  Dodge,  Kan. ;  Com- 
panies A  and  H. 

1870. 

May  31  ;  Bear  Creek,  Kan. ;  detachments  of  B  and  F.  June  11  ;  Camp 
Supply,  I.  T.  ;  Companies  B,  E  and  F. 

1871. 

July  2  ;  Fort  Larned,  Kan. ;  Companies  C  and  E. 
1874. 

June  19;  Buffalo  Creek,  L  T. ;  detachment  of  D.  June  21;  Buffalo 
Creek,  I.  T. ;  detachment  of  A.  June  24;  Lear  Creek  Redoubt,  Kan. ;  de- 
tachment of  A. 

In  the  reduction  of  the  army  in  1869,  one-half  of  the  37th  Infantry  (Com- 
panies A,  C,  E,  F  and  I)  was  consolidated  with  the  Third,  adding  to  the  al- 
ready long  list  of  battles  on  her  colors,  those  of  Shiloh,  Murfreesboro, 
Chickamauga,  Missionary  Ridge,  Resaca.  New  Hope  Church,  Kennesaw 
Mountain,  Atlanta  and  Jonesboro. 

Colonel  (bvt.  M.  G.)  G.  W.  Getty  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  (bvt.  B.  G.) 
John  R.  Brooke,  both  of  the  37th,  were  transferred  to  the  Third  in  place  of 
Colonel  (bvt.  M.  G.)  Hoffman  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  (bvt.  B.  G.)  Alfred 
Sully,  placed  on  the  unassigned  list.  General  Getty  was  transferred  to  the 
3d  Artillery,  December  31,  1870,  never  having  joined  the  regiment,  and 
Colonel  Floyd-Jones  was  transierred  to  the  Third  from  the  unassigned  list. 
He  joined  at  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas,  the  following  June  andretained  command 
of  the  regiment  until  his  retirement  in  1879. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  summer  of  1874  the  regiment  was  transferred 
from  Kansas  to  Holly  Springs.  Miss.,  where  it  was  concentrated  by  the 
middle  of  Juiy.  It  remained  there  in  camp  until  the  following  September, 
when  the  headquarters  and  four  companies  took  station  at  Jackson  Bar- 
racks, La.     Other  companies  were  quartered  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans, 


THE   THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        449 

and  the  remainder  distributed  to  various  points  throughout  the  State.  The 
regiment  remained  in  the  Department  of  the  Gulf  on  duty  in  connection 
with  the  enforcement  of  the  Civil  Rights  bill  until  July,  1877.  when  it  was 
ordered  to  Pennsylvania  in  connection  with  the  riots  of  that  year.  Por- 
tions of  it  were  on  duty  at  Indianapolis,  Ind. ;  Newport  Barracks,  Ky.;  and 
at  Pittsburg,  Scranton,  and  Wilkesbarre,  Pa. 

By  September  3,  1877,  the  entire  regiment  was  concentrated  at  Wilkes- 
barre preparatory  to  a  change  of  station  to  Montana.  The  headquarters 
and  six  companies  were  to  go  to  Helena,  and  four  companies  with  the  lieu- 
tenant-colonel to  Fort  Missoula.  The  regiment  left  Wilkesbarre  Septem- 
ber 21  and  arrived  at  Corrinne,  Utah,  on  the  28th.  From  Corrinne  the 
commands  marched  to  their  new  stations,  arriving  on  the  7th  and  14th  of 
November,  respectively,  and  immediately  went  to  work  building  quarters. 

In  the  spring  of  1878  the  headquarters  and  six  companies  left  Helena 
for  the  Milk  River  country.  General  Brooke,— who  was  in  command  of  the 
regiment  and  also  the  District  of  Montana  (Colonel  Floyd-Jones  on  leave), 

having  been  ordered  to  select  a  site  for  a  new  post  in  that  region.     The 

present  site  of  Fort  Assinniboine  having  been  selected,  the  command 
camped  at  the  Marias  River  July  23,  and  remained  there  until  fall,  when 
the  headquarters  went  to  Fort  Shaw  and  took  station,  and  the  companies 
were  distributed  to  various  points  in  Montana.  Company  A  took  station 
at  Fort  Benton  and  Companies  C  and  E  at  Fort  Shaw.  Companies  F  and 
G  proceeded  to  Fort  Belknap,  thence  65  miles  east  following  the  course  of 
the  Milk  River,  where  they  captured  7  lodges  of  British  half-breeds  who 
had  been  causing  trouble,  and  escorted  them  into  Fort  Belknap  after  hav- 
ing burnt  their  houses.  The  companies  then  took  station  at  Fort  Shaw. 
Company  K  was  stationed  at  Fort  Logan. 

During  the  summer  of  this  year  various  scouting  parties  were  sent  out 
from  the  Missoula  garrison  to  watch  the  different  trails  and  mountain 
passes  for  bands  of  hostile  Indians,  but  with  one  exception  they  did  not 
come  into  contact  with  any.  Lieutenant  Wallace  with  a  mounted  detach- 
ment of  13  men  of  Companies  B,  H  and  I,  one  guide,  and  two  other  citi- 
zens, overtook  a  band  of  Nez  Perces,  July  14,  on  the  Middle  Fork  of  Clear- 
water River,  attacking  them  and,  in  a  battle  of  two  hours,  killing  6  and 
wounding  3  Indians,  and  capturing  31  and  killing  23  of  the  animals  in  their 
possession.     No  casualties  to  detachment. 

In  obedience  to  instructions  from  the  district  commander  to  "  scout  the 
country  thoroughly  for  lurking  bands  of  hostile  Indians  and  road  agents," 
a  number  of  parties  were  sent  out  from  the  different  posts  garrisoned  by 
the  regiment  during  the  spring  of  1879,  but,  except  in  two  cases,  without 
noteworthy  result. 

Sergeant  A.  Cecil  of  Company  A,  with  seven  men,— part  of  a  mounted 
detachment  on  a  scout  from  Fort  Logan  in  the  direction  of  the  Mussel 
Shell,— had  a  skirmish  with  a  band  of  8  hostile  Sioux  Indians,  April  17, 
near  Careless  Creek,  killing  the  entire  party. 

Lieutenant  Kraus  with  a  detachment  of  18  men  of  Company  A,  while 
returning  from  Fort  Benton  from  patrolling  the  Missouri  River,  having 
with  him  9  horses  which  had  been  recaptured  from  the   River  Crows,  was 


450  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

attacked  while  in  camp  on  Eagle  Creek,  Mont.,  May  4,  about  11  o'clock 
p.  M.  Twelve  horses  and  one  mule  belonging  to  the  Government  and  8  of 
the  recaptured  horses  were  stampeded  and  lost. 

Various  military  telegraph  lines,  connecting  the  different  posts  in  the 
territory,  were  constructed  by  the  regiment  during  the  year. 

The  retirement  of  Colonel  Floyd-Jones,  March  20,  1879,  promoted  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel (Bvt.  B.  G.)  L,  P.  Bradley,  9th  Infantry,  to  the  Third,  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Brooke  of  the  Third  to  the  13th.  General  Bradley  never 
joined,  and  on  June  14th  transferred  with  General  Brooke,  who  remained 
colonel  of  the  regiment  and  commanded  it  until  he  was  promoted  brigadier 
general  April  24, 1888. 

In  the  spring  of  1879,  Company  E  left  Fort  Shaw  and  took  station  at 
Fort  Ellis,  where  it  was  joined  the  following  summer  by  Company  C.  These 
two  companies  remained  at  this  post  until  its  abandonment  in  the  fall  of 
1886,  when  they  took  station  at  Fort  Custer. 

In  the  summer  of  18S0  Company  K  was  sent  to  the  new  post  of  Fort 
Maginnis,  and  in  i8Sr  Companies  A  and  K  were  sent  to  Fort  Shaw.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  and  fall  of  1882-S3  two  or  more  companies  from  Fort 
Shaw  were  kept  in  the  field  observing  the  Indians  at  the  Blackfeet 
Agency  and  protecting  the  settlements  from  the  incursions  of  hostile 
Indians  from  the  north.  Three  companies  were  also  sent  out  from  Fort 
Missoulainthesummerof  1883,  to  assist  in  arresting  renegade  Indians  on  the 
Flathead  reservation. 

At  the  time  of  the  threatened  outbreak  of  the  Crow  Indians  under 
"  Sword  Bearer,"  in  the  fall  of  1887,  Companies  B  and  F  were  transferred 
from  Fort  Missoula  to  Fort  Custer.  Companies  B  and  E  were  in  line  with 
other  troops  during  the  skirmish  at  Crow  Agency,  November  5,  but  were 
not  actively  engaged  though  exposed  to  fire.  After  the  trouble  subsided, 
Sword  Bearer  having  been  killed.  Companies  B  and  F  returned  to  Fort 
Missoula,  C  and  E  remaining  at  Fort  Custer. 

Upon  the  promotion  of  General  Brooke  to  be  brigadier  general  U.  S.  A., 
April  24,  1888,  Colonel  (Bvt.  B.  G.)  E.  C.  Mason  was  promoted  to  the  regi- 
ment from  lieutenant-colonel  4th  Infantry,  and  has  commanded  it  since 
that  time. 

In  the  spring  of  1888  the  headquarters  and  Companies  A,  D,  E,  H  and  K 
were  transferred  to  Fort  Snelling,  Minn.,  and  Companies  B,  C,  F  and  I  to 
Fort  Meade,  Dak.,  Company  G  going  to  Fort  Sisseton,  Dak.,  where  it  re- 
mained until  that  post  was  abandoned  the  following  June,  when  it  was  sent 
to  Fort  Snelling, 

In  common  with  other  infantry  regiments,  Companies  I  and  K  were 
skeletonized  in  August,  1890,  and  the  enlisted  men  transferred  to  other 
companies.  Company  I  was  in  the  field  at  the  time  on  the  Cheyenne  River 
watching  hostile  Indians.  It  was  reorganized  as  an  Indian  company  the 
following  year  at  Fort  Sully,  S.  D.,  where  it  remained  until  early  in  1893, 
when  it  joined  at  Fort  Snelling,  where  it  was  again  skeletonized  in  October, 
1894,  the  Indians  being  discharged. 

Companies  C  and  F  participated  in  the  Sioux  campaign  of  the  winter  of 
1890-91,  being  in  the  field  the  entire  winter  as  part  of  the  battalion  com- 


THE  THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        45 1 

manded  by  Colonel  E.  V.  Sumner.  Company  C  made  a  forced  march  while 
joining  the  battalion  on  the  Cheyenne,  of  67  miles  in  50  hours  and  twenty 
minutes. 

Early  in  January,  1S91,  Companies  H  and  B  were  sent  to  Fort  Sully, 
S.  D.,  while  Sitting  Bull's  band  of  Indians  were  held  there.  In  the  follow- 
ing May  they  took  station  at  Fort  Snelling.  Companies  C  and  F  were  also 
sent  to  Fort  Snelling  this  spring  and  the  whole  regiment  (except  the 
Indian  company)  was  brought  together  there,  where  it  has  since  remained. 

In  the  spring  of  1892,  Companies  A  and  E  proceeded  to  the  Sissetonand 
Wahpeton  reservation,  where  they  remained  about  three  weeks  on  duty  in 
connection  with  the  opening  of  that  reservation  to  settlement. 

The  regiment  proceeded  to  Chicago,  October  iS,  1893,  and  participated 
in  the  military  ceremonies  connected  with  the  dedication  of  the  World's 
Fair  buildings.  Companies  C  and  F  having  been  specially  selected,  returned 
to  Jackson  Park  on  the  8th  of  June  and  remained  on  duty  there  with  the 
War  Department  exhibit  until  the  close  of  the  fair. 

The  next  tour  of  detached  service  for  a  portion  of  the  regime-;  t  was  to 
Leech  Lake,  Minn.  The  Indian  agent  there  having  accidentally  shot  an 
Indian,  they  became  very  much  excited,  threatening  to  kill  him  and  closely 
besieging  him  in  his  house.  Company  D  under  Lieutenant  McCoy  left  Fort 
Snelling  and  proceeded  in  haste  to  the  point  of  trouble.  After  liberating 
the  agent  and  quieting  the  Indians  the  company  returned  to  its  station 
June  28. 

The  regiment,  er  a  large  part  of  it,  encamped  with  the  National  Guard 
of  Wisconsin  in  the  summer  of  1S90  and  1S91.  In  1S92  it  took  part  in  a 
practice  march  and  field  mancEuvres;  and  in  1893  and  1S94  encamped  with 
the  Minnesota  National  Guard. 

During  the  year  1S94  the  regiment  had  considerable  duty  in  connection 
with  strikes.  In  April  and  May,  Companies  A,  B,  D  and  G,  under  Major 
Patterson,  were  on  duty  on  the  Great  Northern  R.  R.;  and  in  July,  Com- 
panies C,  E  and  H,  were  called  upon  for  service  on  the  line  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  R.  R. 

The  last  detached  service  for  which  the  regiment  has  been  called  upon,""' 
was  one  of  humanity  during  the  recent  forest  fires  in  northern  Minnesota, 
when  Company  G,  under  Captain  Hale,  was  sent  to  the  desolated  district 
with  tents,  etc.,  to  assist  in  furnishing  aid  and  shelter  to  the  alBicted  and 
homeless. 

Thus  ends  the  chronicle  of  a  century's  service. 


*  Written  in  the  fall  of  1S94. 

Note. — The  writer  is  under  obligations  to  General  J.  H.  Eaton,  Color  el  Daingerfield  Parker, 
Colonel  Richard  I.  Dodge,  Central  O.  L.  Shepherd  (who  has  since  liec'),  and  to  Mr.  F.  \V. 
Heitman,  for  much  information  used  in  the  preparation  of  this  sketch. 


THE  FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  Lieut.  JAMES  A.  LEYDEN,  Adjutant  4Th  U.  S.  Infantry. 

THE  Legion  of  the  United  States,  by  which  title  the  regular  army  was 
known  from  1792  to  1796,  was  a  theoretically  well  balanced  military 
organization  of  four  divisions,  each  division  or  sub-legion  contain- 
ing Dragoons,  Rifles,  Artillery  and  Infantry.  Whatever  merit  this 
organization  might  have  had  against  a  civilized  enemy  in  an  open  or  civil- 
ized country,  it  was  found  to  be  poorly  adapted  to  the  various  requirements 
of  Indian  warfare  or  ordinary  frontier  duties  in  a  wooded  country.  That  the 
important  battle  at  Miami  Rapids  was  fought  and  won  under  this  organiza- 
tion was  due,  not  to  any  particular  merit  in  the  organization,  but  to  the 
admirable  discipline  instilled  into  the  command  by  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  General  Anthony  Wayne.  "  Train  and  discipline  them  for  the  service 
they  are  meant  for,"  wrote  Washington.  These  instructions  were  so  faith- 
fully complied  with  that  it  was  common  remark  that  the  "  mad  commander  " 
had  become  a  most  thorough  and  painstaking  disciplinarian. 

The  cessation  of  active  Indian  warfare,  and  the  occupation  of  many  re- 
mote stations,  called  for  a  simpler  administrative  organization,  and,  pursuant 
to  Act  of  Congress  May  30,  1796,  the  Legion  was  disbanded  in  November 
1796,  the  President  arranging  and  completing  out  of  the  infantry  of  the 
sub-legions,  four  regiments  of  infantry.  The  Fourth  Infantry  was  in  conse- 
quence organized  from  the  infantry  of  the  4th  sub-legion,  with  Thomas 
Butler,  of  distinguished  lineage  and  revolutionary  service,  as  lieutenant- 
colonel,  commandant. 

The  evacuation,  in  1796,  of  the  British  military  posts  in  the  Northwest^ 
under  Jay's  treaty,  and  the  occupation  of  the  territory  ceded  by  Spain  to 
ilie  United  States,  by  the  treaty  of  October  27,  1795,  necessitated  the  dis- 
persion of  the  newly  organized  regiments  to  many  widely  separated  stations, 
the  Fourth  Infantry  going,  in  June,  1797,  to  Tennessee  and  Georgia.  In  the 
interval  between  1796  and  1802  there  were  many  changes  in  the  regimental 
organizations,  the  personnel  varying  from  30  commissioned  officers  and  502 
enlisted  men,  in  1796,  to  49  officers  and  1036  enlisted  men  in  1799. 

Spain  having  become  allied  with  France,  and  as  strained  relations  exis- 
ted between  France  and  the  United  States,  it  was  for  a  time  doubtful 
whether  peaceable  occupation  of  the  lately  ceded  territory  of  Louisiana  would 
occur.  Emissaries  and  spies  had  been  sent  out  from  Louisiana  to  ascer- 
tain the  temper  of  the  people  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  upon  the  subject  of 
separation  from  the  Union  and  the  formation  of  an  independent  govern- 
ment under  foreign  protection.    The  reports  of  these  agents  is  interesting 

452 


FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.  453 

reading.  One  of  them,  reporting  upon  the  army,  says;  "There  is  a  strict 
discipline  observed  in  the  army.  The  soldiers  are  almost  all  youths  from  i6 
to  26  years  of  age.  They  go  through  some  military  evolutions  with  suffi- 
cient precision.  With  respect  to  the  officers  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest 
(excepting  very  few)  they  are  deficient  of  those  qualities  that  adorn  a  good 
soldier,  excepting  fierceness,  and  are  overwhelmed  in  ignorance  and  in  the 
most  base  vices."  In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  very  spy  had  been  taken  in 
hand  by  the  military  and  escorted  by  an  officer  outside  of  the  United  States 
territory,  his  judgment  may  have  been  somewhat  warped. 

Occupation  of  the  newly  acquired  territory  was  not  resisted,  and  Con- 
gress concluded  in  1802  to  reduce  the  military  establishment.  The  new  law 
provided  for  but  two  regiments  of  infantry  and  the  Fourth  Infantry  was, 
June  ist  of  that  year,  disbanded.  Some  of  the  ofiicers  were  retained  in 
other  organizations,  some  resigned  and  the  remainder  were  honorably  dis- 
charged. 

International  affairs  in  1808  were  in  such  a  condition  that  the  Presi- 
dent asked  Congress  to  increase  the  military  strength  of  the  regular 
army;  and  by  the  unparalleled  vote,  on  military  matters,  of  98  to  16,  the 
House  passed  a  bill  providing  for  an  increase  of  seven  regiments  of  infantry. 
The  Fourth  Infantry  under  this  Act  was  reorganized  in  the  months  of  May 
and  June,  1808.  It  was  recruited  in  the  Eastern  States,  and  John  P.  Boyd, 
of  East  India  fame,  was  named  its  first  colonel.  In  the  spring  of  1809  the 
organization  was  completed  and  the  companies  were  stationed  at  Bos- 
ton and  various  other  points  in  the  New  England  States.  No  important 
changes  of  station  occurred  until  the  spring  of  181 1,  when  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  concentrate  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  companies  having  arrived 
at  the  Lazaretto,  a  short  distance  from  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  orders  were 
then  received  to  proceed  to  Pittsburgh.  In  compliance  with  these  orders  the 
regiment  started,  June  3d,  on  the  march  across  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
arriving  in  Pittsburgh  on  the  28th  of  the  same  month.  Four  weeks  had  been 
pleasantly  passed  in  the  city  when  orders  directed  the  regiment  to  proceed 
by  river  to  Cincinnati.  Arriving  at  Cincinnati  camp  was  established  on  the 
present  site  of  Newport  Barracks  until  August  31st.  War  Department 
orders  then  directed  that  the  regiment  proceed  to  Vincennes,  in  the  Indian 
Territory.  The  journey  down  the  Ohio  was  resumed.  The  regiment  hav- 
ing made  the  portage  at  the  falls,  continued  down  the  river  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Wabash,  and  thence  up  that  stream  to  Vincennes,  experiencing  many 
hardships  and  difficulties  owing  to  the  size  of  the  boats  and  the  difficult 
current  of  the  stream.  At  Vincennes  the  regiment  was  joined  by  a  force  of 
militia  and  volunteers,  and  August  27th  the  entire  command  left  the  trading 
post  and  marched  up  the  river  to  a  point  near  the  present  town  of  Terre 
Haute,  where  a  post  called  Fort  Harrison  was  built.  The  Prophet,— brother 
of  Tecumseh  and  leader  of  the  Indians  then  causing  trouble,— refused  all 
overtures,  and  November  6th  found  the  command  within  three  miles  of  his 
village. 

On  the  following  morning,  before  dawn,  the  Indians  made  a  furious  at- 
tack upon  all  sides  of  the  camp,  and  the  desperate  contest  continued  until  day- 
light enabled  the  troops  to  discover  their  enemies  ;  vigorous  bayonet  charges 


454  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

then  drove  the  Indians  from  the  field.  The  coolness  and  discipline  of  the 
regiment  undoubtedly  saved  the  command  from  annihilation.  Out  of  300 
present  the  regiment  lost  77  in  killed  and  wounded,  including  four  officers, 
one  of  whom  was  mortally  wounded  by  tomahawk. 

Owing  to  want  of  supplies  and  proper  accommodation  for  the  large  num- 
ber of  wounded,  the  little  army  returned  to  Fort  Harrison,  (where  Captain 
Snelling's  company  was  left  as  a  garrison)  and  thence  to  Vincennes  for  the 
winter. 

In  the  spring  of  181 2  the  Indians  to  the  north  were  causing  much  trouble 
and  there  were  strong  probabilities  of  a  war  with  Great  Britain,  whose  agents 
were  identified  with  the  Indian  difficulties.  General  Hull,  on  account  of  his 
knowledge  of  the  Indians  and  his  former  good  record,  had  been  given  com- 
mand of  all  the  forces  in  the  Northwest,  and  the  regiment  was  accordingly 
ordered  to  join  other  troops  under  his  immediate  command. 

In  obedience  to  these  orders  the  regiment  walked  from  Vincennes  to 
Cincinnati  and  thence  to  Urbana,  arriving  at  the  latter  place  July  3d,  the 
day  before  the  receipt  of  the  declaration  of  war  against  England.  General 
Hull's  command  arrived  at  Detroit  on  July  6th,  after  a  most  arduous  and 
trying  march  through  the  forests  of  Ohio.  On  the  12th  it  crossed  the  river 
for  "an  invasion  and  conquest  of  Upper  Canada."  Camp  was  established 
at  Sandwich,  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  river,  and  the  troops  remained 
there  for  nearly  a  month  without  making  hostile  demonstration,  although 
the  Canadians  and  Indians  were  known  to  be  concentrating  at  Maiden,  but 
thirteen  miles  down  the  river.  A  mutinous  spirit  began  to  manifest  itself 
on  account  of  this  inactivity. 

Governor  Meigs  had  forwarded  a  considerable  supply  of  provisions  and 
clothing  for  the  use  of  the  army,  and  a  small  detachment  of  volunteers,  sent 
to  escort  the  supplies  to  Sandwich,  was  surprised  and  routed  by  a  consider- 
able force  of  Canadians  and  Indians.  General  Hull  was  prevailed  upon  later 
to  send  an  additional  force  to  bring  the  supplies  into  camp,  and  the  Fourth 
Infantry,  under  the  command  of  the  youthful  and  gallant  Lieutenant-Colonel 
James  Miller,  was  reluctantly  ordered  upon  the  duty.  Colonel  Miller,  be- 
fore starting,  briefly  harangued  his  troops,  saying:  "And-  now,  if  there  is 
any  man  in  the  ranks  of  this  detachment  who  fears  to  meet  the  enemy,  let 
him  fall  out  and  stay  behind."  None  fell  out.  About  4  o'clock  p.  m.,  August 
9th,  the  command  reached  the  vicinity  of  Maguago,  fourteen  miles  below 
Detroit.  The  advance  guard,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Snelling,  sud- 
denly received  from  ambush  a  fierce  volley  from  a  mixed  force  of  British, 
Canadians  and  Indians,  under  command  of  Major  Muir  of  the  English  army 
and  Tecumseh,  the  Indian  chief.  Snelling  held  his  ground  with  what  re- 
mained of  his  little  force  until  the  main  body  formed  for  the  attack.  The 
line  moved  forward  with  fixed  bayonets  and,  although  receiving  a  terrific 
fire  from  behind  breastworks  of  fallen  trees,  charged  the  British  and  Cana- 
dians. Before  they  had  time  to  reload,  the  first  work  was  carried  and  the 
white  men  broke  and  fled,  closely  pursued  by  the  American  troops;  the 
enemy  was  unable  to  form  behind  his  second  line  of  breastworks,  and,  com- 
pletely routed,  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  river  and  crossed  to  the 
other  side.    The  Indians,  thus  deserted  by  their  white  allies,  soon  broke  and 


FO UR TH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.  45  5 

fled  in  their  turn,  disappearing  m  the  forest.  Colonel  Miller  determined  to 
march  at  once  on  Maiden,  but  at  sundown  he  was  met  with  a  peremptory 
order  from  General  Hull  to  return  to  Detroit.  The  loss  to  the  Fourth  In- 
fantry was  58  killed  and  wounded. 

On  August  16,  1813,  one  week  from  the  battle  of  Maguago,  and  with 
troops  flushed  and  enthused  with  the  success  of  that  battle,  General  Hull 
basely  surrendered  his  entire  command,  without  a  show  of  resistance,  to 
less  than  its  own  numbers  of  British,  Canadians  and  Indians.  As  one  of 
the  results  of  this  base  surrender,  the  rci^iment  lost  a  beautiful  stand  of 
colors,  presented  to  it  by  the  ladies  of  Boston  when  it  was  stationed  in  the 
Eastern  States. 

The  court-martial  which  tried  General  Hull  found  him  guilty  of  "  cow- 
ardice and  neglect  of  duty,"  and  sentenced  him  "  to  be  shot  dead  and  to 
have  his  name  stricken  from  the  rolls  of  the  army."  Clemency  was  recom- 
mended, and  the  President,  mitigating  the  sentence,  ordered  that  "the  rolls 
of  the  army  are  no  longer  to  be  debased  by  having  upon  them  the  name  of 
Brigadier-General  Hull." 

After  the  surrender  the  officers  and  men  of  the  regiment  were  taken  as 
prisoners  of  war  to  Montreal,  Canada,  suffering  great  hardships  on  the  way 
from  excessive  ill-treatment  and  the  want  of  even  the  plainest  food.  Arriv- 
ing at  Montreal  on  the  evening  of  September  27,  1812,  the  regiment  was 
met  by  crowds  of  people  who  had  collected,  as  they  said,  "  to  have  a  peep 
at  General  Hull's  exterminating  Yankees."  A  band  of  music  joined  the 
escort  and  struck  up  the  much  admired  ditty,  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  in  which  it 
was  joined  by  all  the  men  who  could  whistle  the  tune.  When  they  ceased 
to  play,  "Yankee  Doodle"  was  loudly  called  for  by  the  regiment.  At  last, 
mortified  at  their  conduct,  the  band  began  "  Rule  Britannia,"  which  was 
cheered  by  the  multitude,  but  the  men  continued  their  favorite  song,  somu 
singing  and  others  whistling,  till  the  barracks  were  reached. 

From  Montreal  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Quebec,  and  the  men  confined 
on  board  transports  in  the  river.  Many  men  died  during  their  imprison- 
ment from  the  ill-usage  they  had  received.  Finally  the  regiment  was  ex- 
changed and  sent  from  Quebec  on  October  29th  on  an  old  schooner  bound 
for  Boston.  On  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  a  furious  storm  was  encountered, 
and  the  old  schooner  became  the  prey  of  the  waves  for  several  days.  Land 
was  finally  made  at  Shelburne,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  On  the 
voyage  thus  far  no  less  than  fifteen  men  died  and  were  buried  at  sea.  Two 
more  died  at  Shelburne,  and  before  Boston  was  reached,  on  November 
28th,  thirty  in  all  had  been  thrown  overboard.  Upon  arriving  in  Boston 
General  Boyd,  the  former  colonel  of  the  regiment,  did  everything  in  his 
power  to  make  the  men  who  had  served  under  him  at  Tippecanoe  com- 
fortable. 

Early  in  181 3  recruiting  for  the  regiment  began.  The  recruits  were  col- 
lected and  the  regiment  assembled  and  organized,  under  the  direction  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Darnngton,  at  Greenbush,  opposite  Albany,  New  York. 
During  the  continuance  of  the  war,  the  regiment  served  in  the  district  in- 
cluding northern  New  York  and  Vermont.  Such  of  the  companies  as  had 
been  organized  participated  in  the  battle  of  Chateaugay    River,    Lower 


456  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Canada,  on  October  26,  181 3.  In  the  following  year  detachments  were 
present  at  the  battles  of  La  Cole  Mill  and  at  the  siege  of  Plattsburg. 

Upon  the  reduction  of  the  army  in  181 5  many  regiments  were  consoli- 
dated to  give  a  smaller  number  of  regimental  organizations,  and  the  Fourth 
Infantry  was,  with  five  other  regiments,  consolidated  to  form  the  Fifth  In- 
fantry. In  the  same  way  three  regiments,  the  Twelfth,  Fourteenth  and 
Twentieth,  were  consolidated  and  called  the  Fourth  Infantry.  The  official 
army  register  has  for  many  years  announced  other  regiments  as  forming 
the  Fourth  Infantry,  but  careful  investigation  shows  that  the  Army  Register 
is  partially  in  error  in  this  respect. 

The  War  Department  has  ruled  that  by  these  consolidations,  the  distin- 
guished services  of  the  regiment  prior  to  May  15,  181 5.  are  to  be  credited 
to  the  Fifth  Infantry,  and  that  the  Fourth  Infantry,  in  a  similar  way,  in- 
herited the  records  of  the  regiments  consolidated  into  its  organization.  The 
names  Fort  Niagara,  Fort  George,  Beaver  Dams,  Chrystler's  Fields,  Chip- 
peway  and  Cook's  Mill  are  therefore  borne  upon  the  regimental  colors, 
altt-^uoh  in  none  of  these  battles  did  the  regiment  or  any  portion  of  it 

Aiier  the  reorganization  of  the  regiment  it  was  ordered  South,  owing  to 
difficulties  with  the  Creek  and  Seminole  Indians  in  Florida  and  Alabama. 
For  several  years  its  history  was  one  of  continual  marching  and  counter- 
marching, building  cantonments  and  opening  military  roads  through  the 
wilderness,  the  policy  of  the  general  government  then  being  that  the 
Infa7itry  arm  of  the  service  should  build  its  own  barracks  and  open  roads 
through  the  Indian  country. 

In  the  spring  of  1817  the  regiment  marched  from  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia  to  Alabama,  and  proceeded  thence  to  Florida  to  operate  under  the 
command  of  Major-General  Jackson,  against  the  Spanish  forces  in  Pensacola 
harbor. 

It  would  be  tedious  and  uninteresting  to  detail  the  many  changes  of 
station  that  occurred  in  the  southern  country  during  the  distressing  Semi- 
nole wars.  Troops  were  changing  and  moving  about  continually,  and  when 
not  moving  were  occupied  m  building  quarters  for  their  protection. 

In  1 83 1,  the  regimental  headquarters  were  at  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and 
there  seemed  to  be  an  intention  to  withdraw  the  regiment  from  its  inter- 
mittent service  in  Florida. 

The  Black  Hawk  War  began  in  1832  and  two  companies  were  sent  up  the 
Mississippi  to  reinforce  General  Atkinson's  command  at  Fort  Crawford, 
Prairie  du  Chien,  Wis.  From  Fort  Crawford  these  companies  returned  to 
Fort  Armstrong,  Rock  Island,  111.,  and  while  at  the  latter  place  the  cholera 
made  its  appearance  among  the  troops.  General  Scott's  characteristic  order 
on  the  subject  is  still  preserved  among  the  records  of  the  regiment,  an  ex- 
tract from  it  reading  as  follows  :  "  that  every  soldier  or  ranger  who  shall  be 
found  drunk  or  sensibly  intoxicated,  after  the  publication  of  this  order,  be 
compelled  as  soon  as  his  strength  will  permit,  to  dig  a  grave  at  a  suitable 
burying  place,  large  enough  for  his  own  reception,  as  such  graves  cannot 
fail  soon  to  be  wanted,  for  the  drunken  man  himself  or  some  drunken 
companion.  This  order  is  given  as  well  to  serve  as  a  punishment  for  drunk- 


FO  UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  NTRY.  457 

enness,  as  to  spare  good  and  temperate  men  the  labor  of  diggmg  graves  for 
their  worthless  companions." 

Desertion  from  the  army,  as  in  more  recent  times,  was  not  infrequent. 
Two  years  in  the  Leavenworth  Military  Prison,  learning  some  useful  trade, 
contrasts  peculiarly  with  the  following,  not  an  isolated  case:  "The  Court 
found  him  guilty  as  Charged  and  Sentences  him  to  be  tied  to  a  stack  of 
arms  and  to  receive  ten  lashes  for  Five  Successive  Mornings  with  a  Cat  o' 
Nine  Tails  on  his  bare  Back  in  presence  of  the  command,  to  have  his  head 
and  Eye  Brows  Shaved,  to  forfeit  all  pay  and  travelling  expenses  and  to  be 
Drumd  out  of  Service." 

The  regiment  made  several  changes  of  station  to  and  from  Florida,  and 
finally  returned  to  take  part  in  the  Seminole  War  of  1836.  Rarely,  if  ever, 
have  troops  been  called  upon  for  service  under  such  trying  circumstances 
as  in  this  war.  The  region  in  which  the  troops  were  compelled  to  operate 
consisted  of  swamps,  overflowed  thickets,  and  dense  tropical  forests  of 
unknown  extent.  Poisonous  insects  and  serpents  under  foot  and  an  atmos- 
phere reeking  with  fevers  and  disease  overhead.  The  enemy  to  be  subdued 
was  cunning  and  active  as  he  was  cruel  and  treacherous.  For  days  at  a 
time  the  troops  waded  in  the  swamps  or  patrolled  the  streams  in  search  of 
an  enemy  who  only  showed  himself  when  in  sufficient  numbers  to  massacre 
isolated  detachments.  Treachery  and  deceit  resulted  from  every  confer- 
ence with  the  Indians.  The  war  was  only  temporarily  brought  to  a  close 
by  the  questionable  seizure  of  Osceola  under  a  flag  of  truce. 

In  all  this  war,  which  lasted  about  seven  years  and  cost  the  Government 
hundreds  of  lives  and  millions  of  treasure,  the  Fourth  Infantry  bore  an 
honorable  part.  It  participated  in  nearly  all  of  the  engagements  and  lost 
severely  in  killed  and  wounded,  and,  what  in  that  region  was  worse,  in  miss- 
ing, the  totals  for  the  regiment  being:  Officers  killed  in  action  or  died  of 
disease,  6 ;  men  killed  in  action  or  died  of  disease,  128.  December  20, 
1835,  Captain  and  Brevet  Major  Dade  volunteered  to  command  a  detach- 
ment, consisting  of  two  companies  of  artillery  and  eleven  of  the  men  of  his 
own  company,  that  had  been  ordered  to  proceed  from  Fort  Brooke  to  Fort 
King,  the  Seminole  agency.  When  about  55  miles  on  its  way  the  detach- 
ment was  attacked  by  a  large  force  of  Indians  in  ambush.  The  fight  lasted 
from  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  Decem- 
ber 28th.  Three  privates  only  escaped,  and,  though  badly  wounded,  made 
their  way  back  to  Fort  Brooke  with  the  news  of  the  massacre.  On  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1836,  General  Gaines,  with  a  force  including  seven  companies  of 
the  Fourth  Infantry,  arrived  on  the  battle  ground  and  buried  the  remains 
of  Major  Dade  and  his  command. 

General  Scott's  campaign  which  followed  was  not  decisive  and  the  next 
year  there  were  great  preparations  for  a  campaign  under  General  Thomas 
G.  Jesup,  Quartermaster  General  of  the  Army.  Troops  and  supplies  were 
gathered,  and  marching  and  countermarching  began.  The  Fourth  Infantry 
most  of  the  time  operated  as  an  independent  command.  The  move- 
ments during  the  winter  resulted  in  bringing  in  the  king,  Micanopy,  with 
a  considerable  number  of  his  warriors.  Campaigning  then  for  a  time 
ceased. 


458  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

In  1837  there  was  "  marching  up  and  down,  to  and  fro,  hither  and  yon," 
and  very  httle  accomplished.  On  Christmas  Day,  however,  one  of  the 
severest  engagements  in  the  war  took  place  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Okeecho- 
bee, Colonel  Zachary  Taylor,  First  Infantry,  commanding.  The  six  com- 
panies of  the  Fourth  Infantry  engaged  lost  an  aggregate  of  22  killed  and 
wounded. 

In  May,  1838,  the  regiment  was  en  route  to  the  Cherokee  Nation  in  Ten- 
nessee, in  connection  with  the  removal  of  the  Cherokee  Indians  by  General 
Scott.  Then  followed  several  years  of  peace,  marked  principally  by  severe 
labor  and  sickness  incident  to  building  roads,  through  a  region  so  unhealthy 
that  civilians  could  not  be  engaged  to  perform  the  work.  In  1841  the 
fourth  return  to  Florida  took  place,  and  a  portion  of  the  regiment  took  part 
in  the  final  campaign  of  the  Seminole  War.  But  little  skirmishing  and  few 
casualties  from  fighting  occurred.  The  clothing  and  food  supplies  of  the 
Indians  were  captured,  and  finally  the  chief,  Halleck  Tustenuggee,  was 
taken  prisoner  by  an  artifice  justified  only  by  necessity.  Soon  after  his  cap- 
ture the  last  of  the  warrior  bands  was  removed  from  Florida. 

In  September,  1842,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  take  station  at  Jeffer- 
son Barracks,  Mo.,  where  it  remained  until  the  proposed  annexation  of 
Texas,  in  1 844,  led  to  rumblings  of  war  with  Mexico.  As  a  part  of  the  "  Army 
of  Observation  "  the  regiment  was  moved  to  Grand  Ecore,  La.,  where  it  re- 
mained until  July,  1845,  being  moved  thence  to  Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  as  a 
part  of  the  "  Army  of  Occupation."  The  first  act  of  war  on  the  part  of 
Mexico  was  the  murder,  on  April  loth,  of  Colonel  Cross,  assistant  quarter- 
master-general, a  few  miles  from  camp,  by  a  roving  party  of  banditti.  Lieu- 
tenant Porter,  Fourth  Infantry,  with  a  small  party,  was  sent  out  to  search 
for  the  body  of  Colonel  Cross,  and  on  the  return  of  the  party  it  was  ambus- 
caded, Lieutenant  Porter  and  one  man  being  killed.  Soon  after  the  Gov- 
ernment recognized  a  state  of  war  existing  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico,  and  preparations  were  made  for  an  invasion  of  the  territory  of  the 
latter. 

When  General  Taylor's  army  reached  the  Rio  Grande  from  Corpus 
Christi,  General  Mejia  issued  a  pronunciamento :  "The  water  of  the  Rio 
Grande  is  deep,  and  it  shall  be  the  sepulchre  of  these  degenerate  sons  of 
Washington."  Operations  did  not  cease  on  account  of  this  proclamation. 
The  Army  of  Occupation,  about  noon  of  May  8th,  met  and  engaged  the 
Mexican  army  under  General  Ampudia  at  Palo  Alto. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  the  enemy  retreated,  and,  about  3  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  took  up  a  position  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma.  The  Fourth  In- 
fantry was  deployed  on  the  right  of  the  road  leading  to  his  position,  and  at 
various  points  became  briskly  engaged,  and  finally,  keeping  as  good  order  as 
the  close  chapparal  would  permit,  charged  and  captured  the  camp  where 
the  headquarters  of  the  Mexican  general-in-chief  were  established.  All  his 
official  correspondence  was  captured  at  this  place,  together  with  a  large 
amount  of  ammunition,  some  400  mules,  saddles  and  every  variety  of  army 
equipage. 

At  Monterey,  the  regiment  consisted  of  but  six  reduced  companies,  four 
of  which  participated  in  the  assault  of  the  works  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city 


FO  UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.  459 

the  first  day  of  the  battle.  The  regifhent  charged  through  a  cross  fire  from 
the  Black  Fort  and  the  batteries.  A  mistake  in  orders  led  to  the  charge,  some- 
body had  blundered,  and  about  one-third  of  the  men  engaged  in  the  charge 
were  killed  and  wounded  in  the  space  of  a  few  minutes.  The  regiment  halted 
in  a  place  of  safety — what  there  was  left  of  it.  In  a  short  time  the  advance 
began  again  and  the  troops  reached  the  suburbs.  A  little  battery  covering 
the  approaches  to  the  lower  end  of  the  city  was  captured  and  turned  upon 
another  work  of  the  enemy.  An  entrance  into  the  east  end  of  the  city  was 
now  secured.  An  advance  was  made  to  within  a  square  of  the  plaza,  not 
without  heavy  loss,  when  the  ammunition  began  to  give  out.  Lieutenant 
Grant  made  a  dashing  and  perilous  ride  back  to  ask  that  ammunition  be 
forwarded.  Before  it  could  be  collected  the  remnants  of  the  two  regiments, 
the  Third  and  Fourth  Infantry,  returned.  The  following  day  the  city 
capitulated. 

Early  in  1847  the  regiment  was  ordered,  as  a  part  of  the  force  sent  from 
General  Taylor's  army,  to  proceed  to  Vera  Cruz  and  join  the  army  under 
General  Scott.  It  arrived  at  Vera  Cruz  in  March  and  participated  in  the 
siege  of  that  place.  By  April  i6th  it  had  arrived  at  Plan  del  Rio.  near  Cerro 
Gordo,  the  battle  of  the  latter  place  taking  place  on  the  i/th-iSth.  Previous 
to  this  battle  General  Santa  Anna  stated  to  his  army:  "  I  am  resolved  to 
go  out  and  encounter  the  enemy.  *  *  *  My  duty  is  to  sacrifice  myself, 
and  I  will  know  how  to  fulfil  it !  Perhaps  the  American  hosts  may  proudly 
tread  the  imperial  capital  of  Azteca.  I  will  never  witness  such  an  opprobrium, 
for  I  am  decided  first  to  die  fighting."  The  general  encountered  the  Ameri- 
can army  at  Cerro  Gordo,  and  lost  a  leg  in  the  retreat  from  that  battle. 
Perhaps  it  may  not  be  improper  to  state  that  it  was  the  general's  wooden 
leg  that  was  lost  in  his  hasty  retreat. 

After  Cerro  Gordo,  the  march  into  the  interior  was  resumed  and  on  May 
14th  the  regiment  arrived  at  Amasoque,  12  miles  from  Puebla.  General 
Worth  here  ordered  his  command  to  clean  up,  to  make  a  good  appearance 
upon  entering  the  city  the  next  day.  While  the  muskets  were  taken  apart, 
and  while  the  pipe-clay  was  drying  upon  the  white  belts,  the  long  roll  beat 
to  arms.  An  immense  column  of  Mexican  cavalry  was  seen  to  be  rapidly 
approaching.  Duncan's  battery  was  run  out  to  meet  it,  and  the  regiment 
was  hurried  to  support  the  battery.  A  few  rounds  of  shell  emptied  many 
saddles  and  caused  the  column  to  diverge  from  the  road.  After  the  column 
had  passed,  the  Fourth  Infantry  was  posted  as  a  picket  guard  several  miles 
beyond  Amasoque,  in  the  direction  of  Puebla.  A  terrific  tropical  storm  came 
up  during  the  night  and  in  a  short  time  the  corn  field  where  the  regiment 
was  lying  became  a  sea  of  mud.  The  nice  uniforms,  the  white  belts  and  the 
men  who  wore  them  were  covered  with  Mexican  mud,  and  probably  the 
shabbiest  looking  regiment  ever  seen  in  the  regular  army  was  the  Fourth 
Infantry  when  it  entered  Puebla  on  May  15,  1847.  The  azoteas,  the  windows 
and  the  streets  were  filled  with  men  and  women  to  look  upon  these  "degen- 
erate sons  of  Washington." 

After  Cherubusco,  where  the  regiment  pursued  the  fleeing  Mexican 
troops  to  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  came  an  armistice 
of  two  weeks,  then  operations  were  actively  resumed  ;  Molino  del  Rey  and 


46o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Chapultepec  followed  in  quick  successon.  At  Molino  a  storming  party  was 
organized,  the  regiment  furnishing  two  officers  and  loo  men.  The  mill  was 
carried  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  but  not  without  the  loss  of  ii  out  of  the 
14  officers  who  were  m  the  storming  party.  The  remnant  of  the  detachment 
belongmg  to  the  Fourth  Infantryjoined  the  regiment  in  the  final  assault  made 
m  support  of  the  storming  party.  A  fierce  and  bloody  hand-to-hand  fight 
took  place  before  the  enemy  was  finally  driven  from  his  chosen  position. 
The  regiment  lost  during  the  day  67  in  killed  and  wounded,  including  three 
officers.  At  Chapultepec,  as  at  Molino,  a  storming  party  began  the  assault,  to 
which  the  regiment  furnished  50  men  and  2  officers.  Underaterrific  storm  of 
shot  and  shell  the  party  reached  the  ditch  and  main  wall  of  the  great  fortress, 
scaling  ladders  were  brought  up  and  amid  hand-to-hand  fighting  a  lodg- 
ment was  secured,  then,  "long  continued  shouts  and  cheers  carried  dismay 
into  the  capital."  Vigorous  resistance  was  made  by  the  enemy  to  the  rapid 
pursuit  after  the  fall  of  the  castle;  along  the  line  of  the  great  aqueduct  and 
at  the  several  garitas  of  the  city  the  greatest  resistance  was  encountered. 
Nothing  could  withstand  the  impetuosity  of  the  troops,  and  by  nightfall  or- 
ganized resistance  ceased.  Adetachment  of  the  Fourth  Infantry  had  penetra- 
ted half  a  mile  into  the  city  and  captured  the  adjutant-general  of  the  Mexican 
army. 

With  the  capture  of  the  city  active  operations  ceased.  The  remnant  of 
the  regiment  remained  for  a  time  as  part  of  the  garrison  of  the  city,  remov- 
ing on  the  gradual  withdrawal  of  the  troops  to  points  on  the  Camino  Real 
until  in  June,  1848,  it  was  assembled  at  Jalapa  for  the  return  to  the  United 
States.  Leaving  Vera  Cruz,  the  voyage  home  was  short,  Camp  "Jeff 
Davis,"  Pascagoula,  Miss.,,  was  reached  July  23,  1848. 

Thus  ended  the  Mexican  War  for  the  Fourth  Infantry,  there  having  been 
but  one  important  battle  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  City  of  Mexico  in 
which  it  did  not  participate. 

It  lost  8  officers  and  59  men  killed  or  mortally  wounded  ;  10  officers  and 
140  men  more  or  less  severely  wounded  ;  4  officers  in  addition  lost  their 
lives  by  steamboat  explosions.  In  the  language  of  General  Grant,  "  the 
regiment  lost  more  officers  during  the  war  than  it  ever  had  present  in  any 
one  engagement,"  for  during  the  greater  part  of  the  war  the  regiment  had 
present  but  six  reduced  companies. 

From  Mississippi  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  proceed  by  sea  to  New 
York  and  thereto  take  station  at  seven  different  points  on  the  lakes,  be- 
tween Mackinac  and  Plattsburg. 

Ordinary  garrison  duties  were  performed  at  the  stations  indicated  until 
June,  1852,  when  the  regiment  was  concentrated  at  Fort  Columbus,  N.  Y. 
H.,  prior  to  a  journey  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  Between  June  •23d  and  July 
4th,  393  recruits  were  received  and  assigned  to  companies.  A  telegraphic 
order  on  July  2d  directed  the  regiment  to  embark  on  the  Steamship 
Ohio,  a  vessel  already  bearing  a  full  passenger  list.  In  compliance  with 
the  order  eight  companies,  with  headquarters  and  band,  sailed  on  July  5th 
from  New  York  for  Aspinwall.  The  Ohio  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Schenck,  afterwards  Admiral  Schenck,  U.  S.  Navy,  and  had  all  told  on  this 
voyage  iioo  people  on  board.     Aspinwall  was  reached  on  July  i6th  without 


FO  UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  INF  A  NTR  Y.  4^^  i 

incident,  save  the  extreme  discomfort  of  an  overcrowded  ship.  The  rainy 
season  was  at  that  time  at  its  height  on  the  Isthmus,  and,  what  was  infini- 
tely worse,  the  cholera  was  raging. 

The  railroad  across  the  Isthmus  was  completed  only  to  Barbacoas,  on 
the  Chagres  River.  The  troops  proceeded  by  rail  to  that  point  and  by  boat 
to  Gorgona,  the  families  and  baggage,  with  one  company  as  a  guard,  pro- 
ceeding to  Cruces,  the  distance  from  the  latter  point  to  Panama  being 
shorter  than  that  to  be  followed  by  the  troops.  The  roads  were  almost 
without  bottom,  and  the  contractor  had  failed  to  provide  pack  trains  for 
tents  and  provisions,  aswellasfortheheavy  baggage  from  Cruces.  The  main 
body  left  Gorgona  on  July  1 8th  at  i  P.  M.,  struggling  along  through  mud 
and  rain  until  dark,  when  it  halted  and  men  and  officers  lay  down  on  the 
water-soaked  ground  for  the  night.  Many  stragglers  there  were,  and,  as 
the  vilest  of  liquor  dens  existed  all  along  the  route,  the  officers  were  kept 
busy  in  trying  to  prevent  drunkenness  and  in  gathering  up  stragglers. 

The  first  case  of  cholera  occurred  on  that  first  day's  march.  The  second 
day  was  like  the  first,  but  it  brought  the  column  within  eight  miles  of  Pan- 
ama, and  early  on  the  third  day  the  men  were  safely  on  board  the  P.  S.  S. 
Co.'s  steamer  Golden  Gate,  Captain  C.  P.  Patterson,  U.  S.  N.,  subse- 
quently Superintendent  of  Coast  Survey,  commander.  The  ladies  had  ar- 
rived earlier,  but  Brevet  Captain  Grant,  R.  Q.  M.,  experienced  the  greatest 
difficulties  in  procuring  the  necessary  transportation  for  the  baggage  and  com- 
pany remaining  as  the  guard.  Finally,  after  five  days'  waiting,  he  resolved 
to  hire  in  open  market,  whatever  the  cost  might  be.  Cholera  appeared  in 
the  company  acting  as  guard,  men  dying  in  six  hours  from  the  first  symp- 
tom. Eight  died  before  the  company  reached  Panama.  The  disease  ap- 
peared in  an  aggravated  form  among  the  troops  on  the  Golden  Gate. 
An  old  hulk  was  improvised  as  a  hospital  and  the  sick  transferred  to  it.  On 
Tuesday,  the  27th,  the  disease  began  to  subside.  Upon  the  arrival  of  a 
small  steamer  in  the  evening  of  that  day  a  dozen  knapsacks,  that  had  been 
left  lying  and  moulding  on  the  Isthmus,  were  received  on  board,  and  the 
men  to  whom  they  belonged  seized  and  opened  them  to  get  a  change  of 
clothing.  Some  of  these  men  were  taken  sick  in  the  act ;  all  were  several 
hours  thereafter  taken  violently  with  the  cholera,  and  with  only  a  few  ex- 
ceptions died.  It  was  now  determined  to  land  all  the  troops,  and  accord- 
ingly both  the  well  and  sick  were  put  ashore  on  Flamingo  Island,  the  sick 
being  in  huts  and  the  well  in  a  few  tents  and  shelters  made  from  sails.  The 
Golden  Gate  sailed  on  August  4th,  but  would  only  take  450  well 
people.  One  company  (Auger's),  the  sick,  and  most  of  the  women  and 
children  were  left  behind  to  be  forwarded  on  the  next  steamer.  The 
Chagres  fever  became  epidemic  on  board  the  Golden  Gate  so  that 
when  the  command  arrived  at  Benicia,  on  August  17th,  it  was  almost  de 
cimated.  August  8th  the  Steamer  Northerner  took  on  board  all  but 
four  men  of  Augur's  company,  who  were  left  in  the  hospital,  and  sailed  for 
San  Francisco.  The  company  arrived  at  Benicia  August  26th.  The  total 
deaths  from  cholera,  fever  and  allied  diseases,  from  the  time  the  regiment 
arrived  on  the  Isthmus  up  to  a  few  weeks  after  the  arrival  at  Benicia, 
amounted  to  one  officer  and  106  enlisted  men 


462  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

The  two  companies— A  (Lieutenant  D.  A.  Russell)  and  I  (Haller's)— 
that  had  been  left  in  New  York,  sailed  November  i8th  on  a  naval  vessel 
for  San  Francisco,  via  Cape  Horn.  After  touching  at  Montevideo  and 
Robinson  Crusoe  Island  for  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables  to  avoid  scurvy, 
the  companies  arrived  at  San  Francisco  June  7,  1853.  seven  months  from 
the  date  of  sailing. 

After  its  arrival  on  the  Pacific  Coast  the  regiment  was  rapidly  dispersed 
to  many  and  widely  distant  stations,  the  headquarters  going  to  Columbia 
Barracks,  afterward  Fort  Vancouver,  and  now  Vancouver  Barracks,  in 
September,  1852,  where  they  with  short  absences  remained  until  1861. 
The  following  posts — Forts  Vancouver,  Reading.  Humboldt,  Dalles, 
Steilacoom,  Jones,  Boise.  Lane.  Yamhill.  Orford,  Townshend.  Hoskins, 
Walla  Walla,  Crook,  Terwaw.  Cascade,  Simcoe,  Gaston,  Chehalis,  Yuma 
and  Mojave,— extending  from  British  Columbia  on  the  north  to  Mexico  on 
the  south. — were  all  garrisoned,  and  the  majority  of  them  built,  by  com- 
panies of  the  Fourth  Infantry,  in  the  interval  between  1852  and  1861. 
Three  only  of  these  posts  are  now  occupied  by  United  States  troops  ; 
the  others  are  abandoned. 

Besides  the  numerous  changes  which  the  occupancy  of  so  many  posts 
necessitated,  Indian  campaigns  were  not  infrequent.  The  most  important 
campaign  was  that  in  Eastern  Washington  and  Oregon  in  1855-56  against 
Indians  from  many  tribes  under  the  able  leadership  of  Chief  Kamiarkin,  a 
name  now  as  unknown  as  the  names  Spotted  Tail,  Joseph  and  Geronimo 
will  be  a  generation  hence. 

The  vigorous  campaign  of  Colonel  Wright,  and  the  summary  punish- 
ments meted  out  by  the  military  to  all  Indian  offenders,  brought  about  a 
peace  that  has  remained  unbroken  by  the  greater  part  of  the  Indians  in  the 
Pacific  Northwest  to  the  present  day.  Humanitarian  temporizing  and  treaty 
making  had  little  to  do  with  the  opening  and  settlement  of  the  vast  region 
between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  only  power  that 
an  Indian  recognizes — uncompromising  and  unyielding  force— was  brought 
home  to  those  of  this  region  in  such  a  way  that  it  is  not  forgotten  to  this 
day,  and  the  result  has  not  been  a  detriment  of  the  Indians. 

In  1859,  the  movements  of  troops  under  the  special  and  unusual  instruc- 
tions of  General  Harney,  the  Department  commander,  gave  rise  to  the  San 
Juan  imbroglio.  Three  companies  of  the  regiment  were  sent  to  San  Juan 
Island  to  reinforce  Captain  Pickett's  command  and  to  secure  exclusive  ju- 
risdiction over  the  island  by  force  if  necessary.  There  were  five  British 
men-of-war.  carrying  167  guns  and  manned  by  2140  sailors  and  marines,  in 
the  harbor.  So  great  a  preponderance  of  force  in  favor  of  the  British,- con- 
sidered in  connection  with  Captain  Pickett's  most  positive  assertions  con- 
cerning his  position,  no  doubt  determined  the  British  commander  to  await 
the  coming  of  General  Scott  and  the  investigation  he  was  ordered  to  make, 
as  well  as  to  wait  for  positive  information  from  England  upon  the  matter 
at  issue.  After  General  Scott's  arrival,  the  question  at  issue,  in  this  early 
forerunner  of  the  Civil  War,  so  far  as  the  military  were  concerned,  was 
speedily  determined,  and  the  companies  of  the  Fourth  Infantry  were  quietly 
withdrawn.     During  the  stay  of  the  troops  the  most  pleasant  relations  ex- 


FO UR  TH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.  4^3 

isted  between  the  officers  of  the  English  fleet  and  the  American  officers  on 
shore. 

In  the  interval  from  iS52to  1861  the  Fourth  Infantry  contained  as  many 
distinguished  and  prominent  officers  as  were  ever  associated  together  in  one 
regiment.  "  The  regiment  was  a  home  and  all  were  proud  of  it."  There  is 
no  need  to  comment  on  such  names  as  Buchanan,  Augur,  Alden,  Bliss, 
Grant,  Sheridan,  Judah,  R.  N.  Scott,  Hunt,  Hodges,  Wallen,  D.  A.  Russell. 
Prince,  Alvord,  Kautz,  Macfeeley,  Crook  and  many  others. 

All  were  tried  in  the  balance  and  not  found  wanting  in  the  patriotism, 
wisdom  and  valor  reposed  in  them.  The  names  of  many  Fourth  Infantry 
officers  are  indelibly  woven  in  the  web  of  our  country's  history,  and  so  long 
as  valor,  honor  and  patriotism  exist  in  our  land,  they  will  be  among  the 
names  men  most  delight  to  honor. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  the  regiment  was  stationed  at  ten  dif- 
ferent posts  on  the  Pacific  slope  from  Puget  Sound  to  the  Gulf  of  Califor- 
nia. Remote  as  these  stations  were  from  the  stirring  events  occurring  in 
the  east  they  were  not  without  grave  consideration  of  the  results  likely  to 
follow  the  secession  of  the  States.  Many  of  the  officers  were  of  southern  birth 
or  family  connection  and  as  the  clouds  darkened  all  recognized  that  the  time 
had  come  when  each  must  determine  for  himself  the  path  of  duty  and 
honor.  Ii  anything  was  wanting  to  emphasize  the  necessity  for  decision  it 
was  the  order  concentrating  most  of  the  companies  at  Camp  Sumner,  San 
Francisco,  and  the  subsequent  departure  of  the  regiment  for  service  in  the 
east. 

Of  those  officers  on  duty  with  the  regiment  or  of  recent  service  with  it, 
five  of  junior  rank  resigned.  They  subsequently  entered  the  Confederate 
service  but  none  achieved  distinction.  The  remainder  of  the  officers,  al- 
though some  were  of  close  southern  affiliations  and  consequently  under  a 
considerable  measure  of  suspicion,  served  faithfully  and  well,  true  to  the 
flag  and  true  to  the  regiment.  If  any  served  more  honorably  or  more  faith- 
fully than  the  officers  of  the  Fourth  Infantry,  all  honor  to  them. 

To  a  greater  extent  than  other  regiments,  the  Fourth  Infantry  sufTered 
from  the  large  number  of  officers  detached  for  service  with  the  Volunteers  or 
duty  in  the  staiY  departments.  The  enlisted  strength  also,  due  to  the  large 
bounties  offered  and  the  somewhat  more  agreeable  service  in  the  Volun- 
teers, soon  became  reduced  by  the  ordinary  attrition  of  the  service.  It  was 
only  partially  renewed  at  irregular  intervals,  and  from  the  ten  strong  compa- 
nies that  crossed  the  Long  Bridge  on  March  10,  1862,  but  five  companies 
with  173  enlisted  men  were  present  at  Gettysburg  the  next  year. 

The  limits  of  this  paper  preclude  more  than  the  briefest  chronicle  of  the 
service  of  the  regiment  during  the  Civil  War.  The  history  of  the  Regular 
brigade  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  is  the  history  of  the  Fourth  Infantry, 
except  for  a  brief  time  in  1864  when  the  regiment  was  attached  to  the  ist 
Brigade,  ist  Division,  9th  Army  Corps. 

From  the  trenches  before  Yorktown  to  Camp  Lovell  near  Gaines"  Mill, 
thence  upon  a  reconnoissance  to  find  Stonewall  Jackson's  corps  and  through 
the  Seven  Days'  battle  which  followed  his  discovery.  In  the  movement 
across  the  Chickahominy  the  regiment  was  the  last  to  cross  the  already 


464  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

partly  destroyed  "  Grapevine  Bridge."  At  Savage  Station  the  train  con- 
veying the  regimental  records,  baggage  and  supplies,  was  burned  to  prevent 
its  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  ,  and  for  nearly  a  week,  officers  and 
men  had  to  eat  and  shelter  themselves  what  they  could  forage.  Arriv- 
ing at  Malvern  the  regiment  was  placed  in  the  line  of  battle  and  sustained 
its  position  throughout  the  day  and  night.  From  Harrison's  Landing  to 
Acquia  Creek,  thence  to  Warrenton  and  through  the  second  Bull  Run  battle 
and  retreat  to  Arlington  Heights.  Then  to  Antietam,  through  the  battle 
and  return  to  Falmouth  ;  then  the  Fredericksburg  battle ;  followed  later  by 
the  famous  "  Mud  March  "  and  return  to  Falmouth.  This  in  turn  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  Chancellorsville  campaign,  where  a  hasty  cup  of  cofTee  after 
severe  duty  on  the  skirmish  line  was  interrupted  by  the  nth  Corps  in  its 
hasty  and  unorganized  retreat;  then  a  return  again  to  Falmouth  and,  after 
a  brief  time,  on  the  march  which  terminated  July  2d  at  Gettysburg.  The 
remnant  of  the  regiment  participated  in  the  battle  about  Round  Top  and 
shared  in  the  losses  of  50  officers  and  920  men  killed  and  wounded  in  the 
brigade  having  only  2500  men  at  the  opening  of  the  battle.  After  Gettys- 
burg the  retreating  enemy  was  followed  until,  July  17th,  the  regiment 
reached  Fayetteville,  Va. ;  from  thence  it  returned  to  the  Rappahannock 
and  Alexandria,  thence  to  be  ordered  August  15th  to  New  York  to  assist  in 
suppressing  the  Draft  Riots.  A  pleasant  camp  of  three  weeks  in  Washing- 
ton Square  was  appreciated  ;  as  also  the  subsequent  station  at  Forts  Tomp- 
kins and  Wood  until  April  25,  1864.  Then  ordered  to  the  front,  the 
regiment  joined  the  9th  Corps  near  Alexandria  and  participated  in  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North  Anna  River,  Tolopotomy 
Creek  and  their  connecting  skirmishes.  In  one  of  these  latter  when  a  skir- 
mish line  was  falling  back,  the  brigade  commander  gave  the  command, 
"  Rally  on  the  Fourth  Infantry,"  a  command  not  strictly  according  to  the  drill 
book  but  it  answered  its  purpose.  June  22,  1864,  the  regiment,  now  num- 
bering but  134  men  for  duty,  was  ordered  to  City  Point  as  guard  to  General 
Grant's  headquarters.  This  duty  it  performed  until  the  surrender  of  Appo- 
matox.  Then  followed  a  tour  of  provost  duty  in  Richmond  and,  July  15, 
1865,  a  return  to  New  York  harbor.  While  stationed  here  a  detachment 
with  a  number  of  officers  was  sent  to  West  Point  conveying  the  colors  of 
the  regiment,  including  some  that  had  been  carried  in  the  Mexican  War. 
The  Corps  of  Cadets  was  paraded  and  joined  the  escort  of  the  tattered  and 
shot  ripped  flags  to  the  Post  Chapel  where  they  were  finally  deposited. 

From  the  harbor  stations  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  occupy  the  Lake 
posts  from  Plattsburg  to  Detroit.  In  1866  several  companies  participated 
in  suppressing  the  Fenian  Raid,  capturing  several  car  loads  of  war- 
like munitions.  From  the  Lakes  in  March,  1867,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  for  service  on  the  plains  in  the  Department  of  the  Platte.  Then 
followed  a  period  of  long  marches,  building  of  posts  and  cantonments,  fur- 
nishing guards  for  constructing  the  Pacific  railroad,  and  minor  Indian 
troubles.  The  consolidation  with  the  30th  Infantry  came  in  1869  with  the 
companies  widely  separated  at  remote  stations. 

In  1871  orders  directed  the  regiment  to  stations  in  Kentucky  and  the 
next  year  a  change  to  Arkansas.     A  year  and  a  half  of  civilization  was  fol- 


FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.  465 

lowed  by  a  return  to  frontier  service  in  the  Department  of  the  Platte. 
Most  of  the  posts  from  Omaha  to  Old  Camp  Brown  were  occupied  at  inter- 
vals until  1886.  Every  variety  of  service  including  the  larger  Indian  cam- 
paigns of  1876  and  1879  was  interspersed  between  the  not  always  quiet 
and  secure  duties  of  garrison  life. 

In  July,  18S6,  the  regiment  after  17  years  service  in  the  Platte  valley, 
was  ordered  to  Idaho  and  Washington  where  it  has  since  remained  occupy- 
ing Fort  Sherman,  Fort  Spokane  and  Boise  Barracks. 

Thus  ends  the  chronicle.  Let  him  who  may  point  to  more  honorable 
and  distinguished  service  faithfully  performed. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

Compiled  in  the  Office  of  the  Military  Service  Institution. 

THE  first  Fifth  Infantry  formed  in  our  service  after  the  adoption  of 
the  Constitution  was  organized  under  the  Act  of  July  i6,  1798.     At 
that  time  a  war  with   France  seemed  inevitable,  but  the  danger 
passed  away  and  this  regiment  was  discharged  under  the  Act  of 
May  14,  1800. 

The  unfortunate  affair  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Leopard,  followed  by  the 
decrees  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  in  regard  to  neutral  commerce,  and  the 
retaliatory  measures  adopted  by  the  British  government,  caused  a  degree 
of  excitement  in  the  United  States  in  1 807-1 808,  which  bid  fair  to  lead  to  war 
and  did  lead  to  an  increase  in  the  strength  of  the  army.  As  a  part  of  this 
increase  the  second  Fifth  Infantry  came  into  being  under  the  Act  of  April 
12,  1808.  Its  first  colonel  was  Alexander  Parker,  who  had  been  a  captain 
in  the  2d  Virginia  Regiment  of  the  Continental  army ;  but  he  resigned  after 
a  service  of  a  year  and  a  half,  and  in  the  next  five  years  had  five  successors. 
Evidently  the  commission  of  colonel  in  the  regular  army  was  valued  at  a 
much  lower  rate  then  than  at  the  present  time. 

This  regiment  took  part  in  the  action  at  Cook's  Mill  on  Lyon's  Creek, 
Upper  Canada  (Ontario),  October  19,  1814.  The  successful  sortie  from 
Fort  Erie  which  had  caused  the  British  to  raise  the  siege  and  retreat  to 
their  old  entrenchments  on  the  Chippeway  River,  had  taken  place  a  month 
before,  and  the  American  army  on  the  Niagara  now  numbered  some  8000 
men.  Hearing  of  a  considerable  quantity  of  gram  belonging  to  the  British 
at  Cook's  Mill,  a  brigade  was  sent  out  October  18  to  destroy  it,  which 
camped  that  night  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mill.  The  British  attacked  dur- 
ing the  night  but  were  repulsed.  They  renewed  the  attack  in  the  morning, 
but  the  main  body  came  up,  "Colonel  Pinkney  with  his  Fifth  Regiment 
was  ordered  to  turn  the  right  flank  of  the  enemy  and  cut  of?  his  field-piece," 
other  dispositions  were  also  promptly  made,  and  after  a  sharp  action  the 
British  fell  back  in  confusion,  retreating  to  Fort  George  and  Burlington 
Heights. 

In  May,  1815,  this  Fifth  Infantry  was  consolidated  with  the  iSth  and 
35th  regiments  to  form  the  Eighth  Infantry,  which  regiment  was  discharged 
the  service,  June  i,  rS2i. 

A  new  Fifth  Infantry  was  organized  May  15,  1S15,  under  the  Act  of 
March  3,  1815,  by  the  consolidation  of  the  4th,  9th,  13th,  21st,  40th,  and  46th 
regiments  of  infantry,  and  this  regiment  is  now  in  service. 

Its  first  colonel  was  James  Miller,  the  one  who  at  Lundy's  Lane,  when 
asked  if  he  could  take  a  certain  work  from  the  enemy,  replied  modestly, 
"I'll  try,  sir,"  and  proceeded  to  take  it  in  the  most  gallant  style.  None 
stood  higher  than  he.  He  was  brevetted  a  brigadier  general  and  was  given 
a  gold  medal  by  Congress. 

466 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        467 

The  other  officers  of  the  regiment,  as  given  by  the  roster  for  May  17, 
181 5,  were  Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  L.  Smith,  Major  J.  McNeal,  Jr.  (colonel  by 
brevet  for  Lundys  Lane),  Captams  J.  H.  Vose  (brevet  major  for  Mackinac;, 
S.  Burbank  (brevet  major  for  Lundy's  Lane),  Geo.  Bender,  M.  Marston 
(brevet  major  for  Fort  Erie),  W.  L.  Foster,  Peter  Pelham,  J.  Fowle,  E.  Childs, 
David  Perry,  and  James  Pratt. 

First  Lieutenants  H.  Whiting,  E.  Ripley,  L  Plympton,  D.  Chandler,  J. 

Cilley,  J.  Ingersoll,  Otis  Fisher,  J.  Gleason,  J.  W.  Holding  and  B.  F.  Earned. 

Second   Lieutenants  N.  Clark,  S.  Keeler,  S.  Robinson,  J.  Craig,  G.  H. 

Balding,  L  K.  Jacobs.  G.  W.  Jacobs,  A.  D.  Dake,  P.  R.  Green,  and  C.  Blake. 

Surgeon  Sylvester  Day,  and  Surgeon's  Mates  E.  L.  Allen  and  J.  P. 
Russell. 

Regimental  Headquarters  were  established  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  in  De- 
cember, 1 81 5,  and  probably  remained  there  until  1821,  but  in  May  of  1821 
seven  companies  of  the  regiment  were  at  St.  Peters,  two  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  one  at  Fort  Armstrong. 

In  1825  the  headquarters  were  at  Fort  Snelling,  and  from  that  time  until 
1845  the  regiment  occupied  some  three  or  four  of  the  following  named  posts, 
all  of  which  were  within  the  limits  of  the  present  States  of  Michigan,  Wis- 
consin, Illinois  and  Nebraska ;— Forts  Armstrong,  Atkinson,  Brady,  Craw- 
ford, Dearborn,  Gratiot,  Howard,  Mackinac,  Wilkins  and  Winnebago,  and 
Detroit  Barracks. 

There  was  undoubtedly  occasional  field  service  during  this  long  period, 
usually  to  overawe  the  Indians,  but  on  one  occasion  the  regiment  and  the 
Indians  came  into  actual  conflict.  This  was  during  the  Black  Hawk  War 
of  1841-42.  The  Indians  had  been  defeated  on  the  21st  of  July,  1842,  by 
the  volunteers,  and  were  in  full  flight  for  the  Mississippi.  General  Atkinson, 
with  a  force  of  regulars  and  volunteers  numbering  some  1400  men,  came  up 
with  them  August  2,  1842,  near  the  junction  of  Bad  Axe  Creek  with  the 
Mississippi,  attacked  and  completely  routed  them,  thus  ending  the  war.  A 
part,  if  not  all,  of  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  this  battle. 

General  Miller  resigned  in  1819  to  become  governor  of  the  Arkansas 
Territory  and  was  succeeded  by  Josiah  Snelling,  a  distinguished  officer  for 
whom  Fort  Snelling  was  named,  who  died  in  August,  1828.  Lieutenant 
Colonel  William  Lawrence,  of  the  Second  Infantry,  who  had  been  brevetted 
in  1814  for  his  gallant  defense  of  Fort  Bowyer,  Ala.,  became  colonel  of  the 
Fifth  in  place  of  Snelling,  but  resigned  in  1831  and  was  succeeded  by 
Brevet  Brigadier  General  G.  M.  Brooke,  promoted  from  the  Fourth,  who 
commanded  the  regiment  until  his  death  twenty  years  later. 

Early  in  the  year  1845  the  Mexican  minister  at  Washington  had  pro- 
tested against  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  United  States,  but  Congress 
finally  assented  to  it,  and  while  Texas  was  framing  her  constitution  as  a 
future  State,  the  President  ordered  the  concentration  of  a  body  of  U.  S. 
troops  between  the  River  Nueces  and  the  Rio  Grande  for  her  protection 
should  she  be  attacked  by  Mexico.  The  Fifth  Infantry  was  among  the 
regiments  designated  for  this  duty,  and  on  the  nth  of  October,  1845,  five 
companies  of  the  regiment,  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Mcintosh,  reached 
Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  and  reported  to  General  Z.  Taylor,  who  had  been 


468  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

designated  to  command  this  "Army  of  Occupation."  On  the  9th  of 
March,  1846.  the  march  to  the  Rio  Grande  began,  and  on  the  28th  the  army 
reached  that  river  opposite  Matamoras  and  there  went  into  camp.  General 
Taylor  had  with  him  about  2300  men,  including  the  2d  Dragoons,  three 
light  batteries,  a  battalion  of  foot  artillery,  and  the  3d,  4th,  5th,  7th,  and 
8th  regiments  of  infantry. 

General  Taylor's  depot  was  at  Point  Isabel— 27  miles  distant— and  the 
Mexicans  were  soon  reported  to  be  in  force  on  his  line  of  supply.  Fortify- 
ing the  position  opposite  Matamoras  and  leaving  a  small  garrison  there,  he 
marched  the  main  body  of  the  army  to  Point  Isabel,  but  met  with  no  op- 
position by  the  way.  Having  fortified  that  post  he  started  upon  the  return 
and  encountered  the  Mexican  army  in  force  at  Palo  Alto  on  the  8th  of  May. 

The  action  began  at  2  o'clock  p.  M.,  and  for  some  time  was  conducted 
almost  wholly  by  the  artillery.  About  3  o'clock  "  a  large  body  of  the 
enemy's  red  lancers  charged  the  5th  Infantry  with  a  view  to  cutting  off  our 
wagon  train.  They  were  met  with  the  most  perfect  tranquility,  and  a  dis- 
charge of  musketry  from  the  5th  told  us  their  fate.  They  fled  precipi- 
tately, leaving  men,  horses  and  guidons  on  the  field."  The  action  lasted 
until  about  7  P.  M„  when  the  enemy  retreated. 

General  Taylor  resumed  the  advance  early  on  the  8th  and  encountered 
the  Mexicans  during  the  afternoon  in  position  at  a  sort  of  ravine,  called 
Resaca  de  la  Palma,  which  ran  obliquely  to  his  line  of  advance.  The 
Mexican  artillery  swept  the  road  by  which  the  American  army  must  ad- 
vance, and  their  best  troops  were  in  support.  The  battle  began  at  once. 
May  made  his  famous  charge,  in  which  he  captured  the  Mexican  guns,  but 
was  unable  to  carry  them  ofT;  then  the  infantry,— chiefly  the  5th  and  8th, 
— charged  the  Mexican  centre,  breaking  it  and  driving  the  Mexicans  in 
utter  rout  before  them.  The  American  loss  in  these  two  battles  was  three 
officers  and  35  men  killed,  and  13  officers  and  about  100  men  wounded. 

The  American  army  soon  afterward  occupied  Matamoras,  and  in  August 
and  September  moved  up  the  Rio  Grande  to  Camargo  and  thence  to  Mon- 
terey, before  which  city  it  arrived  September  19.  1846,  scarcely  7000  strong. 

The  Fifth  Infantry  was  in  Worth's  Division  and  took  part  in  the  turning 
movement  by  which  the  enemy's  line  of  communication  was  cut,  and  he  was 
shut  up  in  the  city  and  forced  to  surrender.  It  was  in  the  second  line  and  was 
not  actively  engaged  until  the  first  line  attacked  Federation  Hill  and  was 
seen  to  be  threatened  by  heavy  Mexican  reinforcements. 

"This  induced  General  Worth  to  order  Colonel  P.  F.  Smith  forward,  with  the 
Fifth  Infantry  under  Major  Martin  Scott,  to  take  part  in  the  contest.  Captain  C.  F. 
Smith  (commanding  a  part  of  the  first  line)  drove  the  enemy  from  the  battery  and 
breastworks  nearest  to  us,  but  he  then  discovered  another  work  called  Fort  Soldado, 
several  hundred  yards  further  on,  and  there  was  great  emulation  among  the  regiments 
to  see  which  should  reach  it  first.  The  Fifth  Infantry  won  the  race  and  went  in  over 
the  parapet  at  one  end  as  the  Mexicans  went  out  of  the  other." 

Soon  after  daylight  on  the  23d,  the  suburbs  of  the  city  were  occupied  by 
the  troops  of  the  division  and  an  advance  from  house  to  house  continued 
all  day.  The  enemy  was  now  cooped  in  between  Twiggs'  Division  on  one 
side,  and  Worth's  on  the  other,  and  on  the  24th  of  September  capitulated. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        469 

surrendering  the  city  but  marching  out  with  their  arms  and  with  colors  fly- 
ing. 

This  is  the  last  action  in  which  the  regiment  took  part  in  Northern 
Mexico,  for  in  January,  1847,  it  was  ordered  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande 
preparatory  to  a  transfer  to  General  Scott's  line.  At  this  time  it  numbered 
23  officers  and  397  men. 

The  Fifth  Infantry  did  not  take  an  active  part  in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz, 
and  Worth's  Division,  of  which  it  formed  a  part,  did  not  reach  the  field  of 
Cerro  Gordo  until  the  enemy  had  displayed  the  white  flag.  The  Division 
then  took  the  advance  and  occupied  the  City  and  Castle  of  Perote  on  the 
22d  of  April,  capturing  all  the  enemy's  material  there. 

Eight  companies  of  the  regiment  were  in  the  thick  of  the  fight  at 
Churubusco,  C  and  D  at  that  time  being  away  on  escort  duty.  Company  H 
also,  although  present,  was  detached  from  the  regiment  and  formed  part  of 
Colonel  C.  F.  Smith's  light  infantry  battalion.  The  regiment  went  into 
action  with  14  officers  and  370  men,  losing  two  officers  wounded  and  49  men 
killed,  wounded  and  missing.  It  was  in  the  2d  Brigade,  Worth's  Division, 
and  took  part  in  the  turning  movement  which  forced  the  evacuation  of  the 
enemy's  works  at  San  Antonio,  and  then  followed  the  fleeing  enemy  rapidly 
along  the  causeway  to  Churubusco.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Mcintosh,  com- 
manding the  Fifth,  became  the  brigade  commander  in  the  midst  of  the 
action  by  the  wounding  of  Colonel  Clarke,  and  Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel 
M.  Scott  succeeded  him  in  command  of  the  regiment.  Arriving  before  the 
tite  de  po)it  at  Churubusco  the  regiment  moved  around  the  enemy's  works 
to  the  right,  and  "was  among  the  first  to  storm  them  and  drive  the  enemy's 
troops  towards  the  city." 

On  this  date,  August  20,  1847,  the  absent  companies, — C  and  D, — had 
just  finished  a  march  of  14  days  as  part  of  the  escort  to  a  train  from  Vera 
Cruz  to  Jalapa,  having  had  four  engagements  by  the  way, — at  Paso  Ov'cjas, 
The  National  Bridge,  Cerro  Gordo,  and  Las  Animas, — with  the  Mexican 
guerillas,  who  believed  that  the  train  contained  a  large  amount  of  specie. 

The  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey  gave  an  opportunity  for  the  regiment  to 
show  its  metal  which  was  taken  advantage  of  to  the  fullest  extent.  It  was 
represented  on  the  assaulting  party  by  Captain  Merrill  and  100  men  ;  Com- 
pany H  was  still  with  the  light  battalion,  and  Companies  C  and  D  were  still 
absent. 

Worth's  Division  was  under  arms  at  3  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  8th 
September,  1S47,  and  by  four  o'clock  was  in  position  and  ready  for  the 
assault  upon  the  enemy's  works.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  to  distinguish 
his  position  the  assaulting  column  moved  forward. 

"  At  the  distance  of  200  yards  the  enemy  opened  on  us  with  round  and  grape  shot 
with  considerable  effect,  the  ground  being  perfectly  level.  I  instantly  ordered  the 
double  quick  step  ;  the  line  advanced  rapidly  and  immediately  came  within  close  musket 
range.  I  found  the  enemy  securely  and  strongly  posted  within  his  fort,  and  lines  on 
either  flank  extending  beyond  view.  He  had  extended  his  artillery,  which  was  placed 
a  little  in  advance,  and  with  his  immense  superiority  in  numbers,  and  comparatively 
secure,  was  enabled  to  concentrate  all  his  fire  upon  our  ranks,  already  very  much  re- 
duced in  numbers.     Myself  struck  down  with  a  musket  ball,  I  was  unable  to  see  the 


470  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

state  of  the  contest  for  a  few  moments,  and  was  soon  after  obliged  to  leave  the  field, 
not,  however,  before  witnessing  the  movement  of  the  gallant  light  battalion  to  support 
the  advance.  The  assaulting  column  continued  the  combat,  in  conjunction  with  the 
other  corps  of  the  Division,  until  the  enemy's  positions  were  all  carried  and  we  remained 
in  possession  of  the  field  ;  after  which  there  bemg  but  three  officers  left  and  the  rank 
and  file  very  much  reduced,  they  joined  their  respective  regiments."* 

The  position  assigned  the  regiment  was  on  the  left  of  the  Division  line, 
near  Duncan's  Battery,  where  it  also  charged  the  enemy's  fortified  line,  the 
great  losses  sustained  testifying  to  the  gallantry  of  the  attack. 

"  Brevet  Colonel  Mcintosh,  temporarily  in  command  of  the  brigade,  was  thrice 
wounded  while  gallantly  engaged  in  urging  on  the  command.  He  is  happily  still  pre- 
served to  us.  Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  Scott,  commanding  the  regiment,  was  very 
active,  as  he  always  was,  in  leading  and  urging  on  the  regiment  to  the  charge.  When 
within  about  20  yards  of  the  enemy,  he  received  a  mortal  wound  and  almost  immedi- 
ately expired.  He  left  no  better  or  more  gallant  soldier  to  lament  his  fall,  and  met  his 
fate  with  his  face  to  the  enemy  at  the  head  of  his  command.  The  conscientious,  gallant 
and  noble  Merrill  was  detached  with  the  storming  party  and  fell  early  in  the  action 
while  waving  his  sword  above  his  head  and  urging  on  his  men  to  the  charge."t 

The  regiment  (exclusive  of  Companies  C,  D  and  H)  numbered  i3officers 
and  342  men  on  the  date  of  this  battle,  and  its  loss  was  3  officers  and  27  men 
killed  ;  4  officers  and  107  men  wounded  ;  and  5  men  missing,— a  loss  of  40 
per  cent,  of  its  entire  strength. 

A  storming  party  of  10  officers  and  260  men,  volunteers,  was  furnished 
by  "Worth's  Division  for  the  storming  of  the  Castle  of  Chapultepec,  Septem- 
ber 13,  and  the  remainder  of  the  Division  was  ordered  to  support  Pillow's 
Division;  but  the  support  was  called  upon  early  in  the  day,  and  the  2d 
Brigade,  mingling  with  the  advancing  forces,  entered  with  them  into  the 
Castle  of  Chapultepec.  Meantime  the  ist  Brigade  moved  along  the  San 
Cosme  road,  followed  very  soon  by  the  victorious  2d  Brigade  from  the  Cas- 
tle. Arriving  at  250  yards  from  the  Garita  San  Cosme,  the  2d  Brigade  was 
ordered  to  take  the  buildings  on  the  left  of  the  road  "  and,  by  the  use  of  bars 
and  picks,  burrow  through  from  house  to  house,  to  carry  the  right  of  the 
Garita."  At  s  o'clock  a  position  was  reached  from  which.it  was  necessary 
to  make  a  dash  for  the  gate.     General  Worth  says  : 

' '  The  moment  had  now  arrived  for  the  final  and  combined  attack  upon  the  last 
stronghold  of  the  enemy  in  my  quarter  ;  it  was  made  by  our  men  springing  as  if  by 
magic,  to  the  tops  of  the  houses  into  which  they  had  patiently  and  quietly  made  their 
way  with  bar  and  pick,  and  to  the  utter  surprise  and  consternation  of  the  enemy, 
opening  upon  him,  within  easy  range,  a  destructive  fire  of  musketry.  A  single  dis- 
charge, in  which  many  of  his  gunners  were  killed  at  their  pieces,  was  sufficient  to  drive 
him  in  confusion  from  his  breastworks  ;  when  a  prolonged  shout  from  our  brave  fel- 
lows announced  that  we  were  in  possession  of  the  Garita  of  San  Cosme,  and  already  in 
the  City  of  Mexico." 

The  City  of  Mexico  surrendered  September  14,  1847,  and  the  war  was 
virtually  ovt-r. 

Thirty  officers  of  the  regiment   had  served  with  it  at  different  times 


*  Report  of  Brevet  Major  George  Wright,  8th  Infantry,  commanding  assaulting  column, 
t  Report  of  Captain  Wm.  Chapman,  5th  Infantry,  Commanding  Regiment. 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  NTR  V.        47 1 

during  the  war,  and  of  these  7  were  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  8  were 
more  or  less  severely  wounded,  i  was  murdered  while  carrying  dispatches 
and  I  died  of  disease. 

Seven  were  twice  brevetted  and  11  received  one  brevet  each,  while  24  of 
the  30  are  mentioned  one  or  more  times  as  "distinguished  in  action."  Only 
eight  officers  of  the  regiment, — Major  Martin  Scott,  Captains  M.  E.  Merrill, 
and  William  Chapman,  and  Lieutenants  S.  H.  Fowler,  M.  Rosecrans,  E.  B. 
Strong,  J.  P.  Smith  and  P.  A.  Farrelly, — served  in  the  field  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  of  these  Major  Scott,  Captain  Merrill,  and 
Lieutenant  Strong  were  killed  at  Molino  del  Rey,  and  Lieutenant  Smith  at 
Chapultepec. 

Peace  was  declared  in  May,  1848,  and  on  the  12th  of  June  the  last  of  the 
American  troops  left  the  City  of  Mexico.  The  Fifth  was  sent  to  the  Arkan- 
sas and  Indian  Territories,  and  on  January  i,  1849,  its  companies  were 
occupying  Forts  Gibson,  Smith,  Washita  and  Towson. 

The  veteran  colonel  of  the  regiment. — George  M.  Brooke, — was  at  this 
time  commanding  the  8th  Military  Department,  with  the  brevet  rank  of 
major  general  which  had  been  conferred  upon  him  for  services  during  the 
war.  He  died  at  his  headquarters, — San  Antonio,  Texas,— March  9,  1851. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Gustavus  Loomis,  6th  Infantry,  was  promoted  to  the 
Fifth  in  his  stead,  and  continued  to  be  its  colonel  until  he  was  retired  in 
1863. 

In  1851  the  Fifth  relieved  the  Seventh  in  Texas,  and  at  first  occupied 
posts  on  the  Clear  Fork  and  Red  Fork  of  the  Brazos  River,  finally  concen- 
trating at  Fort  Belknap,  on  the  Red  Fork,  eight  miles  above  its  junction 
with  the  Clear  Fork, — which  post  was  established  June  13,  1851,  and  named 
for  Lieutenant  Colonel  W.  G.  Belknap,  then  commanding  the  regiment. 

In  January,  1854,  the  regiment  was  at  Fort  Mcintosh,  and  later,  a  part 
of  it  occupied  Fort  Ringgold  ;  but  in  1857  it  was  sent  to  Florida,  with  head- 
quarters at  Fort  Myers.  General  Scott's  G.  O.  No.  4,  series  of  1857,  men- 
tions the  following  fight  in  which  a  small  part  of  the  regiment  was  en- 
gaged. 

'  Lieutenant  Edmund  Freeman,  5th  Infantry,  reconnoitring  with  a  small  party  in 
the  Big  Cypress  Swamp,  near  Bowleg's  town,  Florida,  was  attacked  by  the  Seminoles, 
March  5,  himself  and  three  of  his  men  severely  wounded  and  one  man  killed.  Cap- 
tain Carter  L.  Stevenson,  5th  Infentry,  called  by  express  from  Fort  Keats  20  miles 
distant,  came  rapidly  to  the  relief  of  Lieutenant  Freeman's  party,  attacked  the  enemy, 
and,  after  a  gallant  skirmish,  put  them  to  flight,  with  an  evident  loss  to  the  Indians, 
the  extent  of  which  could  not  be  ascertained,  owing  to  the  density  of  the  hum- 
mock." 

The  tour  of  service  of  the  regiment  in  Florida  was  very  short,  for  in 
June,  1857,  an  expedition  to  Utah  was  organized,  of  which  it  formed  a  pait, 
and  in  September  of  that  year  it  was  at  Fort  Laramie.  On  the  4th  of  Oc- 
tober, under  Lieutenant  Colonel  C.  A.  Waite,  it  reached  Camp  Winfield, 
U.  T.,  about  thirty  miles  northwest  from  Fort  Bridger.  Here  it  remained 
until  July,  1858,  when  it  entered  the  Valley  of  Salt  Lake  with  the  "  Army 
of  Utah."  taking  position  at  Camp  Floyd,  afterwards  called  Fort  Critten- 
den.    Here  or  in  this  vicinity  it  remained  without  incident  of  note  until 


472  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  fall  of  i860,  when  it  was  transferred  to  New  Mexico  and  stationed  at 
Forts  Defiance,  Fontleroy,  Stanton,  and  Hatch's  Ranch. 

The  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  found  the  regiment  still  in  New  Mexico, 
but  in  May  and  June,  1861,  it  was  concentrating  at  Albuquerque  and  Fort 
Union  with  a  view  to  a  transfer  East.  The  remonstrances  of  the  depart- 
ment commander,  however,  caused  a  revocation  of  the  order,  and  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1862,  the  regiment  was  still  in  New  Mexico,  and  five  of  its  com- 
panies formed  a  part  of  the  garrison  ot  Fort  Craig.  Four  of  these  com- 
panies, B,  D,  F  and  I,  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Valverde,  on  the  21st  of 
that  month. 

At  first  this  action  promised  to  be  a  victory  and  the  enemy  was  driven 
some  distance,  but  he  rallied  and  attacked  the  flank  of  the  Union  army, 
forcing  it  to  retreat.  The  four  companies  of  the  Fifth  performed  the  most 
valuable  service  of  the  day  in  covering  the  final  retreat.  General  Canby 
says  : 

"  The  movement  of  Selden's  column  (four  companies  of  the  Fifth  Jnfantry),  in  the 
immediate  presence  and  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  was  admirably  executed,  the 
command  moving  with  deliberation,  halting  occasionally  to  allow  the  wounded  to  keep 
up  with  it,  and  many  of  the  men  picking  up  and  carrying  with  them  the  arms  of  their 
dead  or  wounded  comrades." 

Companies  A  and  G,  under  Captain  Lewis,  took  part  in  the  action  of 
March  28,  1862,  at  Apache  Canon,  N.  M.  They  formed  part  of  Major  Chiv- 
ington's  column,  which  was  sent  to  attack  the  enemy's  rear.  The  attack 
was  successful  and  the  enemy's  train  was  captured  and  burned.  To  Cap- 
tain Lewis'  battalion  was  assigned  the  duty  of  capturing  a  field-piece,  which 
it  did^  effectually,  "Captain  Lewis  capturing  and  spiking  the  gun  after 
having  five  shots  discharged  at  him.  *  *  *  Captain  Lewis  had  the 
most  dangerous  duty  assigned  him,  which  he  performed  with  unfaltering 
heroism." 

The  regiment  took  part  in  the  action  at  Peralta,  N.  M.,  April  15,  1862. 
General  Canby  had  concentrated  his  forces  and  on  that  date  drove  the 
Confederates  out  of  their  positions  in  front  and  in  rear  of  the  town. 
During  the  afternoon  preparations  were  made  for  continuing  the  action,  but 
that  night  the  enemy  evacuated  the  town  and  retreated  towards  Texas.  A 
vigorous  pursuit  was  made,  and  during  the  night  of  the  i6th  the  enemy 
abandoned  a  large  portion  of  his  train  and  fled  into  the  mountains. 

On  the  loth  of  August,  1 862,  four  companies  of  the  regiment  met  General 
Carleton's  column  from  California  at  Las  Cruses,  and  at  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember Companies  D,  E,  F  and  G  were  at  Peralta  under  Captain  Bristol, 
and  Companies  A,  B,  I  and  K,  at  Fort  Craig  under  Captain  Archer. 

The  regiment  remained  in  New  Mexico  without  further  incident  of  note 
until  the  redistribution  of  the  regular  regiments  in  1866.  It  was  then 
assigned  to  the  Department  of  the  Missouri,  comprising  the  States  of 
Missouri,  Kansas,  and  the  territories  of  Colorado  and  New  Mexico. 
Although  the  companies  of  the  regiment  were  not  called  upon  to  take  part 
in  any  of  the  great  campaigns  of  the  war,  many  of  the  officers  who  belonged 
or  had  belonged  to  it  were  found  fighting  on  one  side  or  the  other. 
Generals  David  Hunter,   H.  P.  Van  Cleve,  J.  C.  Robinson,  C.  S.  Hamilton, 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        473 

J.  J.  Abercrombie,  T.  H.  Neill.  W.  W.  Burns,  A.  T.  A.  Torbert,  and  R.  S. 
Granger,  all  held  actual  rank  as  general  officers  in  the  volunteer  forces;  and 
Generals  Daniel  Ruggles,  C.  L.  Stevenson,  W.  N.  R.  Beall,  A.  Gracie,  Jr.. 
and  B.  M.  Thomas  were  found  upon  the  opposite  side.  On  the  20th 
of  October,  1868,  regimental  headquarters  and  two  companies  were  at  Fort 
Riley,  and  the  other  companies  were  at  Forts  Wallace,  Hays,  Lyon, 
Reynolds,  and  Camps  Davidson  and  Cottonwood  Creek,  all  in  Kansas. 

On  the  ist  of  June,  1863,  Colonel  Loomis  retired  from  active  service. 
He  had  not  served  with  the  regiment  since  July,  1857,  after  which  time  he 
was  commanding  the  Department  of  Florida,  or  was  absent  with  leave,  until 
after  the  Fifth  had  left  Utah.  From  August,  1 861,  until  the  date  of  his 
retirement,  he  had  been  the  Superintendent  of  the  General  Recruiting 
Service  for  the  regular  army. 

John  F.  Reynolds,  major  general  of  volunteers  and  lieutenant  colonel 
14th  Infantry,  succeeded  Colonel  Loomis,  and  just  one  month  later  was 
killed  at  Gettysburg,  promoting  Daniel  Butterfield,  lieutenant  colonel  of  the 
1 2th  and  at  that  time  major  general  of  volunteers,  who  remained  the  colonel 
of  the  Fifth  until  he  resigned,  March  14,  1870,  when  Brevet  Major  General 
Nelson  A.  Miles,  colonel  of  the  40th  Infantry,  was  transferred  to  the  Fifth 
to  fill  the  vacancy. 

The  service  of  the  regiment  in  Kansas  was  far  from  being  uneventful, 
yet  few  opportunities  were  offered  for  brilliant  achievements. 

In  September,  1868,  Colonel  G.  A.  Forsyth  with  50  scouts  followed  the 
trail  of  an  Indian  party  to  the  ArickareeForkof  the  Republican  River  where 
he  was  attacked  by  about  700  Indians.  After  a  very  gallant  fight  he  repulsed 
them,  but  they  surrounded  him  and  held  him  on  the  battle  field  for  eight 
days,  until  the  arrival  of  a  hundred  men  from  Fort  Wallace,  sent  by  Brevet 
Lieut.  Col.  Bankhead,  5th  Infantry  "with  the  most  commendable  energy" 
to  his  relief. 

General  Sheridan  in  his  report  for  1868  says  :— "  In  addition  there  were 
a  number  of  movements  from  posts,  especially  from  Forts  Wallace,  Dodge, 
Lyon,  and  Hays,  in  which  some  Indians  were  killed." 

Under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1869,  the  Fifth  Infantry  still  retaining  its 
own  designation,  was  consolidated  with  one-half  of  the  37th  Infantry, 
seven  captains  and  fifteen  lieutenants  of  the  old  regiment  remaining  with 
the  new.  The  field  officers  were  all  changed.  Brevet  Major  General  Nelson 
A.  Miles  becoming  the  colonel  ;  Brevet  Major  General  C.  R.  Woods  the 
lieutenant  colonel;  and  Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  George  Gibson  the 
major. 

The  37th  Regiment  of  Infantry  was  originally  authorized  as  the  3d 
Battalion  of  the  19th  Infantry  under  the  Act  of  July  29,  1861  ;  but  it  was 
not  fully  organized  as  a  battalion  until  i866,  its  companies  having  been 
formed  in  1865-66.  It  therefore  saw  no  service  in  the  Rebellion.  In  the  re- 
organization of  1869  the  3d  Battalion  of  the  19th  Infantry  became  the  37th 
Regiment  of  Infantry. 

Early  in  May,  1870,  the  Indians  raided  the  line  of  the  Kansas  Pacific 
R.  R.,  and  General  Pope  reports  : 

"  As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  raid  reached  me  by  telegraph  I  directed  Lieutenant 


474  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Colonel  C.  R.  Woods,  5th  Infantry,  commanding  Fort  Wallace,  to  take  charge  of  the 
region  of  country  along  the  railroad  from  Wallace  to  Denver  and  to  transfer  his  head- 
quarters to  some  convenient  point  between  those  places.  I  gave  him  general  com- 
mand for  this  service  of  the  troops  at  Wallace,  Lyon  and  Reynolds.  *  *  *  Col- 
onel Woods  promptly  distributed  his  infantry  force  along  the  line  of  the  roads  and 
sent  out  four  troops  of  cavalry  under  Major  Reno,  7th  Cavalry,  in  pursuit  of  the 
raiding  party.  The  Indians,  however,  had  too  much  the  start  and  escaped  across  the 
Platte.  *  *  *  Another  attack  was  attempted  soon  after,  near  River  Bend,  but  the 
troops  were  at  their  stations  and  easily  repulsed  it." 

For  several  years  the  Indians  were  unusually  quiet  in  the  region  occu- 
pied by  the  Fifth,  but  in  1874  a  band  of  hostile  Comanches  and  Kiowas 
attacked  the  Wichita  Agency,  and  General  Miles  was  sent  against  them 
from  Camp  Supply,  I.  T.,  with  8  troops  of  the  6th  Cavalry ;  four  companies 
of  his  own  regiment,  and  a  section  of  artillery.  At  the  same  time  four 
companies  of  the  regiment  and  a  troop  of  the  6th  Cavalry  were  sent  to  the 
Cheyenne  and  Arapahoe  Agency,  to  capture  all  hostile  Indians  who  had 
been  raiding  and  might  seek  safety  from  General  Miles  movements  against 
them.     General  Sheridan  says  : 

"  August  30th,  the  column  of  Colonel  Miles  encountered  the  Indians  near  the 
headwaters  of  the  Washita  and  kept  up  a  running  fight  for  several  days,  the  Indians 
steadily  falling  back  until  they  reached  the  hills  about  8  miles  from  Salt  Fork  of  Red 
River,  where  they  made  a  stand  but  were  promptly  attacked,  routed  and  pursued  in  a 
southwesterly  direction,  across  the  main  Red  River  and  out  into  the  Staked  Plains, 
with  a  loss  of  3  killed,  besides  animals  and  camp  equipage  captured." 

The  troops  had  one  soldier  and  one  civilian  wounded. 

September  9th,  Indians  attacked  Colonel  Miles'  supply  train,  escorted  by 
about  60  men,  commanded  by  Captain  Lyman,  5th  Infantry,  on  the  Washita 
River,  Texas,  keeping  it  corralled  there  for  several  days  until  relief  arrived 
from  Camp  Supply,  I.  T.  One  enlisted  man  was  killed,  one  soldier,  a 
wagon-master,  and  Lieutenant  G.  Lewis,  5th  Infantry,  were  wounded. 

"  November  8th,  near  McClellan's  Creek,  Texas,  Lieutenant  F.  D.  Baldwin,  5th 
Infantry,  with  a  detachment  consisting  of  Troop  D,  6th  Cavalry,  and  Company  D,  5th 
Infantry,  attacked  a  large  camp  of  Indians,  routing  them  with  the  loss  of  much  of  their 
property.  Two  little  white  girls,  Adelaide  and  Julia  Germaine,  aged  five  and  seven 
years,  were  rescued  from  these  Indians.  The  children  stated  that  two  older  sisters 
were  still  held  in  captivity  by  the  Indians.  The  story  of  their  woe  and  suffering  in 
captivity  was  pitiable  in  the  extreme,  not  even  their  tender  years  sparing  them  from 
the  most  dreadful  treatment.  Their  father,  mother,  brother  and  one  sister  were  all 
murdered  at  the  time  the  four  sisters  were  captured.  At  the  close  of  this  campaign 
the  other  two  sisters  were  rescued  from  the  Indians  and  all  four  provided  a  comfortable 
home  with  the  aimy  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  General  Miles  became  their  guar- 
dian and  Congress  authorized  the  stoppage  of  an  amount  for  the  support  of  the  chil- 
dren from  the  annuities  of  their  captors,  the  southern  Cheyennes." 

General  Miles'  force,  consisting  of  8  troops  of  the  6th  Cavalry,  4  of  the 
8th  Cavalry,  and  four  companies  of  the  5th  Infantry,  was  actively  and  inces- 
santly occupied  from  July  21,  1874,  to  February  12,  1875, 

"in  scouting  the  entire  section  infested  by  the  Indian  Territory  bands,  keeping  the 
Indians  so  constantly  on  the  move  that  they  were  unable  to  lay  in  any  stock  of  pro- 
visions.    This  active  work  was  continued  by  the  troops  upon  the  exposed  and  barren 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        475 

plains  of  that  region  during  the  whole  of  a  winter  of  unprecedented  severity,  and  as 
the  season  advanced  the  difficulty  of  supplying  the  necessary  forage  and  subsistence  in- 
creased so  that  no  little  hardship  and  privation  resulted  ;  but  the  troops  bore  everything 
with  fortitude  and  courage,  and  without  complaint.  By  extraordinary  efforts  enough 
supplies  reached  the  troops  to  keep  them  in  the  field  until  their  work  was  done,  and  at 
length,  early  in  March,  1S75,  the  southern  Cheyennes,  completely  broken  down,  gave  up 
the  contest,  and  under  their  principal  chief,  Stone  Calf,  the  whole  body  of  that  tribe, 
with  a  trifling  exception,  surrendered  themselves  as  prisoners  of  war." 

The  ringleaders  among  the  Indians  were  selected  to  be  sent  to  San 
Augustine,  and  on  the  6th  of  April,  while  shackling  "  Black  Horse,"  one  of 
them,  he  broke  away  and  ran  towards  the  camp  of  his  people.  He  was  pur- 
sued and  finally  killed,  and  some  of  the  shots  fired  at  him  passed  over  into 
the  Indian  camp,  wounding  several  persons  there.  Upon  this  about  one- 
half  the  Cheyenne  tribe  fled  to  the  hills  opposite  the  agency.  Captain  Ben- 
nett's company  of  the  Fifth,  with  three  troops  of  cavalry,  all  under  Colonel 
O'Neill,  followed. 

"  but  the  Indians,  well  supplied  with  the  firearms  they  had  hidden  in  that  vicinity,  occu- 
pied a  diflicult  hill  and  maintained  themselves  against  the  troops  for  several  hours  until 
nightfall.  By  night  the  troops  had  forced  their  way  nearly  to  the  crest  of  the  hill 
occupied  by  the  Indians,  but  at  daylight  it  was  found  the  enemy  had  fled  during  the 
night.  Eleven  Indians  were  found  dead  and  19  soldiers  were  wounded.  Troops  from 
other  posts  in  the  vicinity  were  ordered  to  assist  in  the  pursuit,  and  eventually  most  of 
the  escaped  Cheyennes  gave  themselves  up." 

For  over  a  year  no  event  worthy  of  notice  occurred,  but  in  June,  1876, 
the  news  of  the  Custer  Massacre  aroused  the  whole  country.  Reinforce- 
ments were  gathered  at  once  from  all  directions  to  send  to  Generals  Terry 
and  Crook,  and  the  Fifth  left  the  Department  of  the  Missouri  in  which  it 
had  served  so  many  years,  for  the  Department  of  the  Dakota,  where,  after 
several  long  and  harassing  marches  in  pursuit  of  the  hostiles,  who  however, 
succeeded  in  eluding  pursuit,  it  was  sent  to  establish  a  post  at  the  mouth 
of  Tongue  River,  Montana,  which  was  afterwards  named  Fort  Keogh. 

A  train  with  supplies  for  this  post  left  Glendive  Creek,  Montana,  Octo- 
ber 10,  1876,  and  its  escort  had  a  running  fight  with  Sitting  Bull's  Indians 
until  the  i8th,  when  it  was  met  by  General  Miles,  who,  alarmed  for  its 
safety,  had  come  out  with  his  whole  regiment  to  meet  it.  Learning  the  im- 
mediate situation  from  Colonel  Otis,  commanding  the  escort,  General  Miles 
followed  Sitting  Bull,  overtaking  him  near  Cedar  Creek,  Montana,  north  of 
the  Yellowstone.  After  several  "  talks  "  in  which  Sitting  Bull  manifested  a 
strong  desire  for  an  "  old-fashioned  peace  "  but  gave  no  indication  of  accept- 
ing the  terms  offered  by  General  Miles,  he  was  at  last  informed  that  he  must 
accept  or  fight.     General  Sheridan  says  : 

"  The  Indians  took  positions  instantly  for  a  fight  and  an  engagement  followed,  the 
Indians  being  driven  from  every  part  of  the  field,  through  their  camp  ground,  down 
Bad  Route  Creek  and  pursued  42  miles  to  the  south  side  of  the  Yellowstone.  In  their 
retreat  they  abandoned  tons  of  dried  meat,  quantities  of  lodge  poles,  camp  equipage, 
ponies  and  broken  down  cavalry  horses.  Five  dead  warriors  were  left  on  the  field, 
besides  those  they  were  seen  to  carry  away.  Their  force  was  estimated  at  upwards  of 
a  thousand  warriors.     On  October  27th,  over  400  lodges  of  Indians,  numbering  about 


476  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

2000  men,  women  and  children,  surrendered  to  Colonel  Miles,  five  chiefs  giving  them- 
selves up  as  hostages  for  the  delivery  of  men,  women,  children,  ponies,  arms  and 
ammunition  at  the  agencies.  Sitting  Bull  himself  escaped  northward  with  his  own 
small  band,  and  was  later  joined  by  '  Gall '  and  other  chiefs  with  their  followers. 
Having  returned  to  Tongue  River  Cantonment,  Colonel  Miles  organized  a  force  of  434 
rifles  and  moved  north  in  pursuit  of  Sitting  Bull,  but  the  trail  was  obliterated  by  the 
snow  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Big  Dry  River.     *     *     * 

"  On  December  7,  1876,  Lieutenant  F.  D.  Baldwin,  with  Companies  G,  Hand 
I,  5th  Infantry,  numbering  100  officers  and  men,  overtook  Sitting  Bull's  camp  of  190 
lodges,  followed  and  drove  it  south  of  the  Missouri  near  the  mouth  of  Bark  Creek.  The 
Indians  resisted  Baldwin's  crossing  of  the  river  for  a  short  time,  and  then  retreated 
into  the  bad  lands. 

"  On  December  i8th,  this  same  force  under  Lieutenant  Baldwin  surprised  Sitting 
Bull's  band  of  122  lodges  near  the  head  of  the  Red  Water,  a  southern  affluent  of  the 
Missouri,  capturing  the  entire  camp  and  its  contents,  together  with  about  60  horses, 
ponies  and  mules.  The  Indians  escaped  with  little  besides  what  they  had  upon  their 
persons,  and  scattered  southward  across  the  Yellowstone.     *     *     * 

"  On  the  29th  of  December,  Colonel  Miles,  with  Companies  A,  C,  D,  E  and  K, 
5th  Infantry,  and  Companies  E  and  F,  22d  Infantry,  numbering  436  officers  and  men, 
with  two  pieces  of  artillery,  moved  out  against  the  Sioux  and  Cheyennes  under  Crazy 
Horse,  whose  camp  had  been  reported  south  of  the  Yellowstone,  in  the  valley  of  the 
Tongue  River.  As  the  column  moved  up  the  Tongue,  the  Indians  abandoned  their 
winter  camps,  consisting  of  about  600  lodges,  and  the  column  had  two  sharp  skirmishes 
on  the  1st  and  3d  of  January,  1877,  driving  the  Indians  up  the  valley  of  Tongue  River 
until  the  night  of  the  7th,  when  the  advance  captured  a  young  warrior  and  7  Cheyenne 
women  and  children,  who  proved  to  be  relatives  of  one  of  tbe  head-men  of  the  tribe. 
A  determined  attempt  was  made  by  the  Indians  to  rescue  the  prisoners,  and  prepara- 
tions were  made  for  the  severe  fight  to  be  expected  the  next  day.  On  the  morning  of 
January  8th,  about  600  warriors  appeared  in  front  of  the  troops  and  an  engagement 
followed,  lasting  about  five  hours.  The  fight  took  place  in  a  canon,  the  Indians 
occupying  a  spur  of  the  Wolf  Mountain  range,  from  which  they  were  driven  by  repeated 
charges.  The  ground  was  covered  with  ice  and  snow  to  a  depth  of  from  one  to  three 
feet,  and  the  latter  portion  of  the  engagement  was  fought  in  a  blinding  snow-storm, 
the  troops  stumbling  and  falling  in  scaling  the  ice  and  snow-covered  cliffs  from  which 
the  Indians  were  driven,  with  serious  loss  in  killed  and  wounded,  through  the  Wolf 
Mountains  and  in  the  direction  of  the  Big  Horn  Range.  The  troops  lost  three  men 
killed  and  eight  wounded.  The  column  then  returned  to  the  cantonment  at  the  mouth 
of  Tongue  River.     *    *    * 

"The  prisoners  which  Colonel  Miles'  command  captured  from  Crazy  Horse's  village 
on  the  night  of  January  7th,  proved  a  valuable  acquisition  in  communicating  with  the 
hostiles  and  in  arranging  negotiations  for  their  surrender." 

A  scout  was  sent  out  with  two  of  the  captives  on  February  i,  to  find  the 
Indians  and  offer  terms,  and  on  the  19th  returned  with  a  party  of  chiefs  and 
leading  men.  After  several  conferences  300  Indians  surrendered  uncon- 
ditionally to  General  Miles  on  April  22,  and  some  2000  more  in  May  at  the 
Red  Cloud  and  Spotted  Tail  Agencies. 

From  those  who  had  surrendered,  Colonel  Miles  learned  that  a  band  of 
renegades,  chiefly  Minneconjous  under  Lame  Deer,  had  broken  off  and  gone 
to  the  westward.  On  the  ist  of  May  he  started  in  pursuit  with  four  troops 
of  the  2d  Cavalry,  four  companies  of  the  22d  Infantry,  and  Companies  E  and 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        477 

H  of  the  5th  Infantry.  After  a  very  hard  march,  with  scarcely  a  halt  for 
two  nights  and  a  day,  Lame  Deer's  band  was  surprised  May  7,  the  village 
charged  in  fine  style,  and  the  Indian  herd  cut  off  and  secured.  The  leading 
Indians  now  appeared  desirous  of  surrendering  and  the  firing  ceased,  but, 
either  meditating  treachery  or  fearing  it,  they  began  firing  again. 

"  This  ended  peace  making  and  the  fight  was  resumed,  the  hostiles  being  driven,  in 
a  running  fight,  8  miles  across  the  country  to  the  Rosebud,  Fourteen  Indians  were 
killed,  including  Lame  Deer  and  Iron  Star  ;  450  horses,  mules  and  ponies,  and  the  entire 
Indian  camp  outfit  were  captured,  including  51  lodges  well  stored  with  supplies. 
Lieutenant  A.  M.  Fuller,  2d  Cavalry,  was  slightly  wounded  ;  four  enlisted  men  were 
killed  and  six  were  wounded.  The  Indians  who  escaped  subsequently  moved  east- 
ward to  the  Little  Missouri,  and  the  command  returned  to  the  cantonment,  where  four 
companies, — B,  F,  G  and  I,  5th  Infantry, — were  mounted  with  the  Indian  poniesand 
continued  to  serve  as  cavalry  until  after  the  Nez  Perces  campaign  in  the  following 
autumn." 

Companies  A,  H  and  I  of  the  Fifth,  mounted,  made  a  long  difficult  march 
in  July  and  August.  1877,  without  actual  fighting,  but  with  excellent  effect 
in  forcing  the  Indians  into  a  surrender. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July,  1877,  the  Nez  Perces  Indians,  pursued  by  Gen- 
eral Howard  with  troops  from  the  Department  of  the  Columbia,  were 
making  their  way  via  the  Lo-Lo  trail  toward  Montana.  General  Miles  re- 
ceived mformation.  September  17,  of  their  movements  and  marched  rapidly 
in  a  northwest  direction  to  intercept  them.  His  force  consisted  of  6  troops 
of  cavalry  ;  Companies  B,  F,  G,  I  and  K,  5th  Infantry  ;  two  pieces  of  light 
artillery,  and  detachments  of  white  and  Indian  scouts.  On  the  25th  he 
learned  that  the  Indians  had  crossed  the  Missouri,  and  by  very  rapid  forced 
marches  the  column  reached  the  Deer  Paw  Range,  September  29.  where  it 
struck  the  Indian  village  on  the  30th.  The  battalions  of  the  7th  Cavalry 
and  5th  Infantry,  mounted,  charged  directly  upon  the  village. 

"  The  attack  was  met  by  a  desperate  resistance  and  every  advance  was  stubbornly 
contested  by  the  Indians,  but  with  a  courageous  persistence,  fighting  dismounted, 
the  troops  secured  command  of  the  whole  Indian  position,  excepting  the  beds  of 
the  ravines  in  which  some  of  the  warriors  were  posted.  A  charge  was  made  on 
foot,  by  a  part  of  the  5th  Infantry,  down  a  slope  and  along  the  open  valley  of  the 
creek  into  the  village,  but  the  fire  of  the  Indians  soon  disabled  thirty-five  per 
cent,  of  the  detachment  which  made  the  assault,  and  attempts  to  capture  the  village 
by  such  means  had  to  be  abandoned.  *  *  *  The  Indian  herd  having  been  cap- 
tured, the  eventual  escape  of  the  village  became  almost  impossible.  The  casualties  to 
the  troops  had  amounted  to  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  force  engaged,  there  were  many 
wounded  to  care  for,  and  there  were  neither  tents  nor  fuel,  a  cold  wind  and  snow 
storm  prevailing  on  the  night  of  September  30th." 

In  the  first  charge  and  the  hot  fighting  which  followed  2  officers  and 
22  men  were  killed,  and  4  officers  and  38  men  wounded.  Among  the 
wounded  were  Lieutenants  Baird  and  Romayne,  of  the  Fifth.  The  Indians 
lost  17  killed  and  40  wounded,  and  on  October  4th  the  remainder  of  the 
band,  numbering  87  warriors,  184  squaws,  and  147  children,  surrendered  to 
General  Miles. 

In  February,  1878,3  column  of  mounted  men  800  strong  left  Fort  Keogh 
to  find  a  large  force  of  Sitting  Bull's  Indians,  reported  on  the  border ;  but 


4/8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

as  they  did  not  come  south  of  the  Missouri,  and  the  War  Department 
would  not  permit  them  to  be  attacked  while  they  remained  north  of  that 
river,  the  expedition  was  fruitless. 

In  August,  1878,  the  hostile  Bannocks  from  the  Department  of  the 
Columbia  attempted  to  follow  the  Nez  Perces  trail  of  1877,  and  General 
Miles,  with  100  men  of  the  5th  Infantry  and  35  Crow  scouts,  hastened  to 
intercept  them.  Following  up  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone  he  surprised 
their  camp,  September  4,  killed  11  Indians  and  captured  31,  together  with 
200  horses  and  mules.  Captain  Bennett,  5th  Infantry,  was  killed,  also  the 
interpreter  and  one  Indian  scout.     One  enlisted  man  was  wounded. 

In  July,  1879,  General  Miles,  with  7  companies  of  the  Fifth,  2  compa- 
nies of  the  6th  Infantry,  7  troops  of  cavalry,  a  detachment  of  artillery  and 
some  white  and  Indian  scouts, — the  entire  command  numbering  33  officers, 
643  enlisted  men,  and  143  scouts,— moved  against  a  body  of  Indians  re- 
ported to  be  2000  strong,  who  were  roaming  upon  U.  S.  territory  south  of 
the  British  Columbia  boundary  line.  On  the  17th  the  advance  guard  had 
a  sharp  fight  with  from  300  to  400  Indians  who  were  driven  12  miles  when 
the  advance  became  surrounded,  but  the  main  body  moved  rapidly  forward 
and  the  hostiles  fled  north  of  Milk  River.  By  July  31st  the  hostiles  had 
reached  "Wood  Mountain,  across  the  boundary.  Attention  was  then  turned 
to  the  half-breeds  who  had  been  furnishing  the  hostiles  with  the  supplies 
of  war,  and  by  the  8th  of  August  829  of  them  had  been  arrested.  On 
August  14,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Whistler,  with  a  part  of  this  command, 
captured  57  Indians  with  100  ponies  who  were  on  their  way  from  the  Rose- 
bud Agency  to  join  Sitting  Bull. 

On  March  3,  1880,  Companies  I  and  K,  5th  Infantry,  left  Fort  Keogh 
in  pursuit  of  hostile  Indians  north  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  on  March  8th, 
after  a  continuous  gallop  of  40  miles.  Company  K  succeeded  in  surrounding 
the  Indians,  capturing  13  ponies  and  16  mules. 

On  the  5th  of  March  Lieutenant  Miller,  5th  Infantry,  with  a  small  party 
attacked  a  band  of  hostiles,  killing  eight  and  destroying  their  camp.  The 
remainder  of  the  band  was  closely  pursued  and  on  March  9,  Captain  Bald- 
win overtook  them,  chased  them  for  30  miles  and  captured  all  their  animals 
excepting  those  on  which  they  escaped. 

In  August,  1880,  twenty  lodges  of  hostile  Sioux  surrendered  to  Com- 
pany H,  and  on  September  8th,  200  Sioux  surrendered  to  the  commanding 
officer  of  Fort  Keogh. 

In  December,  1880,  as  the  Indians  in  the  vicinity  of  Poplar  River  Agency 
were  becoming  turbulent  and  arrogant,  the  garrison  there  was  reinforced  by 
five  mounted  companies  of  the  Fifth,  under  Major  G.  Ilges,  numbering  180 
officers  and  men,  who  made  the  march  of  200  miles  from  Fort  Keogh 
through  deep  snow,  with  the  thermometer  ranging  from  10  to  35  degrees 
below  zero.  On  January  2.  1881,  Major  Ilges  attacked  a  body  of  some  400 
Indians,  located  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Missouri.  They  fled  from  their 
villages  and  took  refuge  in  some  timber,  but  soon  surrendered,  the  troops 
meeting  with  no  casualties.  On  the  12th  of  February  Major  Ilges  arrested 
185  hostiles,  43  of  whom  were  warriors,  in  the  Yanktonnais  camp  at  Red 
Water.     On  April  18,  47  men,  39  women,  and  70  children  surrendered  at 


THE  FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        479 

Fort  Keogh.  Many  Indians  surrendered  at  other  posts,  and  on  July  20, 
1881.  Sitting  Bull,  with  the  last  of  his  followers,— comprising  45  men.  67 
women,  and  73  children,— surrendered  at  Fort  Buford. 

In  October  Companies  A,  I  and  K,  marched  175  miles  to  investigate  an 
alleged  interference  by  whites  with  friendly  Indians. 

Hostilities  having  virtually  ceased  in  Montana  with  the  surrender  of 
Sitting  Bull,  the  regiment  was  dismounted  on  the  31st  of  October,  1881. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  18S0,  Colonel  Miles  became  a  brigadier  gen- 
eral, and  was  succeeded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  P.  Lugenbeel  of  the  First, 
who  never  joined  the  regiment  but  was  retired  February  6,  1882.  His  re- 
tirement promoted  Lieutenant  Colonel  Daniel  Huston  of  the  Sixth,  who 
also  never  joined,  but  was  retired  June  22,  1882.  Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  D. 
Wilkins  of  the  Eighth  was  promoted  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  served  with  his 
regmient  until  his  retirement,  August  2,  1886. 

Colonel  George  Gibson,  who  succeeded  him,  retired  August  5,  1888,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  N.  W.  Osborne  of  the  Sixth,  who  is 
now  commanding  the  regiment. 

There  is  very  little  to  record  concerning  the  service  of  the  regiment  in 
the  years  following  1881. 

The  Crows  having  become  turbulent  and  defiant  in  1887,  Companies  D, 
E,  G  and  I  were  sent  into  the  field  in  October,  and  were  present  at  the 
skirmish  at  the  Crow  Agency,  November  5.  They  were  not  engaged  and 
returned  to  their  stations  November  25. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1888,  after  12  years  of  service  in  Montana,  the  regi- 
ment, under  Colonel  Gibson,  left  the  Department  of  Dakota  for  Texas  : 
Headquarters,  wnth  Companies  B  and  E  gomg  to  Fort  Bliss  ;  I  and  K  to 
Fort  Davis  ;  C  and  F  to  Fort  Mcintosh  ;  A  and  G  to  Fort  Ringgold  ;  D  to 
Fort  Brown,  and  H  to  Fort  Hancock. 

Here  it  remained  with  few  changes  until  May.  1S91,  when  Headquarters 
with  Companies  D  and  E  were  sent  to  St.  Augustine,  Fla. ;  B  and  H  to 
Jackson  Barracks,  La.,  and  C  and  G  to  Mount  Vernon  Barracks.  Ala. 
Later  in  the  year  Company  F  was  sent  to  Fort  Sam  Houston,  Texas,  and 
Company  A  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  These  are  now  (September, 
1894)  the  stations  occupied  by  the  regiment. 


T 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.* 

By  Lieutenant  CHARLES  BYRNE,  Adj.  6th  U.  S.  Infantry. 

HE  first  mention  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  is  found  in  the  Acts  of  Con- 
gress of  July  i6,  1798,  and  March  3,  1799. 

Of  the  thirty  officers  constituting  the  commissioned  strength 

Aug.  I,   1799,  twenty-seven  were  appointed  from   North  Carolina 

and  three  from  Tennessee,  and  orders  from  the  War  Department  of  Jan.  5, 

1800,    direct    that  this  regiment  be  recruited  in   North   Carolina;  but   on 

June  15  following  we  find  it  disbanded  under  the  Act  of  May  14,  1800. 

April  12,  1808,  should  be  considered  the  birthday  of  the  present  Sixth 
Infantry.  For  under  the  Act  of  Congress  of  that  date  the  regiment  was 
organized,  and  it  has  since  then  been  continuously  in  service. 

Its  first  colonel  was  Jonas  Simonds,  appointed  from  Pennsylvania  on 
July  8,  1808,  and  his  name,  with  those  of  Joseph  Constant  (lieutenant-col- 
onel) from  New  York,  and  Zebulon  M.  Pike  (major)  from  New  Jersey,  and 
the  names  of  ten  captains,  ten  first  lieutenants,  ten  second  lieutenants,  nine 
ensigns,  one  surgeon,  and  one  surgeon's  mate,  appear  in  the  commissioned 
roster  of  the  regiment  for  January,  1809. 

During  the  War  of  181 2-1 5  the  Sixth  Infantry  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Heights  of  Oueenstown,  U.  C,  Oct.  13,  1812  ;  York,  U.  C,  April  27. 
1813;  Fort  George,  U.  C.  May  27,  1813;  and  the  siege  of  Plattsburg,  N. 
Y.,  September  6  to  11,  1814. 

March  i,  181 5,  found  Colonel  Jonas  Simonds  still  at  the  head  of  the 
regiment;  but,  in  the  reduction  of  the  army  of  that  year  under  the  Act  of 
March  3,  181 5,  the  Sixth  was  re-organized,  and  consolidated  with  the  nth, 
25th,  27th,  29th  and  37th  Regiments  of  Infantry,  and  Colonel  Henry  Atkin- 
son of  the  37th  was  retained  as  its  colonel. 

In  regimental  orders  dated  Fort  Lewis,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  27,  181 5,  Colonel 
Atkinson  "  assumes  the  command  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  of  Infantry,"  and 
on  the  4th  of  September  the  regiment  embarked  at  Fort  Lewis  for  Gover- 
nor's Island,  N.  Y.,  where  it  arrived  the  following  day  and  remained  until 
April  16.  1816,  when  it  left  on  transports  for  Troy  en  route  to  Plattsburg, 
N.  Y..  where  it  arrived  on  the  30th  and  remained  until  the  spring  of  1819. 

The  regiment  left  Plattsburg  for  St.  Louis.  Mo.,  on  March  19,  1819,  and 
reached  Pittsburgh  early  in  May,  where  orders  were  issued  at  camp  near 
Pittsburgh,  May  8,  for  the  embarkation  of  the  regiment  on  transport  boats 
for  St.  Louis. 

The  boats  were  numbered  from  i  to  10,  and  followed  each  other  in  that 
order.  They  were  propelled  by  oars  and  sails,  and  there  was  a  regular 
system  of  signals  provided  in  orders  for  their  government. 

*  An  abridRment  of  Lieut  Byrne's  "  Sixth  U.  S.  Infantry."  Regimental  Press  6ih  Inf. 
Fort  Thomas,  Ky.    1893. 

4S0 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTK  V.        48 1 

This  fleet  of  boats  with  the  Sixth  Infantry  on  board  was  off  Cincinnati, 
May  15,  1819.  So  that  more  than  seventy-three  years  ago  the  regiment 
passed  down  the  Ohio  under  the  shadow  of  the  Kentucky  hills  where  Fort 
Thomas,  its  present  station,  is  now  so  beautifully  situated. 

On  June  8,  it  left  the  transports  and  went  into  camp  at  Belle  Fontaine, 
Missouri. 

Here  the  regiment  awaited  supplies  and  transportation  until  July  4, 
when  it  embarked  for  Council  Bluffs,  and  reached  Camp  Missouri,  near 
Council  Bluffs,  in  September.     Colonel  Atkinson  in  a  private  letter  says : 

"  Here  from  the  vicinity  of  several  powerful  tribes  of  Indians  it  became  necessary 
to  establish  a  post.  The  troops  were  landed  and  put  to  work  to  cover  themselves  for 
the  winter  and  erect  the  necessary  defenses,  ail  of  which  were  completed  in  season, 
and  we  remained  contented  with  the  prospect  of  sending  one  of  the  regiments  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  early  in  the  spring.  The  rifle  regiment,  which  was  stationed 
at  a  point  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles  up  the  Missouri,  was  joined  to  my  command." 

This  was  known  as  the  Yellowstone  Expedition  of  1819;  but  as  Congress 
the  following  winter  declared  against  the  expediency  of  its  further  progress, 
the  expedition  terminated  at  Council  Bluffs. 

On  May  13,  1820,  Colonel  Atkinson  was  promoted  to  the  grade  of  brig- 
adier general,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Ninian  Pinkney,  promoted 
from  the  2d  Infantry. 

The  following  session  of  Congress  the  army  was  reduced,  and  under  the 
Act  of  March  2,  the  Sixth  was  again  re-organized  by  consolidation  with  the 
Rifle  Regiment  at  Fort  Atkinson  (Council  Bluffs),  May  4,1821  ;  and  General 
Henry  Atkinson  was  retained  as  colonel  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  with  the 
brevet  of  brigadier  general,  filling  the  vacancy  made  by  the  transfer  of 
Colonel  Pinkney  to  the  3d  Infantry,  August  16,  1821. 

The  buildings  constructed  (at  Fort  Atkinson^  by  the  troops  consisted  of 
four  blocks  of  hewed  log  barracks  comprehending  eighty-eight  rooms,  with 
shingle  roof,  plank  floor,  and  a  brick  chimney  to  each  ;  with  a  strong  maga- 
zine, and  the  best  kind  of  wooden  store-houses,  of  ample  size,  for  the  quar- 
termaster's and  subsistence  departments  ;  a  saw  mill,  capable  of  sawing 
fifteen  hundred  feet  of  plank  per  day;  and  a  grist  mill  that  would  grind 
one  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  per  day. 

The  land  under  cultivation  was  estimated  at  506  acres. 

The  Sixth  Infantry  thus  built  the  first  United  States  fort  west  of  the 
Missouri  River,  and  started  the  earliest  settlement  in  Nebraska.  Fort 
Atkinson  was  afterwards  known  as  Fort  Calhoun,  in  honor  of  John  C.  Cal- 
houn, Secretary  of  War.  It  was  situated  on  the  original  Council  Bluffs, 
about  twenty  miles  distant  from  the  present  city  of  that  name  and  about  six- 
teen miles  from  the  site  of  Omaha.  The  nearest  settlements  were  St.  Louis 
on  the  south,  Prairie  du  Chien  on  the  east,  and  the  fort  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  at  Vancouver,  in  the  northwest. 

While  the  Sixth  was  at  Fort  Atkinson  in  June,  1823,  it  was  led  by  its 
lieutenant  colonel,  Henry  Leavenworth,  to  the  relief  of  General  Ashley's 
party,  which  had  been  attacked  by  and  was  in  imminent  danger  from  the 
Arikara  Indians. 


482  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

The  expedition  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  Indians  and  the  destruction 
of  their  villages,  and  the  Adjutant-General  in  acknowledging  to  the  Depart- 
ment Commander  the  receipt  of  the  detailed  report  of  the  operations  of 
Colonel  Leavenworth's  command  says  :  "  These  papers  have  been  submit- 
ted to  the  General-in-chief,  who  directs  me  to  express  to  you  his  high  satis- 
isfaction  with  the  success  of  the  expedition  and  his  approbation  of  the 
conduct  of  Colonel  Leavenworth  and  his  officers,  to  whom  he  desires  you 
to  convey  his  thanks  for  the  zeal  and  activity  which  they  have  displayed 
upon  this  occasion." 

The  regiment  remained  at  Fort  Atkinson  until  April,  1827,  when  it  was 
transferred  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  where  it  was  established  with  part  of 
the  3d  Infantry,  and  the  post  was  regarded  as  the  Infantry  School  of  Prac- 
tice of  that  day.  The  famous  old  Regimental  Mess  originated  about  this 
time  and  lasted  for  more  than  twenty  years,  until  after  the  return  from 
Mexico  in  1848. 

General  Atkinson,  the  colonel  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  was  the  first  com- 
mandant of  Jefiferson  Barracks. 

In  May,  1829,  Companies  A,  B,  F  and  H,  under  Brevet  Major  Bennet 
Riley,  were  detached  from  the  regiment  to  escort  the  overland  traders  to 
Santa  Fe,  and  on  their  return  in  the  fall  they  took  post  at  Fort  Leavenworth. 

These  companies  returned  to  headquarters  in  December,  1831,  and  the 
regiment  was  again  concentrated  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  preparatory  to 
taking  the  field  against  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
By  June,  1832,  it  had  reached  Dixon's  Ferry  and  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  campaign  conducted  by  its  colonel  as  commander  of  the  frontier  forces 
of  the  northwest. 

On  August  2d,  General  Atkinson's  army,  of  which  the  Sixth  under  Lieut. 
Col.  Daniel  Baker  formed  a  large  part  of  the  regular  brigade,  came  up  with 
Black  Hawk  at  the  junction  of  the  Bad  Axe  and  Mississippi  rivers,  and  im- 
mediately attacked  him.  The  battle  lasted  about  three  hours.  The  Indians 
fought  with  desperation,  but  were  defeated  and  dispersed,  suffering  a  loss  of 
about  two  hundred  killed  and  wounded. 

This  action  was  the  finishing  stroke  of  the  war,  and  Black  Hawk,  deser- 
ted by  his  followers,  soon  after  surrendered  to  the  agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 
General  Atkinson,  in  orders,  expressed  his  approbation  of  the  brave  conduct 
of  the  troops  engaged,  referring  to  the  fact  that  the  regular  troops  among 
others  were,  from  their  position  in  order  of  battle,  more  immediately  in  con- 
flict with  the  enemy.  The  orders  in  this  case  were  signed,  as  A.  D.  C.  and 
A.  A.  A.  G.,  by  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  then  adjutant  of  the  regiment. 

Regimental  orders  of  September  7,  1832,  appoint  as  adjutant  Lieut. 
Philip  St.  George  Cooke,  who  afterwards  entered  the  dragoons  and  in  1861 
became  a  brigadier  general. 

On  October  2d  the  regiment  arrived  at  Jefferson  Barracks. 

From  December  1832  until  August  1834.  Companies  A,  B,  F  and  H, 
were  stationed  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  the  headquarters  and  six  companies 
remainmg  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  where  the  entire  regiment  was  concentra- 
ted in  September  1834. 

The  regiment  left  Jefferson  Barracks  on  February  29,  1836,  en  route  lo 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         4S3 

Louisiana,  and  by  April  17th,  was  concentrated  at  Camp  Sabine,  Louisiana, 
with  the  exception  of  Company  G  which  joined  on  June  5th.  By  Novem- 
ber 30th  Companies  C,  D  and  E,  were  at  Fort  Worth,  La. ;  I  and  K  at  Camp 
Sabine  ;  and  the  remainder,  with  headquarters,  at  Fort  Jessup. 

The  Sixth  Infantry  was  now  under  orders  for  Florida,  destined  to  be  the 
field  of  its  greatest  glory. 

Companies  C,  D  and  E  were  sent  to  take  station  at  Camp  Sabine,  La., 
where  they  arrived  December  27.  The  headquarters,  with  Companies  A, 
B.  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  left  Fort  Jesup,  December  19;  arrived  at  New  Orleans 
Barracks  the  116. ;  embarked  the  29th  for  Tampa  Bay,  and  on  February 
28th  were  at  Fort  Dade,  East  Florida.  By  November  14th,  with  Lieut.  Col. 
A.  R.  Thompson  in  command,  they  had  arrived  at  Fort  Taylor. 

The  Sixth  (excepting  Companies  C,  D  and  E)  under  its  lieutenant 
colonel  was  now  part  of  a  separate  column  commanded  by  Colonel  Zachary 
Taylor  of  the  ist  Infantry,  who  on  December  19th  received  orders  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  least  possible  delay  against  any  portion  of  the  enemy  he  might 
hear  of  within  striking  distance,  and  to  destroy  or  capture  him. 

After  leaving  an  adequate  force  for  the  protection  of  his  depot,  he  started 
with  Captain  Munroe's  company  of  the  Fourth  Artillery,  thirty-five  men  ; 
the  First  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  Foster,  two  hundred 
and  seventy-four;  the  Sixth  Infantry  under  Lieut.  Col.  Thompson,  two 
hundred  and  twenty-one  ;  the  Missouri  Volunteers,  one  hundred  and  eighty ; 
Morgan's  spies,  forty-seven  ;  pioneers,  thirty  ;  pontoneers,  thirteen  ;  and 
seventy  Delaware  Indians  ;  making  a  force,  exclusive  of  officers,  of  870  men. 

On  December  25,  1837,  Colonel's  Taylor's  army  came  upon  the  enemy 
strongly  posted  m  a  dense  hummock,  perfectly  concealed  and  confident  of 
victory.  Their  number  has  been  variously  estimated  up  to  seven  hundred. 
The  engagement  was  brought  on  by  Morgan's  spies  and  the  volunteers  under 
Gentry.  These  troops  moved  gallantly  forward,  exposed  to  a  heavy  fire, 
which,  accompanied  by  infernal  yells,  was  poured  in  upon  them  from  the 
tree  tops  and  from  every  thicket  and  concealment. 

Colonel  Gentry  fell  mortally  wounded  ;  his  men  began  to  stagger,  and 
finally,  seized  with  a  panic,  broke  and  fled  in  wild  disorder. 

After  referring  to  the  repulse  of  the  volunteers,  and  the  failure  of  re- 
peated efforts  to  bring  them  again  into  action.  Colonel  Taylor,  in  his  de- 
tailed report  of  the  battle  of  Okee-cho-bee,  says  : 

"  The  enemy,  however,  were  promptly  checked  and  driven  back  by  the  4th  and 
6th  Infantry,  which  in  truth  might  be  said  to  be  a  moving  battery. 

"  I  am  not  sufficient  master  of  words  to  express  my  admiration  of  the  gallantry 
and  steadiness  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  of  Infantry.  It  was 
their  fortune  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  The  report  of  the  killed  and  wounded, 
which  accompanies  this,  is  more  conclusive  evidence  of  their  merits  than  anything  I 
can  say.  After  five  companies  of  this  regiment,  against  which  the  enemy  directed  the 
most  deadly  fire,  were  nearly  cut  up,  there  being  only  four  men  left  uninjured  in  one 
of  them  ;  and  every  officer  and  orderly  sergeant  of  those  companies,  with  one  excep- 
tion, were  either  killed  or  wounded  ;  Captain  Noel,  with  the  remaining  two  companies, 
his  own  company,  '  K,'  and  Grossman's,  '  B,'  commanded  by  Second  Lieutenant 
Woods,  which  was  the  left   of  the  regiment,  formed  on  the  right  of  the  Fourth  In- 


484 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


fantry,  entered  the  hummock  with  that  regiment  and  continued  the  fight  and  the  pur- 
suit until  its  termination. 

"It  is  due  to  Captain  Andrews  and  Lieutenant  Walker,  to  say  they  commanded 
two  of  the  five  companies  mentioned  above,  and  they  continued  to  direct  them,  until 
they  were  both  severely  wounded  and  carried  from  the  field  ;  the  latter  received  three 
separate  balls." 

He  speaks  in  complimentary  terms  of  Lieut.  George  H.  Griffin,  6th  In- 
fantry, on  his  personal  staff  and  an  aide-de-camp  to  Major-General  Gaines 
and  a  volunteer  from  his  stafT  in  Florida. 

Colonel  Taylor  continues  : 

"  It  is  due  to  his  rank  and  talents,  as  well  as  to  his  long  and  important  services, 
that  I  particularly  mention  Lieut.  Col.  A.  R.  Thompson,  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  who 
fell  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  at  the  head  of  his  regiment.  He  was  in  feeble 
health,  brought  on  by  exposure  to  this  climate  during  the  past  summer,  refusing  to 
leave  the  country  while  his  regiment  continued  in  it.  Although  he  received  two  balls 
from  the  fire  of  the  enemy  early  in  the  action,  which  wounded  him  severely,  yet  he  ap- 
peared to  disregard  them  and  continued  to  give  his  orders  with  the  same  coolness  that 
he  would  have  done  had  his  regiment  been  under  review  or  on  any  parade  duty.  Ad- 
vancing, he  received  a  third  ball,  which  at  once  deprived  him  of  life.  His  last  words 
were  :  '  Keep  steady,  men,  charge  the  hummock — remember  the  regiment  to  which  you 
belong.' 

"Captain  Van  Swearingen,  Lieutenant  Brooke,  and  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant 
Center,  of  the  same  regiment,  who  fell  on  that  day,  had  no  superiors  of  their  years  in 
service,  and  in  point  of  chivalry  ranked  among  the  first  in  the  army  or  nation." 

As  has  been  said  by  Colonel  Taylor,  the  most  conclusive  evidence  of  the 
glorious  record  of  the  gallant  Sixth  on  that  bloody  Christmas  of  1837,  is 
the  official  list  of  those  who  fell  killed  and  wounded  in  the  action. 


RETURN    OF    THE     KILLED    AND    WOUNDED     AT    THE    BATTLE    OF 
OKEE-CHO-BEE. 


Commanded  by. 

Killed.          1      Wounded. 

Regiments  and  Corps. 

Offi. 
cers. 

Men. 

Offi- 
cers. 

Men. 

Regulars. 
1st  Infantry. ...         ,    .  . .  . 

Lieut.  Col    Davenport     . . . 

4 
18 

4th  Infantry 

Lieut.  Col.  Foster 

3 
16 

I 
2 

6th  Infantry 

Lieut.  Col.  Thompson. . . . 
Captain  Allen  

4 

53 
I 

Mounted  4th  Infantry 

Volunteers. 
Missouri  Volunteers 

Colonel  Gentry 

I 

I 
2 

3 

3 

22 

Spies 

Lieut.  Col    Morgan 

4 

Indians 

Captain  Parks 

Total   

5 

22 

9 

102 

Of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  Lieut.  Col.  A.  R.  Thompson  was  wounded  in 
three  places  before  he  fell.  The  first  ball  passed  through  the  abdomen  to 
the  left,  the  second  in  the  right  breast,  and  the  last  through  the  chin  and 
neck,  evidently  shot  from  a  tree.  He  fell  in  a  sitting  posture,  uttering  as  he 
died  the  memorable  words  quoted  in  Colonel  Taylor's  report. 

Captain  J.  Van  Swearingen  was  shot  in  advance  of  his  company,  in  the 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         4<^5 

lower  part  of  the  neck.  When  passing  to  the  rear  he  raised  both  hands  to 
his  head,  fell  fiat  on  his  face,  and  expired  instantly.  Lieutenant  and  Adju- 
tant J.  P.  Center  was  shot  through  the  head  from  a  tree,  and  expired  on  the 
spot.  First  Lieut.  E.  J.  Brooke  was  shot  through  the  heart.  Sergt.  Major 
Henry  Sleephack  was  mortally  wounded,  and  died  December  27. 

The  thanks  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  was  tendered  Colonel 
Taylor  and  the  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  troops  of  the  regu- 
lar army,  for  the  discipline  and  bravery  displayed  by  them  on  the  occasion 
of  this  battle. 

In  May,  1838,  Companies  C,  D  and  E,  which  had  remained  until  this 
time  at  Camp  Sabine,  La.,  joined  the  forces  serving  in  East  Florida,  and  by 
November  the  whole  of  the  regiment  was  in  middle  Florida  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  William  Hoffman. 

On  May  2,  1839,  Lieut.  Wm.  Hulbert  and  several  men  were  waylaid 
and  killed  by  Indians  near  Fort  Frank  Brooke.  Company  I,  under  Lieuts. 
Samuel  Woods  and  L.  A.  Armistead,  had  an  engagement  with  the  Indians 
at  Fort  Andrews  on  August  29,  1839,  in  which  one  sergeant  and  one  private 
were  killed.  On  July  13,  1840,  two  men  of  Company  D  were  killed  by  In- 
dians near  Fort  Pleasant. 

The  Sixth  Infantry  remained  in  Florida  until  after  the  restoration  of 
peace,  when  it  was  sent  north  on  transports  via  New  Orleans,  and  by  March 
20,  1842,  the  entire  regiment  was  again  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.  It  had 
left  behind, — killed  in  action,  or  dead  from  wounds  and  diseases, — ten  offi- 
cers and  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  enlisted  men. 

On  April  i6th  the  regiment  left  Jefferson  Barracks  for  Fort  Towson, 
C.  N.,  where  the  last  company  arrived  May  14. 

In  July  news  was  received  of  the  death  of  Gen.  Atkinson  at  Jefferson 
Barracks,  Mo.,  on  June  14,  1842.  This  distinguished  officer  had  been  the 
colonel  of  the  regiment  for  more  than  twenty-six  years.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Col.  William  Davenport,  promoted  from  the  First  Infantry. 

On  July  7,  1843,  Colonel  Davenport  effected  a  transfer  of  regiments  with 
Colonel  and  Brevet  Brig.  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor.  The  former  returned  to 
the  First,  and  the  latter,  afterwards  the  hero  of  Buena  Vista  and  Monterey 
and  President  of  the  United  States,  became  colonel  of  the  Sixth.  Genera'* 
Taylor  was  then  at  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  in  command  of  the  2d  Military 
Department. 

On  the  regimental  return  for  July,  1844,  Brevet  2d  Lieut.  Winfield  S. 
Hancock  is  reported  as  '"gained  by  appointment  from  the  Military  Acad- 
emy." 

The  declaration  of  war  with  Mexico,  May  13,  1846.  found  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  Lieut.  Col.  Loomis  commanding,  and  Com- 
panies A,  E,  G  and  H,  at  Fort  Gibson  ;  Companies  B  and  C  at  Fort  Tow- 
son  ;  I  and  K  at  Fort  Washita  ;  and  D  and  F  at  Fort  Smith. 

General  Zachary  Taylor,  the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  ceased  to  be  an 
officer  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  on  June  29,  1846,  by  his  promotion  to  the  grade 
of  major  general.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Newman  S.  Clarke,  pro- 
moted from  the  8th  Infantry. 

By  July,  1847,  the  entire   regiment,  with  the  exception  of  Company  G 


486  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

(left  at  Fort  Gibson)  and  Company  I  (left  at  Fort  Washita),  was  at  Puebla, 
Mexico,  with  the  army  under  General  Scott. 

Companies  G  and  I  remamed  in  the  United  States  during  the  Mexican 
War,  and  should  be  understood  as  not  included  in  the  strength  of  the  regi- 
ment when  reference  is  made  thereto  in  connection  with  the  battles  and 
incidents  of  this  campaign. 

The  Sixth  Infantry  left  Puebla  with  General  Worth's  Division,  August 
9,  and,  taking  part  at  Contreras,  was  before  the  enemy's  works  at  San 
Antonio  on  the  19th,  turned  his  three  batteries  and  was  warmly  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Churubusco  on  the  20th. 

To  quote  from  Ripley's  History  of  the  Mexican  War  : 

"  The  Sixth  and  Fifth  Regiments  had  pushed  on  along  the  road  in  pursuit  of  the 
retreating  enemy,  the  Sixth  being  in  advance,  as  it  had  formed  on  the  left  of  the  Fifth 
when  the  latter  had  engaged  the  Mexican  flank.  Worth  moved  on  with  the  greater 
portion  of  his  troops,  and  overtook  the  Fifth  before  it  came  under  fire  ;  but  the  Sixth, 
having  passed  rapidly  forward  beyond  supporting  distance,  had  become  warmly  en- 
gaged, and  the  battle  of  Churubusco  had  commenced 

"  The  army  which  Santa  Anna  had  led  back  from  San  Angel  was  forming  along 
the  river  Churubusco,  and  in  the  cornfields  to  its  north.  *  *  *  Of  the  guns  which 
Bravo  had  sent  from  San  Antonio,  three  had  arrived  at  the  tete  du  pout.  One  thirty- 
two  pounder  broke  down  on  the  road,  and  was  seized  by  the  Sixth  Infantry  in  its  ad- 
vance. The  whole  train  of  ammunition  wagons  being  exceedingly  heavy  and  unwieldy, 
had  stalled  on  coming  to  the  entrance  of  the  fortification,  blocking  up  the  road  for  a 
considerable  distance  in  its  front,  and  partially  obstructing  the  fire  from  the  em- 
brasures.    *     *     * 

"  Santa  Anna,  assisted  by  a  crowd  of  general  officers,  strove  to  form  his  line,  and 
with  some  success  ;  but,  while  things  were  in  this  state  the  small  battalion  of  the  Sixth 
Infantry  came  boldly  forward,  though  irregularly  and  in  confusion.  The  leading  com- 
panies being  gallantly  led,  from  very  rashness  would,  in  all  probability,  have  entered 
the  tete  du  pout,  had  not  Rincon's  troops  opened  a  terrific  fire  of  cannon  and  musketry 
from  the  convent. 

"  The  distance  was  great  for  musketry,  being  over  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  ; 
but  the  Mexican  position  was  elevated,  and,  with  the  enormous  cartridges  furnished  to 
Mexican  soldiers,  the  bullets  were  easily  sent  to  the  road  ;  without  accurate  aim,  it  is 
true,  but  in  heavy  rolling  volleys,  and  with  deadly  force.     *     *     • 

"The  artillery  soon  opened,  raking  the  causeway,  and,  being  without  support  or 
definite  orders,  the  Sixth  staggered  for  a  time,  the  rear  became  separated  from  the 
front,  and  the  regiment  was  finally  ordered  by  its  major  to  break,  fall  back,  and  re- 
form behind  the  houses  of  the  village  which  it  had  passed  in  its  advance. 

"  With  the  exception  of  a  party  under  Captain  Walker,  which  had  extended  to  the 
right  and  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  the  enemy,  the  regiment  obeyed  the  order  ;  but 
its  advance  had  a  most  beneficial  effect  upon  the  after  events  of  the  action. 
*  *  *  * 

"  While  these  events  were  taking  place,  a  battalion  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  had  re- 
formed, and  soon  after  was  ordered  to  assault  the  tete  du  pont  directly  along  the  road. 
Captain  Hoffman  led  it  forward  with  gallant  bravery,  and  officers  and  men  followed 
nobly. 

"  But  the  Mexicans  in  the  work,  whose  attention  had  been  given  to  the  troops  ad- 
vancing through  the  corn  on  either  flank,  seeing  this  direct  assault,  turned  all  their 
guns  upon  it,  which,  enfilading  the  road,  made  dreadful  havoc.     Some  of  the  men  re- 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        4S7 

coiled  under  the  stern  stroke  of  the  artillery,  but  the  general  oHkers  were  by  their  side, 
and  a  few  words  of  reproof  and  encouragement  sent  them  back  to  their  places.  With 
a  shout  they  again  followed  their  oftkersin  the  advance,  but  the  direct  assault  was  im- 
practicable and  Worth  shouted  to  Hoffman  to  incline  to  the  right  into  the  corn,  to 
operate  with  the  main  body  of  the  division  in  that  quarter.  There,  next  the  cause- 
way, the  Fifth  and  Eighth  had  become  engaged.  They  had  advanced  on  the  right  of 
the  rood,  and  had  been  saved  much  of  the  loss  which  had  befallen  the  Si.xth.     *     * 

"  The  battle  had  raged  for  more  than  two  hours  from  the  time  it  was  first  opened  by 
the  Sixth  Infantry,  when  the  Mexicans  first  gave  way  in  front  of  the  American  right, 
and  fled  through  the  cornfields  in  their  rear  toward  the  city. 

"  A  party  of  American  troops  of  different  regiments,  principally  of  the  Second  Ar- 
tillery and  Sixth  Infantry,  was  led  on  by  its  officers  past  the  left  of  the  tete  dti  pont, 
crossed  the  river  Churubusco,  and  presented  itself  in  threatening  position  in  rear  of 
the  work. 

"  The  other  troops  came  up,  those  on  the  right  closed  in,  and,  rushing  through 
wet  ditches,  waist  deep,  over  the  parapets  and  into  the  work,  the  American  troops  car- 
ried it  in  a  crowd." 

Captains  Wm.  Hoffman  and  W.  H.  T.  Walker  and  ist  Lieut.  L.  A.  Armi- 
stead,  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  with  the  colors  of  the  regiment,  were  among 
those  who  rushed  forward  in  the  advance  and  finally  carried  the  tete  die 
pont. 

General  Clarke,  the  colonel  of  the  Sixth,  was  wounded  in  this 
action  while  in  command  of  the  brigade.  After  Churubusco  the  Sixth  was 
concentrated  at  Tacubaya. 

On  Sept.  8  the  brilliant  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey  was  fought.  The  storm- 
ing party  at  the  Mills  was  divided  into  live  companies  each  of  one  hundred 
men,  the  Sixth  Infantry  under  Captain  A.  Cady,  with  2d  Lieutenant  M. 
Maloney,  4th  Infantry,  forming  one  of  them.  In  describing  the  attack 
Ripley  says : 

"  Wright  promptly  advanced  his  party  in  line  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  Upon  nearing  the  enemy's  position,  all  doubts  as  to  the  resistance  to  be  en- 
countered were  dispelled  at  once.  The  battery  whose  location  had  been  changed  dur- 
ing the  night,  opened  heavily  upon  the  flank  of  the  party  with  round-shot  and  grape, 
cutting  down  officers  and  men  in  frightful  rapidity. 

"  The  charge  was  ordered,  and  the  noble  soldiers,  bringing  down  their  muskets, 
rushed  straight  at  the  battery. 

"  Of  the  fourteen  officers  who  went  into  action  with  the  command,  eleven  soon  fell 
dead  or  disabled  and  with  them  a  large  number  of  the  rank  and  file.  In  scattered  par- 
ties those  unhurt  kept  up  the  fire,  but  the  command  as  a  body  was  broken  and  fell 
away  from  the  battery. 

"  The  Mexican  infantry  soldiers  rushed  forward  and  reoccupied  it.  They  mur- 
dered every  wounded  man  left  on  the  ground  except  Captain  Walker  of  the  Sixth  In- 
fantry and  one  private,  both  desperately  wounded,  and  both  doubtless  believed  to  be 
dead." 

In  after  years  Captain  Walker,  as  a  major  general  in  the  Confederate 
army,  was  killed  near  Atlanta,  July  22,  1864. 

To  quote  from  Wilcox's  History  of  the  Mexican  War: 

"  The  Sixth  and  Eighth  Regiments  of  Infantry  were  ordered  by  General  Worth 
over  to  the  right,  and  reached  the  intersection  of  the  roads  at  the  north  end  of  Molino 
del  Rey  as  the  flour  mill  was  being  taken.     *     *     *     Supported  by   the   4th,    they 


488  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

formed  at  the  junction  of  the  two  roads,  and  as  the  enemy  again  advanced  opened  an 
artillery  and  infantry  fire,  and  repulsed  and  followed  him  in  the  direction  of  Chapul- 
tepec." 

The  battle  of  Chapultepec  followed  on  Sept.  13th.     To  quote  from  Rip- 
ley : 

"  Worth  ordered  Colonel  Clarke's  brigade  to  advance,  and  that  corps  came  rapidly 
forward.  Pillow  ordered  them  to  be  posted  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  for  shelter.  The 
8th  and  5th  and  a  party  of  the  Sixth  went  up  the  ascent.  The  Sixth  was,  however, 
ordered  around  the  northern  base  of  the  rock,  to  cut  up  the  fugitives  from  the  castle  ; 
for  the  Mexican  garrison  was  already  shaken  by  the  near  approach  and  many  were  at- 
tempting to  make  good  their  escape.  The  Mexican  artillery  fire  having  been  silenced, 
the  troops  most  in  advance  had  only  been  awaiting  the  ladders  to  make  the  last  attack. 
When  they  were  brought  up,  parties  from  different  corps,  moving  quickly  forward  over 
the  rugged  though  short  space  between  the  crest  of  the  hill  and  the  ditch,  leaped  in,  and 
at  once  planted  ladders.  Lieutenant  Armistead,  of  the  storming  party,  led  the  way, 
and  as  the  ladders  were  raised,  Lieutenant  Selden  first  mounted  to  scale  the  walls. 
Chapultepec  was  captured,  and  the  next  day  Scott's  army  entered  the  City  of  Mexico." 
Lieutenant  Armistead  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  the  first  to  leap  into  the 
ditch,  is  the  same  ho  as  a  brigadier  general  in  the  Confederate  army 
commanded  one  of  the  three  brigades  of  Pickett's  division  in  the  immortal 
charge  at  Gettysburg  on  July  3,  1863,  and  led  his  men  through  that  terrific 
storm  of  battle  until  he  fell  mortally  wounded  within  the  Federal  lines. 

Of  the  officers  of  the  Sixth  Infantry  who  took  part  in  the  campaign, 
General  Clarke,  Major  Bonneville,  Captain  Hoffman,  and  Lieutenants  Bacon, 
Hendrickson  and  Buckner,  were  wounded  at  Churubusco  ;  Captains  Cady 
and  Walker,  and  Lieut.  Ernst  were  wounded  at  Molino  del  Rey  ;  and  Lieut. 
Armistead  was  wounded  at  Chapultepec.  Lieutenant  Ernst  died  of  his 
wounds  in  the  City  of  Mexico,  on  Sept.  22,  1847.  Lieutenant  Bacon  died  of 
his  wounds  on  Oct.  12,  1847.  Of  the  rank  and  file  the  regiment  lost  in 
killed  and  wounded  at  Churubusco  ninety-one.  at  Molino  del  Rey  and 
Chapultepec  seventy-two. 

Among  the  many  officers  of  the  Sixth  who  received  brevets  for  their  con- 
duct in  this  war  was  2d  Lieut.  Winfield  S.  Hancock,  brevetted  ist  lieuten- 
ant for  Contrerasand  Churubusco.  2d  Lieut.  Simon  B.  Buckner,  afterwards 
a  lieutenant  general  in  the  Confederate  service  and  later  Governor  of  Ken- 
tucky, was  given  the  brevets  of  ist  lieutenant  and  captain. 

After  the  occupation  of  the  City  of  Mexico  in  September,  the  regiment 
remained  quartered  there  until  January,  1848,  when  it  was  moved  to  Toluca. 
The  month  of  June  found  it  concentrated  at  Jalapa,  Mexico,  preparatory  to 
leaving  for  the  United  States,  and  by  July  31,  the  Sixth,  with  the  exception 
of  Companies  G  and  I  at  Gibson  and  Washita  where  they  had  remained 
during  the  war,  was  concentrated  at  Jefferson  Barracks  awaiting  distribu- 
tion. 

December  31  found  the  headquarters  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Company  D  at 
Jefferson  Barracks;  Companies  A,  E  and  K,  at  Fort  Snelling;  B  and  F 
at  Fort  Crawford  ;  C  at  Fort  Atkinson  ;  G  and  I  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  and 
H  at  Fort  Scott. 

On  Oct.  I,  1849,  Lieut.  Winfield  S.  Hancock  was  appointed  adjutant  of 
the  regiment. 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        489 

The  headquarters  in  October  were  at  Fort  Snelling,  but  returned  to  St. 
Louis  by  Dec.  31,  and  on  May  i,  1851,  moved  to  Jefferson  Barracks. 

The  companies,  scattered  over  the  frontier  in  garrison  and  in  the  field 
and  changing  from  post  to  post,  were  stationed  during  the  period  from  185 1 
to  1858,  from  time  to  time,  at  Jefferson  Barractcs,  Forts  Gaines,  Scott.  Snei- 
ling,  Kearney,  Laramie,  Atkinson,  Dodge,  Leavenworth,  Riley,  Ridgely  and 
Pierre. 

On  Aug.  29,  1854,  Brevet  2d  Lieut.  J.  L.  Grattan,  6th  Infantry,  and  thirty 
men  of  Company  G  were  killed  by  Indians  near  Fort  Laramie.  The  affair 
is  known  as  the  "  Grattan  Massacre."  A  party  of  Mormons  en  route  to  Salt 
Lake  City  having  officially  reported  to  the  commanding  officer  of  Fort 
Laramie  that  the  Sioux  had  stolen  one  of  their  cows  and  refused  to  give  it 
up.  Lieutenant  Grattan  was  sent  with  thirty  men  of  Company  G  and  a 
mountain  howitzer  to  demand  restoration  of  the  stolen  property.  This  was 
the  last  seen  of  Grattan  and  his  men  alive,  and  the  facts  of  the  massacre  as 
related  have  been  gathered  from  statements  of  the  Indians.  Having  reached 
his  destination  Lieutenant  Grattan  made  his  demand  upon  the  Indians, 
and  then  despite  their  warning  trained  his  howitzer  upon  them  and  prepared 
to  fire.  The  Indians,  watching  the  pulling  of  the  lanyard,  avoided  the  shot 
by  falling  to  the  ground  as  the  piece  was  discharged,  and  rushing  upon  the 
troops  overpowered  them  and  killed  every  man. 

On  July  20,  1855,  the  headquarters  were  moved  from  Jefferson  Barracks 
to  St.  Louis. 

On  Sept.  3  a  battalion  of  the  regiment  composed  of  Companies  A,  E,  H, 
I  and  K,  under  the  command  of  Major  Albemarle  Cady,  took  part  in  the 
affair  with  the  Sioux  on  the  Blue  Water,  known  as  the  battle  of  Ash  Hollow. 

Writing  to  the  Adjutant-General  from  his  camp  on  Blue  Water  Creek, 
N.  T.,  under  date  of  September,  1855,  General  Harney  says: 

"At  half  past  four  o'clock,  A.  M.,  I  left  my  camp  with  Companies  A,  E,  H,  I 
and  K,  6th  Infantry,  under  the  immediate  command  of  Major  Cady  of  that  regiment, 
and  proceeded  toward  the  principal  village  of  the  Brules  with  a  view  to  attacking  it 
openly,  in  concert  with  a  surprise  contemplated  through  the  cavalry.     *     *     * 

"  The  results  of  the  affair  were  eighty-six  killed,  five  wounded,  about  seventy 
women  and  children  captured,  fifty  mules  and  ponies  taken,  besides  an  indefinite  num- 
ber killed  and  disabled.  The  amount  of  provisions  and  camp  equipage  must  have  com- 
prised nearly  all  the  enemy  possessed,  for  teams  have  been  constantly  engaged  in  bring- 
ing into  camp  everything  of  value  to  the  troops,  and  much  has  been  destroyed  on  the 
ground. 

"  The  casualties  of  the  command  amount  to  four  killed,  four  severely  wounded, 
and  one  missing,  supposed  to  be  killed  or  captured  by  the  enemy.     *     *     * 

"  With  regard  to  the  officers  and  troops  of  my  command  I  have  never  seen  a  finer 
military  spirit  displayed  generally  ;  and  if  there  has  been  any  material  difference  in  the 
services  they  have  rendered,  it  must  be  measured  chiefly  by  the  opportunity  they  had 
for  distinction. 

"  Lieutenant  Colonel  Cook  and  Major  Cady,  commanders  of  the  mounted  and  foot 
forces,  respectively,  carried  out  my  instructions  to  them  with  signal  alacrity,  zeal,  and 
intelligence. 

"  The  company  commanders  whose  position,  either  in  the  engagement  or  in  the 
pursuit,  brought  them  in  closest  contact  with  the  enemy,  were   Captain  Todd  of  the 


490  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

6thlnfantry,  Captain  Steele  and  Lieutenant  Robertson  of  tiie  2d  Dragoons,  and  Cap- 
tain Heath,  loth  Infantry.     *     *     * 

"Brevet  Major  Woods,  Captain  Wharton,  and  Lieutenant  Patterson,  of  the  6th 
Infantry,  with  their  companies,  rendered  effective  service  as  reserves  and  supports, 
taking  an  active  share  in  the  combat  when  circumstances  would  permit."     *     *     * 

Thus  Grattan  and  his  men  were  avenged  by  their  comrades  of  the 
Sixth. 

General  Clarke  was  relieved  from  the  command  of  the  Department  of 
the  West  July  i,  1856,  and  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  moved  to  Jef- 
ferson Barracks.  They  were  at  Fort  Leavenworth  Oct.  nth,  and  on  the 
14th  were  at  Lecompton,  K.  T.,  but  by  Nov.  25  were  again  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth. 

During  July  and  August,  1857,  Companies  C,  D  and  G,  Captain  William 
S.  Ketchum  commanding,  took  an  active  part  in  the  expedition  against  the 
Cheyennes  commanded  by  Colonel  Sumner,  ist  Cavalry,  experiencing  un- 
usual hardships.  On  July  6,  with  six  companies  of  cavalry  and  four  moun- 
tain howitzers,  with  pack  mules  for  transportation,  they  crossed  the  Platte 
River,  and  proceeded  in  the  direction  of  the  Republican  and  South  Fork. 
On  the  29th  the  cavalry  in  advance  met  a  body  of  some  four  hundred  In- 
dians, and  an  engagement  occurred  in  which  the  mounted  troops  had  one 
killed  and  seven  wounded. 

After  this  affair  Company  C  (Captain  R.  W.  Foote  and  Lieut.  John 
McCleary)  remained  with  the  wounded,  sick  and  disabled,  and  threw  up  a 
breast-work  called  Fort  Floyd. 

Companies  D  and  G,  Captain  William  S.  Ketchum,  ist  Lieutenant  Wil- 
liam P.  Carlin,  and  2d  Lieutenant  Orlando  H.  Moore,  marched  with  the 
command  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians. 

The  duty  required  of  the  companies  of  the  regiment  on  this  campaign, 
in  keeping  up  and  cooperating  with  the  cavalry,  was  especially  trying  in 
its  forced  marches  and  deprivations.  Companies  C  and  D  in  returning  suf- 
fered particularly.  The  former  left  Fort  Floyd  on  August  8,  after  having 
been  constantly  harassed  by  the  Indians,  and  finally  reached  Fort  Kearney 
about  the  21st,  much  wearied  and  broken  down,  having  been  out  of  rations 
some  eighteen  days.  From  August  2d  to  the  19th  Company  D  had  nothing 
but  fresh  beef  for  food,  the  rations  with  this  exception  having  become  ex- 
hausted. The  men  suffered  much,  and  many  were  bare-footed,  and  other- 
wise destitute  of  clothing. 

In  January,  1858,  the  headquarters,  with  Companies  A,  D,  E,  G,  H  and 
K,  were  at  Camp  Bateman  near  Fort  Leavenworth,  Companies  B  and  C 
were  at  Fort  Laramie,  F  at  Fort  Riley,  and  I  at  Fort  Kearney. 

The  Sixth  was  now  preparing  for  its  grand  march  across  the  continent 
from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  movement  began  on  March  18,  when  Companies  E  and  H  left  Camp 
Bateman  as  part  of  the  escort  to  the  supply  train  for  the  army  in  Utah,  and 
the  headquarters  with  Companies  A,  D,  F,  G,  I  and  K,  arrived  at  Fort 
Bridger  August  6,  where  they  were  joined  on  the  15th  by  B  and  C  from 
Fort  Floyd.  Companies  E  and  H  were  relieved  from  garrison  duty  at  Fort 
Bridger  on  the  i6th  and  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  the  post. 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       49' 

The  regiment  left  camp  near  Fort  Bridger  August  21.  and  arrived  at 
camp  near  Benicia  Barracks.  Cal.,  on  November  15,  the  total  distance 
marched  from  Fort  Bridger  to  Benicia  Barracks  having  been  1017  miles. 

The  regiment  during  this  march  was  under  the  command  of  Lieut. 
Col.  George  Andrews,  with  Major  Wm.  Hoffman,  second  in  command. 

From  Benicia  Barracks  the  Sixth  was  distributed  among  different  posts 
and  stations  in  the  Department  of  the  Pacific. 

By  January,  1859,  the  headquarters  and  Companies  F  and  H  were  at 
the  Presidio,  A  at  Benicia  Barracks,  B  at  Fort  Humboldt,  C  and  I  at 
Benicia  Depot,  D  at  Fort  Weller,  Cal.,  E  and  K  at  Camp  Banning  near 
San  Bernardino,  Cal.,  and  G  at  New  San  Diego,  Cal. 

On  August  5  Captain  Lewis  A.  Armistead  with  a  command  consisting  of 
twenty-five  men  of  his  own  company,  F,  and  twenty-five  men  of  Company 
I  under  ist  Lieutenant  Elisha  G.  Marshall,  attacked  and  defeated  the  Mo- 
have Indians  in  an  engagement  near  a  lagoon  twelve  miles  below  Fort 
Mohave.  Over  two  hundred  Indians  are  supposed  to  have  taken  part  in 
the  affair  and  twenty-three  were  found  dead  on  the  field.  The  onlycasual- 
ties  among  the  troops  were  three  privates  of  Company  I  slightly  wounded. 

In  January,  i860,  the  headquarters  and  Companies  A  and  H  were  at 
Benicia  Barracks,  B  at  Fort  Humboldt,  C,  E  and  F,  at  Fort  Yuma,  D  at 
Fort  Bragg,  and  G,  I  and  K,  at  New  San  Diego. 

Company  A,  Captain  Franklin  F.  Flint  commanding,  left  Benicia  Bar- 
racks May  14  and  arrived  at  Truckee  River,  U.  T.,  three  hundred  miles  dis- 
tant, on  the  31st,  and  on  June  2  had  an  engagement  with  the  Indians  in 
which  one  private  was  severely  wounded. 

On  October  17,  i860,  the  colonel  of  the  regiment.  Brevet  Brig.  Gen. 
Newman  S.  Clarke,  died  at  San  Francisco  while  in  command  of  the  depart- 
ment of  California.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Washington  Seawell, 
promoted  from  the  8th  Infantry,  who  joined  the  regiment  at  Benicia  Bar- 
racks on  March  8,  1861. 

On  April  2,  a  detachment  of  thirty  enlisted  men  of  Company  B.  6th 
Infantry,  under  the  command  of  ist  Lieut.  Joseph  B.  Collins,  4th  Infantry, 
left  Fort  Humboldt,  on  a  scout  in  the  Bald  Hills,  Cal.  They  were  engaged 
with  the  "hostiles"  on  the  14th  and  15th  near  Mad  River,  about  fifty  miles 
from  the  post. 

The  Indians  lost  on  the  first  day  between  fifteen  and  twenty  killed,  and 
on  the  second  day  five  killed  and  three  wounded.  The  only  casualty  among 
the  troops  was  one  man  wounded. 

The  great  War  of  the  Rebellion  was  now  in  progress,  and  the  summons 
had  crossed  the  continent  for  the  Sixth  to  hurry  eastward.  Several  of  its 
best  and  bravest  officers,  honest  in  a  mistaken  construction  of  the  Consti- 
tution and  true  to  their  convictions  as  to  duty  under  it,  had  tendered  their 
resignations  and  given  themselves  to  the  fatal  cause.  But  the  rank  and 
file  with  unhesitating  fealty  stood  by  the  old  flag,  and  remained,  to  a  man, 
on  the  side  of  the  North. 

The  movement  began  October  31,  1S61,  and  by  January  31,  1S62,  the 
entire  regiment  was  concentrated  at  Washmgton  under  the  command  of  its 
colonel. 


492  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Colonel  Seawell  retired  from  active  service  February  20,  1862,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Colonel  Electus  Backus,  promoted  from  the  3d  Infantry,  who 
died  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  on  June  7,  1862,  and  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Col. 
Hannibal  Day,  promoted  from  the  2d  Infantry. 

The  regiment  left  Washington  City  on  March  10,  1862,  for  service  in 
the  field,  as  part  of  Sykes'  Brigade  of  Regulars,  and  participated  in  the 
siege  and  the  operations  which  preceded  the  evacuation  of  Yorktown  by 
the  enemy  on  May  4. 

The  regiment  was  mainly  employed  on  picket  duty  along  the  Chicka- 
hominy  until  June  26,  when  it  was  sent  to  reinforce  a  portion  of  McCall's 
Division  of  Fitz  John  Porter's  Corps  which  was  engaged  with  the  enemy  at 
Mechanicsville.  It  arrived  close  to  the  scene  of  conflict  late  in  the  even- 
ing, but  took  no  part  in  the  action,  and  the  next  morning  was  ordered  to 
fall  back  towards  Gaines'  Mill  and  await  the  attack  of  the  enemy,  who  was 
advancing  in  force.     The  battle  commenced  about  noon  on  the  27th. 

During  the  earlier  stages  the  5th  New  York  and  a  South  Carolina  regi- 
ment had  repeatedly  attacked  each  other  to  no  purpose.  Colonel  Warren 
about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  asked  the  division  commander  for  the 
Sixth  Infantry,  and  formed  it  in  front  of  and  perpendicular  to  the  line  of  the 
5th  New  York  and  17th  Infantry,  facing  the  open  space  over  which  the 
former  and  the  South  Carolina  regiment  had  been  charging  and  counter- 
charging. The  arrangement  was  that  the  5th  New  York  should  repeat  its 
charge,  and  on  being  countercharged  the  Sixth  was  to  take  the  Confederate 
regiment  in  flank.  The  Sixth  Infantry  had  hardly  taken  position  when 
those  in  command  saw  the  uselessness  of  such  work,  which,  according  to 
Warren's  graphic  words,  was  "  only  covering  the  ground  with  dead  men," 
and  the  regiment  received  orders  simply  to  hold  its  position  in  the  woods, 
which  it  did  until  about  sunset,  when  the  Federal  lines,  flanked  at  both  ex- 
tremities, gave  way. 

As  the  regiment's  position  was  in  advance  of  the  first  line  and  in  the 
woods,  the  status  of  affairs  was  not  at  once  apparent,  but  a  few  moments 
under  heavy  canister  fire  sufficed  to  clear  up  matters,  and,  crossing  a  small 
bridge,  the  Sixth  in  disarray  passed  to  the  rear  between  two  Of  the  enemy's 
skirmish  lines,  and  reformed  on  the  ridge  occupied  by  Generals  French  and 
Meagher. 

Later  in  the  evening  the  regiment  moved  into  the  valley  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  crossed  that  stream.  The 
bridge  was  destroyed  after  the  passage  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  the  last  troops 
to  leave  the  field. 

In  this  action  Captain  R.  W.  Foote  was  killed,  and  Lieutenants  H.  A.  F. 
Worth  and  D.  D.  Lynn  were  wounded.  Captain  Thomas  Hendrickson, 
commanding  the  regiment,  had  his  horse  killed  under  him.  Of  the  en- 
listed men  five  were  killed  and  sixty-one  wounded. 

During  the  day  2d  Lieutenant  Jeremiah  P.  Schindel,  while  separated 
from  the  regiment  with  a  few  men,  exhibited  personal  bravery  and  coolness 
under  fire  to  a  marked  degree. 

The  regiment  arrived  at  Manasses  via  Warrenton  Junction  August  20th, 
and  participated  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run  on  the  30th.     It  occu- 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        493 

pied  a  position  about  the  centre  of  the  line,  near  the  Warrenton  Turnpike, 
from  early  in  the  forenoon  until  near  five  oclock,  P.  M.,  and  falling  back 
with  the  army  bivouacked  that  night  at  Centerville. 

Six  enlisted  men  of  the  regiment  were  killed  in  this  battle;  and  Lieu- 
tenants C.  M.  Pyne,  A.  W.  Bickley,  and  J.  P.  Schindel,  and  twenty-five 
enlisted  men,  were  wounded. 

During  the  battle  of  Antietam,  September  17,  the  Sixth  was  on  picket 
duty,  and  on  the  19th  the  regiment  proceeded  to  Nolan's  Ford  on  the  Potomac 
near  Sharpsburg,  crossed  into  Virginia,  and  had  a  skirmish  with  the  enemy 
on  the  2oth,  and,  findmg  him  in  force,  re-crossed  in  obedience  to  orders 
and  encamped  at  Sharpsburg,  Md. 

The  regimenttook  part  in  several  reconnoissances  in  October,  November 
and  December,  and  on  December  1 1  bivouacked  on  a  ridge  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  Rappahannock,  overlooking  the  valley  and  city  of  Fredericksburg. 

Crossing  with  Hooker's  division  on  the  13th,  the  regiment  was  moved 
forward  to  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  famous  stone  wall  for  the 
purpose  of  attacking  on  the  morning  of  the  14th.  The  plan  being  changed, 
the  Sixth  held  its  position  in  the  line  on  the  same  ground  during  the  whole 
of  the  14th,  Sunday,  under  a  most  galling  fire  without  having  a  chance  to 
make  an  appreciable  return.  Between  11  and  12  o'clock  p.  M.  the  line  was 
withdrawn  into  the  town,  and  occupied  the  main  street  during  the  15th 
exposed  to  some  artillery  fire.  About  9  o'clock  P.  m.  the  division  of  which 
the  Sixth  formed  a  part  was  moved  nearer  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  where 
it  remained  till  next  morning,  when  in  a  fog  and  rain  the  regiment  re- 
crossed  the  Rappahannock,  following  the  First  Brigade.  The  ground  in 
front  of  Company  E  was  so  flat  that  in  the  course  of  the  day  ist  Sergeant 
Thetard  —  afterwards  mortally  wounded  at  Gettysburg— was  struck,  and 
Corporal  Kelley  and  five  other  men  were  picked  off  in  succession.  Having 
re-crossed  the  river  the  regiment  during  the  day  and  night  reoccupied 
with  its  division  the  bivouac  on  the  ridge  north  of  and  overlooking  the 
city,  and  on  the  17th  returned  to  camp  near  Potomac  Creek. 

At  Fredericksburg  five  enlisted  men  were  killed,  and  2d  Lieutenant 
James  McKim  and  twenty  enlisted  men  were  wounded. 

The  regiment  left  camp  near  Potomac  Creek  April  27,  1863,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Harwood  Church,  on  the  Fredericksburg- Warrenton  road, 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly's  Ford  on  the  29th,  and  after  dark  on 
the  same  day  waded  the  Rapidan  at  Ely's  Ford  and  bivouacked  on  its  right 
bank.  On  the  30th  the  Sixth  marched  with  its  division  to  Chancellorsville, 
and  after  a  short  halt  moved  out  on  the  Fredericksburg  road  for  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  and  bivouacked  for  the  night. 

In  the  forenoon  of  May  i  the  Second  Brigade  was  formed  on  the  edge 
of  the  Wilderness,  with  the  2d  and  6th  Infantry  on  the  right  of  the  road. 
The  Ime,  only  part  of  the  time  covered  by  skirmishers,  rapidly  advanced, 
brushing  away  the  Confederate  force  in  front,  which  precipitately  retreated, 
but  re-formed  while  the  Federals  halted,  and  opened  a  fire  from  which  the 
2d  and  6th  Infantry  particularly  suffered.  Being  finally  outflanked,  the 
line  was  withdrawn,  and  on  reaching  the  ground  where  it  had  formed  in 
the  morning,  the  Sixth  was  detached  to  cover   the  exposed   flank  until  re- 


494  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

lieved.  General  Hancock's  skirmishers  soon  coming  up,  the  regiment  re- 
joined the  brigade,  which  had  reached  the  ground  of  the  previous  night's 
bivouac. 

The  casualties  to  the  regiment  in  this  action  were  confined  to  the 
enlisted  men,  one  being  killed  and  twenty-three  wounded. 

On  the  3d,  while  on  picket  in  the  vicinity  of  Chancellorsville,  the 
regiment  captured  four  of  the  enemy,  and  while  engaged  in  a  skirmish  two 
enlisted  men  were  wounded. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  the  regiment  retreated  with  the  army 
towards  the  Rappahannock,  re-crossed  at  the  U.  S.  Ford,  and  arrived  after 
a  hard  march  of  sixteen  miles  at  the  old  camp  on  Potomac  Creek,  near 
Falmouth. 

The  regiment  left  camp  on  Potomac  Creek,  June  4,  for  Benson's  Mills 
where  it  remained  until  the  13th,  when  it  took  up  the  march  for  Aldie,  Va., 
arriving  at  that  point  on  the  22d.  It  left  Aldie  on  the  27th,  crossed  the 
Potomac  at  Edwards'  Ferry  on  the  same  day,  and  marching  with  but 
little  intermission  until  the  30th,  arrived  at  Unionville,  Md. 

At  Frederick  the  Sixth  Infantry  was  transferred  from  the  Second  to  the 
First  Regular  Brigade  of  Sykes'  Division,  under  its  colonel,  Hannibal  Day, 
as  brigade  commander. 

Moving  into  Pennsylvania,  the  regiment  by  dawn  of  July  2  was  in 
position  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  Union  line,  not  far  from  the  Baltimore 
and  Gettysburg  Turnpike. 

About  the  middle  of  the  forenoon  it  was  placed  as  reserve  near  the 
centre  of  the  line,  and  during  the  afternoon  was  moved  in  haste  to  the  left 
and  down  the  rugged  slopes  with  the  regular  brigades.  The  Second  pene- 
trated the  woods  and  wheat  field  in  front,  while  the  First,  to  which  the 
Sixth  Infantry  belonged,  held  the  open  ground  immediately  in  its  rear.  The 
left  being  in  the  air  and  the  troops  on  the  right  having  given  way  the  division 
was  ordered  to  fall  back. 

The  regular  infantry,  which  included  the  Sixth,  was  then  formed  in  the 
woods  back  of  Little  Round  Top  and  remained  there  during  the  3d,  exposed 
to  the  fire  of  artillery  and  to  that  of  sharpshooters  who  were  hidden  among 
the  rocks  in  and  around  the  "  Devil's  Den." 

On  the  morning  of  the  4th  the  First  Regular  Brigade  was  ordered  towards 
the  Emmetsburg  Turnpike,  to  "feel"  the  enemy.  It  advanced  with  the 
3d,  4th  and  6th  Infantry  in  line,  the  Sixth  on  the  left,  to  the  edge  of  Durfee's 
peach  orchard,  which  was  entered  by  the  skirmishers.  The  brigade  then 
moved  back  to  Little  Round  Top,  but  was  immediately  faced  about  with 
orders  to  picket  the  "  Devil's  Den  "  and  outer  edge  of  the  woods  in  front 
of  the  line.  The  Confederate  outposts  were  in  close  proximity,  and  the 
picket  firing  which  soon  began  was  continued  until  dark. 

On  the  morning  of  the  5th,  part  of  the  picket  line,  including  Company 
I,  6th  Infantry,  was  advanced  beyond  the  Emmetsburg  road.  In  the 
afternoon  the  brigade  returned  to  its  position  in  the  woods  in  front  of  Round 
Top,  and  by  5  o'clock  was  with  the  division  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  bivouack- 
ing that  night  about  four  miles  from  Emmetsburg. 

The  casualties  to  the  regiment  at   Gettysburg  were    ist   Sergeant  L 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        495 

Thetard,  Company  E,  and  seven  privates  killed  ;    2d   Lieatenant  Thomas 
Britton,  eight  non-commissioned  officers  and  thirty  privates  wounded, 

Lieutenant  Britton's  wound  was  received  under  circumstances  which 
especially  distinguished  him  for  bravery. 

The  regiment  was  lying  down  exposed  to  a  telling  fire  from  Confederate 
sharpshooters,  when,  to  steady  the  growing  uneasiness  of  his  men,  he 
deliberately  rose  in  the  line  of  file  closers,  stretched  and  yawned  as  though 
waking  from  a  nap,  and  coolly  walked  back  and  forth  the  length  of  the 
company. 

On  the  ist  of  August  1863  Colonel  Day  was  retired  from  active  service 
and  was  succeeded  by  Col.  E.  A.  Kmg,  promoted  from  the  19th  Infantry; 
but  on  the  20th  of  September,— less  than  two  months  later,— Colonel  King 
was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  while  in  command  of  a  brigade  of 
Thomas'  Corps.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  J.  D.  Greene,  promoted 
from  the  17th  Infantry. 

On  August  16,  1863,  the  regiment,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Montgomery  Bryant,  embarked  for  New  York  City,  where  it  arrived  on  the 
2ist  and  camped  in  Washington  Park.  It  had  been  sent  there  on  account 
of  the  draft  riots,  and  remained  doing  provost  duty  until  the  i  ith,  when  it 
was  transferred  to  Fort  Hamilton,  N.  Y.  H. 

While  at  Fort  Hamilton  the  regiment  was  consolidated  into  two  com- 
panies,—H  and  I,— and  drilled  as  heavy  artillery,  to  form  part  of  the  de- 
fenses of  New  York  City.  On  May  17,  1S65,  the  regiment  embarked  on  the 
steamer  Star  of  the  South  for  Savannah,  Ga.,  where  it  arrived  on  the  21st 
and  was  assigned  to  duty  as  part  of  the  forces  of  the  District  of  Savannah 
with  headquarters  at  Hilton  Head. 

The  regiment, — with  the  exception  of  Companies  B  and  I  on  detached 
service  at  Lawtonville,  S.  C,  since  September,— arrived  at  Charleston,  S.  C, 
from  Hilton  Head  on  December  y,  1865,  and  took  quarters  in  the  "Citadel." 

During  February  skeleton  Companies  A,  C,  E  and  F,  were  recruited 
from  the  depot,  completing  the  original  organization  of  the  regiment. 

While  the  headquarters  remained  at  Charleston  the  companies  were 
moved  from  place  to  place  in  South  Carolina,  being  stationed  from  time  to 
time  at  Charleston,  Georgetown,  Aiken,  Beaufort,  Darlington,  Orangeburg, 
Lawtonville,  Columbia,  Strawberry  Station,  and  other  points. 

On  June  25,  1867,  Col.  Greene  resigned  from  the  Army,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  De  L.  Floyd-Jones,  promoted  from  the  ryth  Infantry. 
In  the  same  year  regimental  headquarters,  with  Companies  C,  D,  E  and  F, 
were  transferred  to  the  Indian  Territorv. 

In  the  reduction  of  the  army  under  the  act  of  Congress  approved  March 
3,  1869,  the  Sixth  was  reorganized  by  consolidation  with  the  42d  Regiment 
of  Infantry,  and  on  March  15,  1869.  Colonel  Floyd-Jones  was  transferred 
to  the  unassigned  list  and  Bvt.  Maj.  Gen.  Wm.  B.  Hazen  became  colonel  of 
the  regiment  by  transfer  from  the  38th  Infantry. 

Companies  A,  B,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  which  had  continued  on  duty  in  the 
South,  arrived  at  Fort  Gibson  March  17th,  where  they  were  joined  in  May 
by  headquarters  from  Fort  Arbuckle. 

January,  1872,  found  the  headquarters  and  Companies  A,  G  and  I,  at 


496  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Fort  Hays,  Companies  B,  C,  H   and  K,  at  Camp  Supply,  D  at  Fort  Larned, 
and  E  and  F,  at  Fort  Dodge. 

Since  leaving  the  South  the  companies  of  the  regiment  had  been  em- 
ployed in  marching  from  place  to  place,  and  performing  the  duties  incident 
to  service  on  the  frontier  in  those  days,  and  had  taken  part  in  the  settlement 
of  the  "  Neutral  Lands  "  trouble  in  Kansas.  General  Hazen,  the  colonel  of 
the  regiment,  commanded  the  District  of  the  lower  Arkansas,  which  in- 
cluded the  disturbed  section,  from  August  to  December,  1869. 

Company  I  wasat  Chicago  from  October  13  to  24,  1871,  sent  there  for  ser- 
vice during  the  great  fire. 

In  May  and  June,  1872,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department 
of  the  Dakota,  the  last  company  reaching  its  station  June  21. 

Companies  B  and  C  were  present  during  the  skirmishing  between  the 
"hostiles"  and  the  garrison  of  Fort  A.  Lincoln  on  the  2d  and  i8th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1872. 

The  limited  space  allowed  this  sketch  will  not  admit  following  the  com- 
panies of  the  regiment  in  detail  through  their  arduous  and  varied  service  in 
the  Department  of  Dakota, 

The  Sixth  furnished  troops  to  escort  the  engineers  of  the  Northern  Pa- 
cific Railway  from  time  to  time,  for  duty  in  connection  with  the  Yellow- 
stone expedition  of  1873,  as  escort  for  the  commission  surveying  the 
northern  boundary  in  1874,  and  for  the  exploration  of  the  Yellowstone  River 
in  187s  ;  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  Sioux  campaign  of  1876,  In  the  last 
case  a  battalion  of  the  regiment  consisting  of  Companies  B,  C,  D  and  I, 
under  Major  Orlando  H.  Moore,  formed  a  part  of  General  Terry's  column 
operating  against  the  "  hostiles,"  during  May,  June,  July,  August,  and  Sep- 
tember. 

On  August  21,  1876,  Company  G,  ist  Lieutenant  Nelson  Bronson  com- 
manding, left  Fort  Buford  as  guard  for  the  steamers  Josep/nne  SLXid.  Yellow- 
stone. While  running  about  fifty  yards  from  the  bank  at  a  point  on  the  Yellow- 
stone some  forty  miles  below  Glendive  Creek,  the  boat  carrying  Lieutenant 
Bronson  and  his  men  was  suddenly  fired  upon  by  Indians  concealed  in  the 
timber  and  dense  undergrowth.  Private  Dennis  Shields  was  shot  through 
the  left  breast  and  instantly  killed.  The  fire  was  promptly  returned,  but  on 
account  of  the  retreat  of  the  Indians  and  the  nature  of  the  country  nothing 
more  could  be  done,  and  the  steamer  continued  on  her  way. 

In  June,  1880,  the  Sixth  Infantry  was  relieved  from  duty  in  the  Depart- 
partment  of  Dakota,  and  ordered  to  proceed  to  White  River,  Col.,  and  at 
the  muster  of  June  30  in  camp  on  Snake  River,  Wyo.,  the  colonel,  lieuten- 
ant-colonel, major,  and  all  the  companies  were  present. 

Major  Orlando  H.  Moore  and  Companies  D  and  I  were  left  at  Snake 
River,  while  the  remainder  of  the  regiment  continued  the  march,  arriving 
at  camp  on  White  River  July  7. 

On  December  1 5,  1 880,  General  Hazen  was  appointed  chief  signal  officer  of 
the  army  and  was  succeeded  by  Bvt.  Maj,  Gen.  A.  McD.  McCook,  promoted 
from  the  9th  Infantry. 

On  May  13,  1881,  Companies  D,  F,  Gand  H,  under Capt.  H.  S.  Hawkins, 
formed  the  infantry  battalion  with  General  Mackenzie's  Expedition  in  south 


THE  SIXTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        497 

western  Colorado.  The  battalion  marched  to  the  junction  of  the  Grand 
and  Gunnison  rivers  via  Cantonment  Uncompahgre,  and  returning  to  Gun- 
nison City,  Col.,  was  sent  by  rail  via  Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  to  Park  City,  Utah,  en 
route  to  the  junction  of  the  Greene  and  Duchesne  rivers  in  eastern  Utah,  where 
it  arrived  September  17  and  commenced  building  a  post  called  Fort  Thorn- 
burgh, 

The  entire  regiment  had  in  the  meantime  been  ordered  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Platte. 

In  May,  1883,  the  entire  regiment  was  concentrated  at  Fort  Douglas, 
Utah. 

In  May,  1886,  General  McCook  was  made  Commandant  of  the  U.  S.  In- 
fantry and  Cavalry  School,  and  the  headquarters  were  sent  to  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, Kans.,  where  they  arrived  on  the  isth. 

Companies  H  and  I  left  Fort  Douglas  on  July  i  and  joined  the  head- 
quarters at  Fort  Leavenworth  on  the  4th. 

Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G  and  K  remained  under  the  command  of 
Lieut.-Col.  Nathan  W.  Osborne,  6th  Infantry. 

On  November  5,  Companies  F  and  K  left  Fort  Douglas  for  the  site  of 
the  new  post  near  Chicago,  111.,  and,  under  the  command  of  Major  and 
Brevet  Lieut.-Col.  William.  J.  Lyster,  established  a  camp  on  the  military  res- 
ervation in  the  Highlands  where  Fort  Sheridan  is  now  situated. 

On  July  II,  1890,  General  McCook  was  appointed  brigadier-general,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Col.  Melville  A.  Cochran,  promoted  from  the  5th  Infantry. 

On  July  21,  orders  were  issued  from  the  War  Department  skeletonizing 
Companies  I  and  K  by  transferring  the  enlisted  men  to  other  companies  of 
the  regiment. 

On  August  19,  the  headquarters  and  Company  G  left  Fort  Leavenworth 
for  the  new  post  near  Newport,  Kentucky,  now  known  as  Fort  Thomas, 
where  they  arrived  on  the  20th  and  joined  Company  F  from  Fort  Sheridan. 

Colonel  Cochran  assumed  command  of  the  regiment  at  Fort  Thomas  on 
the  22d. 

November  i,  1892,  the  date  of  this  sketch,  finds  the  Sixth  Infantry  in  its 
eighty-fifth  year,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Melville  A.  Cochran,  with 
headquarters,  skeleton  Companies  I  and  K,  and  Companies  B,  C,  D,  F,  G 
and  H,  at  Fort  Thomas,  Ky, ;  Company  A  at  Fort  Wood,  N.  Y.  H.;  and 
Company  Eat  Newport  Barracks,  Kentucky. 

Note. — The  writer  is  under  obligations  to  Lieut.-Col.  Robert  H.  Hall,  6th  Infantry, 
for  much  information  as  to  the  original  organization  of  the  regiment  ;  to  Capt.  Jeremiah 
P.  Schindel,  6th  Infantry,  for  a  great  deal  concerning  the  late  war  ;  to  ist  Lieut.  Ben- 
jamin W.  Atkinson,  6th  Infantry,  for  the  use  of  his  private  scrap  books  containing 
autograph  letters  of  his  grandfather,  Gen.  Henry  Atkinson,  and  interesting  memo- 
randa ;  and  to  Sergt.-Maj.  Charles  H.  Devereaux,  6th  Infantry,  for  his  excellent, 
painstaking  work  in  collecting  and  extracting  valuable  matter  from  the  regimental 
records,  of  which  in  his  present  position  he  has  been  immediate  custodian  for  more 
than  eighteen  years. 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 
By  Lieutenant  A.  B.  JOHNSON,  7th  U.  S.  Infantrv. 

THE  Seventh  U.  S.  Infantry  was  organized  under  the  act  of  Congress 
approved  July  i6,  1798,  with  William  Bently  as  Lieutenant  Col- 
onel Commandant.  After  an  existence  of  less  than  two  years,  the 
regiment  was  honorably  mustered  out  of  the  service  on  the  15th 
of  June,  1800,  under  the  provisions  of  an  Act  approved  May  4,  1800. 

The  regiment  was  again  organized  on  the  3d  of  May,  1808,  under  the 
act  of  Congress  approved  April  12,  1808,  with  William  Russell  as  colonel. 

The  first  engagement  in  which  any  part  of  the  regiment  participated, 
and  which  is  the  first  battle  inscribed  on  its  colors,  was  at  Fort  Harrison, 
Ohio,  on  September  4th  and  5th,  1812.  On  the  3d  of  September  the  fort 
was  attacked  by  a  large  band  of  Indians,  who  set  fire  to  one  of  the  block 
houses  on  the  4th,  and  followed  it  up  with  a  resolute  attack  on  the  fort, 
which  was  then  commanded  by  Captain  Zachary  Taylor,  7th  Infantry,  con- 
tinuing the  assault  the  following  day,  when  the  little  garrison  was  relieved 
from  its  perilous  position  by  the  timely  arrival  of  Colonel  Russell,  7th  In- 
fantry, with  a  force  of  iioo  men. 

This  engagement  was  followed  by  one  at  Viller's  Plantation  on  the  23d 
of  December,  1814,  in  which  the  regiment  was  conspicuous  for  its  bravery 
and  was  highly  complimented  for  its  action  under  fire.  This  action  was 
followed  by  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  La.,  on  the  ist,  8th  and  9th  of  Janu- 
ary, 181 5,  in  which  the  British  lost  293  killed  and  1267  wounded,  while  the 
American  loss  was  comparatively  small. 

In  the  year  181 5  the  practice  of  assigning  particular  states  as  recruiting 
districts  for  the  infantry,  was  discontinued,  Kentucky  having  previously 
been  the  district  for  the  Seventh  Infantry,  as  Colorado  now  is.  In  the  same 
year  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Georgia,  and  its  headquarters  established 
at  Fort  Hawkins,  where  in  accordance  with  the  act  of  Congress  of  March 
3,  181 5,  it  was  consolidated  with  the  2d,  3d  and  44th  regiments  of  infantry  to 
form  the  present  First  Infantry;  and  the  8th,  19th,  36th  and  38th  were  consol- 
idated to  form  the  present  Seventh  Infantry,  its  station  being  changed  to  Fort 
Gibson,  Arkansas,  where  it  remained  for  many  years.  From  the  Arkansas 
frontier  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Florida  where  it  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Fort  King,  E.  Fla..  on  April  28,  1840;  Fort  Drane,  E.  Fla.,  May  19, 
1840;  Martin's  Point  Hammock,  E.  Fla.,  December  28,  1840,  and  Wahoo 
Swamp,  E.  Fla.,  May  17,  1842. 

It  was  not  until  1846,  when  difficulties  with  the  Republic  of  Mexico  as- 
sumed a  serious  aspect,  that  the  Seventh  Infantry  was  concentrated  for  duty 
and  ordered  to  Corpus  Christi,  Texas,  and  in  March  of  that  year  was 
moved  to  the  Rio  Grande  opposite  Matamoras.  General  Taylor,  conscious 
of  the  approaching  war,  began  the  erection  of  a  large  fort  defended  by  ex- 
tensive works.    This  was  called  Fort  Taylor.    On  the  ist  of  May,  1846,  the 

4y6 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      4c,g 

larger  part  of  the  American  forces  under  General  Taylor  left  for  Point  Isa- 
bel, and  the  Seventh  Infantry,  under  command  of  Major  Brown,  was  left 
to  garrison  the  new  fort. 

No  sooner  had  the  main  body  of  the  army  disappeared  than  the  Mexi- 
cans commenced  a  spirited  bombardment  of  the  earthwork,  which  was  gal- 
lantly and  successfully  defended  by  the  regiment.  In  this  engagement 
Major  Brown  received  a  severe  wound,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died  on 
the  9th  of  May,  and  in  honor  of  his  memory  and  for  the  gallant  manner  in 
which  he  and  the  regiment  had  acted,  the  name  of  the  earthwork  was 
changed  to  Fort  Brown,  which  name  it  still  retains. 

The  regiment  was  now  much  reduced  in  numbers,  and  immediately 
after  the  siege  ten  companies  were  consolidated  into  six,  and  placed  under 
the  command  of  Captain  D.  S.  Miles,  7th  Infantry,  and  with  this  organ- 
ization it  proceeded  to  Monterey.  Here,  though  under  fire,  and  in  the 
position  assigned  it,  the  regiment  did  not  become  actively  engaged  until 
the  action  at  the  Bishop's  Palace,  when  Captain  C.  F.  Smith,  of  the  artil- 
lery, was  ordered  to  storm  the  heights,  and  Captain  Miles,  with  the  7th  In- 
fantry, was  ordered  to  support  him.  Captain  Miles  sent  Lieutenant  Gar- 
nett,  7th  Infantry,  with  a  detachment  of  men  up  the  hillside  to  divert  the 
enemy's  attention  from  Captain  Smith's  command.  Lieutenant  Garnett's 
detachment  was  met  by  a  vigorous  attack  of  the  enemy,  but  continued  to 
move  up,  driving  the  Mexicans  before  it  until  the  party  was  recalled.  Col. 
Percifor  F.  Smith,  commanding  the  5th,  7th,  and  the  Louisiana  Volunteers, 
gave  orders  for  these  commands  to  pass  around  on  each  side  and  storm  the 
fort  which  was  on  the  same  ridge  and  about  a  half  mile  back,  and  which 
commanded  the  Bishop's  Palace.  Here  a  natural  rivalry  took  place  between 
the  three  organizations,  each  endeavoring  to  outstrip  and  arrive  before  the 
other.  The  three  commands  entered  the  gates  almost  at  the  same  moment, 
the  5th  a  little  in  advance,  but  followed  very  closely  by  the  7th. 

The  regiment  left  Monterey  December  13,  1846,  and  arrived  at  Tampico 
February  3,  1847,  where  it  embarked  for  Vera  Cruz,  landing  after  a  voyage 
of  thirteen  days,  and  joined  in  the  siege  of  the  city  and  of  the  castle  of  San 
Juan,  After  a  spirited  contest  the  Mexicans  capitulated  on  the  24th  of 
March,  1847. 

The  Seventh  Infantry  then,  with  other  troops,  took  up  the  line  of  march 
toward  the  interior,  frequently  skirmishing  with  the  enemy  at  various  points, 
and  on  the  15th  of  April  arrived  at  Cerro  Gordo,  where  the  Mexicans  were 
found  to  be  strongly  intrenched.  The  regiment,  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Plympton,  and  three  companies  of  the  3d  Infantry,  were 
detailed  to  storm  the  heights  of  Cerro  Gordo,  which  feat  was  performed 
with  brilliant  success,  both  colors  of  the  regiment  being  planted  on  the 
enemy's  works.  Sergeant  Henry,  7th  Infantry,  with  his  own  hands  hauled 
down  the  national  standard  of  Mexico  from  the  fort,  and  was  recommended 
for  a  commission  by  General  Scott  for  this  and  his  well-known  intrepidity 
on  former  occasions.  General  Scott  in  his  official  report  said,  "  The  highest 
praise  is  due  to  Colonel  Plympton,  7th  Infantry,  and  the  gallant  officers  and 
men  of  the  regiment  for  their  brilliant  service."  After  this  victory  the 
troops  continued  the  onward  march  to  Jalapa,  where  they  went  into  camp. 


500  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

On  the  19th  of  August,  at  Contreras,  the  brigade  of  which  the  7th  In- 
fantry formed  a  part  commenced  the  movement  at  sunrise,  and  after  a 
tedious  march  reached  an  elevation  in  rear  of  the  enemy,  stormed  the  in- 
trenchments,  carried  their  works  and  planted  their  colors  upon  them,  cap- 
turing a  large  number  of  prisoners  and  ammunition.  At  this  juncture  re- 
lief was  required  for  the  troops  in  front  of  Cherubusco,  and  the  7th  Infantry 
being  detached  for  their  relief,  moved  rapidly,  joined  in  the  assault  and 
participated  in  the  handsome  action  at  that  place  on  August  20,  1847. 

On  the  1 2th  of  September  a  call  was  made  for  a  captain,  a  lieutenant 
and  a  detachment  of  enlisted  men  from  the  7th  Infantry,  to  join  with  simi- 
lar details  from  other  troops,  in  forming  a  storming  party  for  the  attack  of 
the  works  of  Chapultepec.  Captain  Gabriel  R.  Paul  and  Lieutenant  Levi 
Garnett,  7th  Infantry,  with  a  detachment  of  enlisted  men,  volunteered  their 
services.  The  party  formed  at  once  and  marched  to  Tacubaya,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Silas  Casey,  2d  Infantry.  At  nme  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing Captain  Paul  moved  out  near  the  enemy's  works,  when  a  brisk  engage- 
ment took  place,  resulting  in  the  defeat  and  retreat  of  the  Mexican  pickets. 
At  daylight  on  the  13th  the  entire  party  moved  forward  under  command  of 
Captain  Paul,  7th  Infantry  (Captain  Casey  having  been  wounded),  who  led 
the  attack  and  carried  the  works,  capturing  five  pieces  of  artillery  and  450 
prisoners.  Lieutenant  Garnett  was  killed  in  the  assault.  On  the  14th  of 
September  the  regiment  with  colors  proudly  flying  marched  into  the  City 
of  Mexico,  where  it  remained  until  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  peace. 

After  the  treaty  of  peace  with  Mexico,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
Florida,  where  it  remained  until  June,  1850,  when  it  was  ordered  to  Jeffer- 
son Barracks,  arriving  there  in  July.  After  a  short  stay  of  a  few  weeks,  it 
was  ordered  on  the  1 3th  of  August  to  New  Mexico,  embarking  the  following 
day  and  arriving  at  Fort  Leavenworth  on  the  i8th.  Here  it  remamed  fitting 
out  and  mounting  Companies  C,  D,  F  and  H,  in  accordance  with  orders 
from  the  War  Department,  until  September  15th,  when  the  entire  regiment 
took  up  the  line  of  march  for  New  Mexico.  On  the  ist  of  October  the  com- 
mand had  reached  the  crossing  of  the  Little  Arkansas,  210  miles  from  Fort 
Leavenworth,  when  orders  were  received  by  courier  countermanding  the 
order  and  directing  the  return  of  the  regiment  to  Jefiferson  Barracks,  where 
it  arrived  on  the  21st,  and  remained  until  the  following  spring.  It  was  then 
ordered  to  relieve  the  5th  Infantry  in  its  several  stations  on  the  Arkansas 
frontier,  arriving  there  several  weeks  later,  and  remaining  on  this  frontier 
building  posts,  making  roads  and  protecting  the  few  white  settlers  from  the 
Indians,  until  1858,  when  it  was  ordered  to  rendezvous  at  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks for  service  in  Utah  against  the  Mormons. 

The  troops  composing  the  Utah  expedition  were  formed  into  six  separate 
columns,  the  7th  Infantry  being  posted  in  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th.  After  a 
long  and  tedious  march  of  1 200  miles  over  an  uninteresting  and  monotonous 
country,  the  several  columns  took  position  by  regiments  at  Camp  Floyd, 
Utah,  in  September,  the  last  column  arriving  September  25th.  Here  the 
regiment  remained  until  April,  i860,  when  it  was  ordered  to  take  station  in 
New  Mexico,  arriving  at  Santa  Fe  in  August,  from  which  point  it  was  sent 
to  various  posts  in  the  Territory. 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      501 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1861,  orders  were  issued  to  break  up  Fort  Buchanan, 
join  the  troops  of  the  post  (Companies  C  and  H,  7th  Infantry;  with  the 
companies  at  Fort  Breckenridge,  and  march  the  command  to  reinforce  the 
troops  on  the  Rio  Grande.  During  this  period  many  important  events  were 
taking  place.  Actual  warfare  had  already  begun  between  the  North  and 
the  South.  The  attack  upon  Fort  Sumter,  several  skirmishes,  and  the 
battle  of  Rull  Run,  had  already  occurred,  although  the  forces  in  Texas  and 
New  Mexico  had  received  but  partial  intelligence  of  these  events.  The 
Seventh  Infantry,  with  a  view  to  a  change  of  station  to  the  States,  had  been 
ordered  to  concentrate  at  Fort  Fillmore,  then  commanded  by  Major  Isaac 
Lynde,  7th  Infantry.  Here  all  was  doubt  and  anxiety.  No  authentic  infor- 
mation of  the  intended  policy  of  the  Government  had  been  received,  and  the 
mail  and  couriers  brought  only  the  sad  news  of  the  continued  secession  of 
the  States,  and  the  general  inertness  and  doubtful  course  of  the  Government. 

In  July,  the  Headquarters  and  Companies  A,  B,  D,  E,  G,  I  and  K,  had 
assembled  at  Fort  Fillmore  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Companies  C,  F  and  H 
from  Forts  Craig  and  Buchanan.  Scouting  parties  from  Fort  Bliss,  where 
the  Confederates  were  concentratmg  troops,  had  ventured  within  twenty 
miles  of  Fort  Fillmore,  and  on  one  occasion  Major  Lynde  had  sent  several 
companies  of  the  regiment  to  drive  back  these  parties,  but  none  were  ever 
found.  On  the  18th  of  July  Companies  E  and  G  of  the  regiment,  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Joseph  H.  Potter,  were  sent  to  occupy  the  town  of  San 
Thomas,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  and  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  post,  for  the  purpose  of  guarding  the  ford.  On  the  evening  of  the 
23d,  Major  Lynde,  hearing  that  the  enemy  was  about  to  advance  upon  the 
fort,  immediately  ordered  Captain  Potter  to  abandon  San  Thomas  with  his 
two  companies  and  hasten  back. 

The  Confederates,  meeting  with  no  resistance  at  the  ford,  crossed  on 
the  morning  of  the  25th  into  San  Thomas,  and  then  leisurely  marched  into 
the  town  of  Mesilla,  about  two  miles  from  the  post.  On  the  night  of  the 
24th,  when  all  the  garrison  were  sleeping  peacefully,  with  no  more  than 
the  customary  number  of  sentinels,  no  pickets  out  in  any  direction,  no 
precaution  whatever  taken  to  prevent  surprise  from  an  approaching  enemy, 
a  body  of  Texas  troops  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Baylor,  C.  S.  A., 
to  the  number  of  about  250,  were  quietly  encamped  within  six  hundred 
yards  of  the  fort,  intending  to  surprise  it  at  daybreak  on  the  morning  of 
the  25th,  kill  or  capture  the  officers  in  their  quarters,  and  then  take  the 
men  prisoners  in  their  barracks.  Fortunately  for  the  command,  one  of 
the  Confederate  pickets, — an  old  discharged  soldier, — deserted  from  his 
post,  came  in  and  alarmed  the  garrison,  otherwise  their  success  would 
have  been  complete.  The  troops  were  at  once  put  in  readiness  to  with- 
stand an  attack,  but  the  Texans  drew  ofT,  returning  to  Mesilla. 

The  troops  of  the  garrison  were  finally  (about  4  o'clock  p.  M.)  ordered 
out  for  the  purpose  of  marching  into  Mesilla,  the  force  consisting  of  Com- 
panies B,  D,  E,  G,  I  and  K,  7th  Infantry,  and  two  companiesof  the  mounted 
rifles.  When  within  500  yards  of  the  town.  Lieutenant  E.  J.  Brooks,  the 
regimental  adjutant,  and  Assistant  Surgeon  McKee,  rode  forward  with  a 
flag  of  truce  toward  the  enemy's  lines,  and  as  they  did  so,  two  mounted  men 


502  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

advanced  to  meet  them,  each  having  a  double-barrelled  shot-gun  on  his 
saddle.  Lieutenant  Brooks  in  the  name  of  his  commander  demanded  "an 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  forces  and  town,"  to  which  one  of  the  men 
replied,  "  If  you  want  the  town  come  and  take  it."  Orders  were  at  once 
given  by  Major  Lynde  to  advance  and  attack  the  enemy.  Lieutenant  Crilly, 
7th  Infantry,  in  charge  of  the  two  field  pieces,  was  ordered  to  shell  the 
town,  which  was  full  of  women  and  children.  Dr.  McKee  says  that  he 
heard  Major  Lynde  order  Lieut.  Crilly  to  fire  a  shell  at  a  group  of  women 
and  children,  and  so,  without  having,  in  accordance  with  the  humane  rule 
of  civilized  warfare,  given  notice  to  remove  the  women  and  children  to  a 
place  of  safety,  shells  were  thrown  into  different  parts  of  the  town,  fortu- 
nately injuring  no  one.  Night  coming  on,  the  command  was  withdrawn, 
returning  to  the  post  about  lo  p.  M.,  having  lost  three  men  killed  and  twelve 
wounded. 

The  next  day  Major  Lynde  ordered  the  post  abandoned  and  the  public 
property  destroyed,  and  at  i  a.  m.  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  July  took 
up  the  line  of  march  for  Fort  Stanton.  By  daylight  the  command  was  eight 
or  ten  miles  on  the  road  to  San  Augustine  Springs.  The  day  being  ex- 
tremely hot  and  there  being  no  water,  many  of  the  men  dropped  out  almost 
dead  from  fatigue  and  thirst.  The  Texans  pursued  the  troops  as  soon  as 
possible,  the  only  temporary  security  and  intervening  guard  being  the  com- 
pany of  Rifles  under  Captain  Gibbs,  which  was  deployed  as  skirmishers, 
covering  the  retreat.  Dr.  McKee  says,  "  About  noon  I  drove  into  camp 
at  San  Augustine  Springs,  found  the  troops  in  camp,  and  Lynde  enjoying  a 
comfortable  lunch,  as  if  nothing  was  going  on.  It  was  the  sublimity  of 
majestic  indifference,  his  gray  hair  and  beard  forming  a  fitting  frame  for 
his  pale  face  and  cowardly  soul."  In  a  short  time  the  Texans  were  seen 
advancing  in  line  of  battle  to  the  number  of  some  300,  Lynde's  command 
numbering  nearly  500  well  trained  and  disciplined  troops  and  forming  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  badly  armed  and  irregular  command  of  the  Texans. 
The  enemy  advanced  within  300  yards,  when  Major  Lynde  sent  out  a  flag 
of  truce,  and  at  once  commenced  negotiations  for  surrendering  his  com- 
mand, which  was  accomplished  in  a  very  short  time.  When  the  officers 
heard  of  it  they  waited  upon  Major  Lynde,  and  each  in  turn  gave  in  his  pro- 
test, but  it  was  of  no  avail.  Was  ever  such  a  blemish  and  stigma  attached 
to  a  regiment  whose  record  had  hitherto  been  full  of  glory  wherever  it  had 
been  placed  }  The  colors  of  the  regiment  were  cut  from  the  staff,  torn  into 
pieces,  and  distributed  to  those  who  had  fought  under  them  in  years  gone 
by  and  who  loved  them  as  they  loved  life.  To  any  unprejudiced  mind  this 
action  on  the  part  of  Major  Lynde  must  seem  hasty  and  unjust  towards  the 
command,  and  unwarranted  when  it  is  considered  that  no  opportunity  was 
afforded  the  men  to  prove  their  courage.  No  matter  what  the  ultimate 
consequences  might  have  been,  it  certainly  would  have  been  more  soldier- 
like and  vastly  more  loyal  to  have  tried  to  have  beaten  the  enemy,  and 
then,  if  overpowered,  to  have  surrendered,  than  to  have  surrendered  with- 
out a  shot  to  a  force  inferior  in  numbers,  in  discipline,  in  esprii-de-corps, 
and  indeed  vastly  more  poorly  armed. 

On  the  29th  of  July  the  troops  left  San  Augustine  Springs  as  prisoners 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      503 

of  war,  arriving  at  Las  Cruses,  N.  M.,  the  same  night,  where  on  the  30th 
and  31st,  they  were  paroled.  The  Headquarters,  Band  and  Companies  A, 
B,  D,  E,  G,  I  and  K,  left  Las  Cruses  on  the  3d  of  August,  en  route  to  Fort 
Union,  arriving  at  Fort  Craig  on  the  loth.  Upon  their  arrival  there.  Com- 
pany F,  together  with  the  rest  of  the  garrison,  turned  out  and  presented 
arms  to  the  prisoners  of  war  as  they  marched  into  the  post.  So  great  was 
the  feeling  toward  Major  Lynde,  that  he  was  not  allowed  to  enter  the  gar- 
rison. This  disastrous  and  disgraceful  aflfair  occurred  July  20,  1861,  and 
after  due  consideration  Major  Lynde  was  summarily  dismissed  from  the 
service  by  order  of  President  Lincoln,  and  ceased  to  be  an  officer  of  the 
army  November  25,  1861.  Five  years  later  (November  27,  1866),  President 
Johnson  revoked  the  order  of  President  Lincoln,  and  thus  restored  Major 
Lynde  to  duty  to  date  July  28,  1866  ;  and  on  the  same  date  placed  him  on 
the  retired  list. 

Companies  C,  F  and  H  escaped  capture  by  returning  at  once  to  their 
respective  posts.  The  seven  surrendered  companies  remained  at  Fort 
Union  until  the  i8th  of  August,  when  they  were  ordered  to  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks, arriving  there  early  in  November.  Here  they  remained  until  Decem- 
ber, when  they  were  sent  to  posts  along  the  northern  lakes. 

Having  escaped  the  unfortunate  fate  of  the  remainder  of  the  regiment, 
Companies  C,  F  and  H,  were  concentrated  at  Fort  Craig.  On  the  21st  of 
February  the  severe  battle  of  Valverde  was  fought  in  which  Companies  C, 
F  and  H  participated.  Company  F  was  decimated  and  both  the  others  lost 
heavily.  Captain  Bascom,  i6th  Infantry,  recently  promoted  from  the  7th, 
was  killed  in  the  action  while  commanding  Company  C.  The  three  com- 
panies lost  one  officer,  two  sergeants  and  sixteen  privates  killed  ;  three  ser- 
geants, two  corporals  and  thirty-four  privates  wounded,  and  four  privates 
taken  prisoners ;  making  an  aggregate  loss  of  sixty-two. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1862,  the  companies  that  had  been  surren- 
dered were  declared  released  from  parole,  and  in  October  were  ordered  to 
join  the  regular  brigade  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  arriving  at  camp  near 
Sandy  Hook,  Md.,  on  the  31st.  Leaving  on  the  ist  of  November,  they 
crossed  the  Potomac  River  at  Harper's  Ferry,  went  into  camp  at  Snicker's 
Gap  on  the  second,  and  formed  part  of  the  reconnoisance  on  the  3d.  On 
the  6th  they  went  into  camp  near  Middlebury,  Va.,  and  on  the  23d  encamped 
near  Potomac  Creek. 

The  brigade  of  which  the  7th  Infantry  was  a  part,  left  camp  on  Potomac 
Creek  at  daylight  on  the  i  ith  of  December  and  marched  to  a  point  near  Fal- 
mouth, Va..  where  it  bivouacked  under  cover  of  some  ravines.  It  remained 
in  this  position  until  about  4  P.  M.  on  the  13th,  when  the  march  was  resumed, 
the  brigade  crossing  the  Rappahannock  River  on  the  upper  bridge,  passed 
through  Fredericksburg  and  was  placed  in  position  on  the  south  side  of  the 
city  and  on  the  east  side  of  Hanover  Street.  This  took  place  at  about  5.15 
p.  M.  under  a  heavy  tire  of  musketry,  and  in  taking  up  this  position,  eight 
men  were  killed.  About  1 1  p.  m.  the  brigade  advanced  about  a  third  of  a 
mile,  and  relieved  a  part  of  the  advanced  guard  of  the  army.  The  position 
proved  to  be  a  most  trying  one,  and  eventually  put  the  nerve  and  endurance 
of  the  oldest  and  most  courageous  of  the  officers  and  men  to  the  severest 


504  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

test.  The  line  was  now  about  eighty  yards  in  front  of  a  stone  wall,  behind 
which  the  enemy  was  posted  in  great  numbers,  while  the  slope  occupied  by 
the  troops  was  so  slight  as  to  compel  the  men  to  remain  flat  on  their  faces 
from  earliest  dawn  until  darkness  again  veiled  them  from  sight.  Thus  the 
troops  remained  for  twelve  long  hours,  unable  to  eat  or  drink,  for  so  relent- 
less was  the  enemy  that  not  even  a  wounded  man  nor  a  litter-bearer  was 
exempted  from  their  fire.  At  ii  p  m.  on  the  14th,  the  command  withdrew 
and  marched  back  into  the  city,  bivouacking  in  the  streets  during  the  night, 
crossing  the  Rappahannock  River  on  the  i6th,  and  returning  to  camp  near 
Falmouth  on  the  17th.  In  this  fight  the  7th  Infantry  lost  two  men  killed, 
twenty-six  wounded,  and  nine  missing,  this  being  the  heaviest  loss  of  any 
regiment  in  the  brigade. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  in  New  York  in  November,  1861,  the 
regimental  commander  applied  to  the  War  Department  for  a  set  of  colors 
to  replace  those  destroyed  at  the  surrender,  but  another  set  was  refused 
until  the  regiment  had  won  them  by  deeds  of  valor  on  the  field  of  battle. 
Accordingly,  in  January,  1863,  a  set  of  colors  was  sent  to  the  regiment  for 
its  gallantry  in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  and  the  presentation  was  made 
with  suitable  honors. 

The  brigade  of  which  the  7th  Infantry  formed  a  part  left  its  encamp- 
ment near  Chancellorsville  on  the  morning  of  May  ist,  advancing  on  the 
Fredericksburg  road.  Having  advanced  a  couple  of  miles,  the  enemy  was 
discovered  in  front,  and  orders  were  at  once  given  to  deploy  the  brigade  in 
line,  with  a  regiment  as  skirmishers  in  front,  and  await  instructions.  The 
troops  were  at  once  deployed,  the  7th  Infantry  being  on  the  left  of  the  road. 
Finding  the  position  much  exposed  to  the  shells  from  the  enemy's  batteries, 
the  line  was  advanced  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill  to  a  fence  bordering  a  small 
stream  which  ran  along  the  front  of  the  line  on  the  left  of  the  road.  Orders 
were  soon  received  to  advance  to  the  crest  of  the  hill.  This  was  stubbornly 
opposed  by  the  enemy,  but  the  advance  of  the  line  was  irresistible.  The 
enemy  fled  or  were  captured,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  brigade  occupied  the 
crest  of  the  hill.  Having  gained  this  position,  orders  were  received  to  hold 
it  at  all  hazards  and  a  disposition  of  the  troops  most  favorable  for  the  pur- 
pose was  made  accordingly.  After  holding  this  position  for  an  hour  with- 
out any  serious  molestation,  orders  were  received  to  retire.  The  troops 
were  accordingly  withdrawn  slowly  in  line  of  battle  and  in  good  order, 
occasionally  facing  about  and  fronting  the  enemy,  the  wounded  at  the  same 
time  being  carefully  removed  to  the  rear.  In  this  fight  at  Chancellorsville, 
the  regiment  lost  two  enlisted  men  killed,  nine  wounded  and  five  missing. 

The  regiment  left  camp  on  the  4th  of  June  and  proceeded  to  Benson's 
Mills  near  the  Rappahannock  River,  leaving  there  on  the  13th,  and  reach- 
ing camp  near  Union  Mills  on  the  30th.  After  leaving  the  Rappahannock 
and  making  the  usual  marches  incident  to  following  an  advancing  army, 
some  of  them  being  unusually  severe,  the  regiment  arrived  in  front  of  the 
enemy  at  Gettysburg,  and  at  once  was  formed  in  line  on  Round  Top,  at 
about  5.30  p.  M.  and  immediately  advanced  down  the  hill  and  across  an  open 
field.  Shortly  after,  that  portion  of  the  brigade  that  the  7th  Infantry  was 
in  was  ordered  to  cross  the  stone  fence  near  them,  wheel  to  the  left,  form  in 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 


50: 


a  line  perpendicular  to  the  original  direction,  and  advance  into  the  woods. 
This  was  immediately  done,  relieving  time  a  brigade  already  there. 

After  remaining  faced  in  this  new  direction  for  a  few  minutes,  the 
enemy  became  visible  upon  the  right.  At  this  juncture  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  retire  slowly,  which  order  was  obeyed  with  great  reluctance  by 
the  men.  While  they  were  retiring,  the  fire  of  the  enemy  became  very 
destructive,  and  after  recrossing  the  stone  fence  into  the  open  field,  it  be- 
came frightful,  the  regiment  receiving  a  fire  from  three  different  directions. 
After  reaching  the  hill,  the  regiment  was  halted  and  remained  in  that  posi- 
tion, being  engaged  no  more  during  the  operations.  Although  the  loss 
during  the  engagement  was  heavy,  the  regiment  fell  back  in  good  order  and 
could  account  for  every  man.  Of  the  116  officers  and  men  who  went  into 
action,  the  regiment  lost  one  officer  and  eleven  men  killed  ;  three  officers 
and  forty-two  men  wounded,  and  two  men  missing  ;  being  a  loss  of  50.86 
per  cent.,  far  in  excess  of  that  of  the  famous  Light  Brigade  at  Balaklava. 

The  regiment  left  Gettysburg  on  the  6th  of  July  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy, 
crossing  the  Potomac  River  near  Berlin,  Md.,  on  the  17th,  and  was  present 
and  engaged  in  the  fight  at  Wapping  Heights,  Va.,  on  the  27th  of  July.  It 
resumed  the  march  on  the  27th,  and  arrived  at  camp  near  Beverly  Ford  on 
the  6th  of  August,  where  it  remained  until  the  14th,  when  orders  were  re- 
ceived to  proceed  to  New  York  City,  to  assist  in  quelling  the  draft  riots, 
where  it  remained  until  May,  1865,  when  it  was  ordered  to  Florida. 

Here  the  regiment  remained  during  the  reconstruction  period,  until 
April,  1869,  when  it  was  ordered  to  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  and  con- 
solidated with  the  36th  Infantry,  under  its  old  designation.  In  this  Depart- 
ment the  regiment  remained  until  the  following  spring,  when  it  was  ordered 
to  Montana,  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Shaw. 

On  the  2oth  of  October,  1871,  Companies  B  and  H,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  H.  B.  Freeman,  7th  Infantry,  left  Fort  Shaw  en  route  to  old  Fort 
Belknap,  M.  T.,  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  up  the  camp,  and  driving  out 
of  the  country,  a  party  of  half-breeds  from  Canada,  who  were  engaged  in 
illicit  traffic  in  whiskey  and  ammunition  with  the  Indians.  The  command 
struck  the  half-breed  camp  on  the  2d  of  November,  capturing  and  burning 
their  supplies  and  ordering  them  out  of  the  country.  Here  it  remained 
until  the  i6th,  when  it  broke  camp  en  route  to  Fort  Shaw.  On  the  24th, 
about  noon,  the  command  was  overtaken  while  on  the  march,  by  a  most 
terrific  storm.  The  weather,  which  had  hitherto  not  been  unusually  cold, 
suddenly  changed  to  many  degrees  colder, —  a  violent  northwest  wind 
accompanied  with  snow  coming  on  before  the  command  could  get  into 
camp,  and  nearly  one-half  of  the  men  had  their  hands  and  feet  frozen,  some 
of  them  very  severely,  ten  of  whom  were  compelled  to  have  amputations 
performed. 

On  the  13th  of  July,  1872,  Companies  C,  E,  G  and  I,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  C.  C.  Rawn,  left  Fort  Shaw  as  part  of  the  force  organized  for 
the  protection  of  the  engineers  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  in  their 
surveying  expedition  down  the  Yellowstone  River.  On  the  ist  of  August 
the  command  broke  camp,  continuing  its  march  without  incident  until  the 
1 2th,  when  it  arrived  about  twelve  miles  below  the  terminus  of  the  survey 


5o6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

of  the  previous  year.  On  the  13th  the  command  remained  in  camp  near 
Pryor's  Fork.  At  about  2.45  A.  M.  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  the  camp 
was  attacked  by  a  war  party  of  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  Indians.  The  troops 
were  immediately  deployed  and  then  advanced  steadily,  driving  the  Indians 
out  of  the  timber  and  occupying  it.  The  fire  was  kept  up  from  this  time 
until  7.30  A.  M.,  when  the  Indians  withdrew.  From  the  darkness  of  the 
morning  it  was  impossible  to  estimate  correctly  the  number  of  Indians  en- 
gaged, but  it  has  been  estimated  at  from  400  to  800.  Only  two  bodies  were 
found,  the  gloom  enabling  the  Indians  to  carry  off  their  wounded  and 
slain.  The  companies  lost  two  killed  and  ten  wounded.  After  the  Indians 
had  retreated,  the  march  was  continued  down  the  Yellowstone,  but  no  fur- 
ther trouble  was  made  that  year  by  the  Indians. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1874,  Companies  G  and  K,  under  Captain  G.  L. 
Browning,  were  ordered  to  old  Fort  Lewis,  Montana,  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
tecting travellers  and  wagon  trains  over  the  Carroll  road,  between  Camp 
Baker  and  Carroll,  arriving  on  the  25th.  On  the  7th  of  July  a  war  party 
of  from  fifty  to  eighty  hostile  Sioux  made  their  appearance  within  a  mile 
of  Camp  Lewis,  firing  upon  a  fatigue  party  procuring  wood  for  the  camp, 
and  also  upon  a  small  number  of  recruits  who  were  fishing  in  the  creek 
near  the  wood  par^y.  A  detachment  of  mounted  men  from  the  two  com- 
panies, under  Lieutenant  Wright,  7th  Infantry,  proceeded  at  once  to  the 
scene  of  the  attack,  followed  by  the  companies  under  Captain  Browning. 
The  Indians  being  mounted  on  fleet  ponies  and  the  companies  on  foot,  they 
were  unable  to  intercept  them.  The  mounted  men  however  followed  on 
the  trail  and  overtook  them  m  a  ravine  about  fifteen  miles  from  camp,  im- 
mediately opening  fire  upon  them,  which  was  returned  by  the  Indians. 
After  a  sharp  skirmish  of  a  few  minutes,  the  Indians  lied.  The  detachment 
recaptured  eight  head  of  stock  which  had  been  run  off  from  a  ranch  near 
camp.  The  horses  of  the  detachment  being  too  much  jaded  to  follow  the 
Indians  any  further,  the  command  returned  to  camp.  Three  unassigned 
recruits  were  killed  in  this  affair,  one  of  whom  was  scalped.  Private  Davis, 
Company  G,  was  severely  wounded  in  the  right  hand,  while  bravely  defend- 
ing himself  with  his  fishing  pole,  that  being  his  only  means  of  defense. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1876,  Companies  A,  B,  E,  H,  I  and  K,  7th  Infantry, 
were  ordered  to  concentrate  at  Fort  Ellis,  as  a  part  of  a  column  to  operate 
against  the  hostile  Sioux  Indians,  reaching  that  post  on  the  28th.  Here  the 
command  was  augmented  by  four  troops  of  cavalry,  and  left  Fort  Ellis  on 
the  30th,  under  command  of  Colonel  John  Gibbon,  7th  Infantry,  whose  in- 
structions were  to  guard  the  left  bank  of  the  Yellowstone  River,  and  if 
possible  prevent  the  Indians  from  crossing  the  river,  in  case  they  should 
attempt  to  do  so,  either  in  pursuance  of  their  habit  of  following  the  buffalo 
to  the  north,  or  in  case  they  should  seek  to  avoid  the  troops  coming  against 
them  from  the  south  and  east.  After  marching  and  counter-marching  up 
and  down  the  Yellowstone.  Colonel  Gibbon,  in  accordance  with  orders  from 
General  Terry,  put  his  command  across  the  Yellowstone  and  went  into 
camp  on  the  24th  of  June,  this  being  part  of  a  plan  to  surround  the  Indian 
village  on  the  Little  Big  Horn  River,  while  General  Custer  with  the  7th 
Cavalry  was  to  march  up  the   Rosebud   River  until  he  struck  the  Indian 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      50; 

trail,  and  the  two  columns  were  to  attack  the  village  at  the  same  time  and 
from  opposite  directions. 

On  the  morning  of  the  25th,  Gibbon's  command  (General  Terry  being 
with  it)  broke  camp,  making  a  march  of  twenty-eight  miles,  over  heavy 
mountain  trails  without  any  water,  the  day  being  very  hot,  and  the  men 
suffering  greatly  with  thirst.  In  order  that  scouts  might  be  sent  out  into 
the  valley  of  the  Little  Big  Horn,  the  cavalry,  with  the  battery  and  a  mounted 
detachment  of  the  7th  Infantry  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Bradley,  was 
pushed  on  thirteen  miles  further,  not  getting  into  camp  until  midnight. 
Scouts  were  sent  out  at  half- past  four  in  the  morning  of  the  26th,  who 
shortly  afterwards  brought  in  news  that  they  had  encountered  some  Indians, 
and  had  run  them  across  the  river.  They  proved  to  be  Crow  scouts  which 
had  been  sent  with  Custer's  command,  and  when  they  discovered  that  their 
pursuers  were  soldiers,  they  called  across  the  river  that  Custer's  command 
had  been  entirely  destroyed  by  the  Sioux,  who  were  chasing  the  soldiers  all 
over  the  country  and  killing  them.  The  column  now  pushed  up  the  valley 
of  the  Little  Big  Horn,  as  rapidly  as  the  men  could  march,  halting  and 
bivouacking  on  the  open  prairie  about  dark,  having  marched  thirty-three 
miles  since  morning. 

Very  early  the  following  morning  the  advance  was  resumed,  and  after 
proceeding  about  three  miles,  a  large  deserted  Indian  camp  appeared.  Many 
lodge  poles  were  still  standing,  and  the  quantity  of  property  scattered  about 
testified  to  the  hasty  departure  of  the  Indians.  While  passing  through  the 
Indian  camp.  Lieutenant  Bradley  rode  up  to  General  Terry  and  reported 
that  he  had  counted  194  dead  soldiers  in  the  foot  hills  to  the  left.  Com- 
munication was  soon  opened  up  with  Major  Reno,  whose  command  was 
found  intrenched  upon  the  tops  of  several  small  ridges  with  fifty-eight 
wounded  lying  on  the  hot  dusty  hill  tops,  where,  until  about  6  o'clock  on 
the  evening  before,  they  had  been  unable  to  obtain  any  water  except  at  the 
imminent  risk  of  life.  Colonel  Gibbon's  command  was  at  once  put  into 
camp  and  arrangements  made  to  bring  down  and  properly  care  for  the 
wounded,  which  was  effected  by  night-fall. 

The  next  day  was  occupied  in  burying  the  dead  and  in  constructing  litters 
for  transporting  the  wounded.  With  these  litters  carried  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  men  of  Companies  H  and  I,  7th  Infantry,  the  command  left  camp  at 
sunset,  but  the  march  was  exceedingly  slow  and  tedious,  and  it  was  long 
after  midnight  when  camp  was  reached,  having  marched  only  about  four 
and  a  half  miles.  Progress  with  the  hand-litters  having  proved  so  exceed- 
ingly slow  and  tedious,  it  was  thought  best  to  discard  them  and  try  some 
mule  litters,  which  worked  so  admirably  that  the  command  was  enabled  to 
start  that  evening  about  six  o'clock.  After  proceeding  a  few  miles,  informa- 
tion was  received  that  the  steamer  Far  West  was  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Big  Horn,  waiting  for  the  command,  and  accordingly  General  Terry 
directed  the  command  to  push  on  with  a  view  to  placing  the  wounded  on 
the  boat,  where  they  could  have  comfort  and  the  best  attention.  This  was 
safely  accomplished  about  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  30th. 

Soon  after  the  disaster  to  Custer's  command,  General  Terry  made  at- 
tempts to  communicate  with  General  Crook's  column,  which  was  somewhere 


5o8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

in  that  vicinity,  in  order  that  concert  of  action  might  be  established  between 
the  two  columns.  A  reward  of  $250  was  offered  to  any  citizen  who  would 
carry  a  dispatch  through  to  him.  A  scout  started  out  but  was  driven  back 
by  the  Indians.  A  reward  of  $500  was  then  offered  with  a  like  result.  At 
last  the  General  called  for  volunteers,  and  twelve  enlisted  men  came  for- 
ward volunteering  to  go.  From  these  twelve  men  three  were  selected,  who 
left  camp  on  the  9th  of  July,  reaching  General  Crook's  camp  on  the  12th, 
and  returned  safely  on  the  25th.  General  Terry  published  the  following 
order  to  the  command  : 

"  The  Department  Commander  has  recently  had  urgent  occasion  to  com-> 
municate  from  this  camp  with  Brigadier  General  Crook,  commanding  a 
force  on  the  headwaters  of  Powder  River.  The  duty  of  carrying  dispatches 
between  these  points,  through  a  country  occupied  by  a  large  force  of  hostile 
Sioux,  was  one  of  the  most  arduous  and  perilous  nature.  A  scout,  inspired 
by  the  promise  of  a  large  reward,  made  the  attempt,  but  soon  abandoned  it 
as  hopeless.  As  a  last  resort  a  call  was  made  upon  the  troops  of  this  com- 
mand for  volunteers,  in  response  to  which  not  less  than  twelve  enlisted 
men  promptly  offered  their  services.  From  among  them  the  following 
named  soldiers  were  selected,— Privates  James  Bell,  Benjamin  H.  Stuart, 
and  William  Evans,  of  Company  E,  7th  Infantry.  On  the  9th  day  of  July 
they  set  out  for  General  Crook's  camp,  which  they  reached  on  the  12th, 
deliveied  the  dispatches,  and  returned,  arriving  in  camp  on  the  25th.  In 
making  this  public  acknowledgment  of  the  important  service  voluntarily 
rendered  by  these  soldiers  at  the  imminent  risk  of  their  lives,  the  Depart- 
ment Commander  desires  to  express  his  deep  regret  that  at  present  it  is  not 
in  his  power  to  bestow  the  substantial  reward  which  has  been  so  well  earned, 
but  he  is  confident  that  an  achievement  undertaken  in  so  soldierlike  a  spirit 
and  carried  so  gallantly  to  a  successful  issue,  will  not  be  permitted  to  pass 
unrewarded.  The  exploit  is  one  calculated  to  establish  in  the  public  mind 
a  higher  and  more  just  estimate  of  the  character  of  the  United  States  soldier. 
The  Department  Commander,  on  his  own  behalf,  and  on  behalf  of  the 
officers  of  this  command,  desired  thus  publicly  to  thank  Privates  James 
Bell,  Benjamin  H.  Stuart,  and  William  Evans,  Company  E,  7th  Infantry, 
for  a  deed  which  reflects  so  much  credit  on  the  service."  These  men  were 
eventually  granted  medals  by  Congress. 

After  consolidating  with  General  Crook's  command,  and  making  many 
long  and  hard  marches,  orders  were  issued  on  the  5th  of  September  for  the 
troops  to  return  to  their  several  stations,  which  they  hailed  with  delight. 
Durmg  the  period  from  March  17  to  October  7,  the  companies  of  the  7th 
Infantry  marched  nearly  1700  miles  and  were  in  the  field  six  months  and 
nineteen  days. 

In  July,  1877,  word  was  received  at  Fort  Missoula,  Montana,  that  a  large 
party  of  hostile  Nez  Perce  Indians  under  Chief  Joseph  were  coming  over 
the  "  Lo  Lo  "  trail  in  their  efforts  to  escape  from  General  Howard's  troops 
who  were  pursuing  them.  Captain  C.  C.  Rawn.  7th  Infantry,  then  in  com- 
mand, at  once  took  steps  to  head  them  off,  but  the  wily  savages  eluded 
him  and  escaped  around  his  position  taken  in  their  front. 

Upon  the  receipt  of  a  dispatch  from  General  Howard  that  the  hostiles 


THE  SEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.      509 

had  started  over  the  "  Lo  Lo  "  trail,  Colonel  Gibbon,  7th  Infantry*  concen- 
trated four  additional  companies  of  the  regiment  at  Fort  Missoula,  and  on 
August  4,  left  that  post  with  Companies  A,  D,  F,  G,  I  and  K,  in  pursuit  of 
the  Indians,  making  25  miles  the  first  day.  The  following  day  a  march  of 
30  miles  was  made,  during  which  quite  a  number  of  citizens  joined  the 
command,  who  volunteered  to  act  as  scouts  and  who  desired  to  assist  in 
case  of  a  fight.  After  following  the  hostiles  for  three  or  four  days  longer, 
they  were  discovered  on  August  8  camped  in  the  Big  Hole  Basin,  and  the 
troops  took  position,  all  lying  down  to  await  daylight.  Here  they  remained 
for  several  hours,  in  plain  hearing  of  the  barking  of  dogs,  the  crying  of 
babies,  and  other  noises  of  camp.  The  Indian  camp  was  pitched  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  Big  Hole  River,  in  an  open  meadow  partially  surrounded 
by  dense  thickets  of  willows.  There  were  89  lodges,  pitched  in  the  form  of 
a  V,  with  the  apex  up  stream. 

It  was  now  nearing  daylight,  and  the  men  suflered  with  cold,  as  they 
had  neither  blankets  nor  overcoats,  having  left  them  with  the  wagon  train 
in  the  rear.  The  smouldering  camp-fires  flickered  fitfully  in  the  pale  star- 
light, and  the  smoky  lodges  of  the  savages  presented  a  most  fantastic  pic- 
ture as  the  dying  lights  blazed  with  ever-changing  weirdness  upon  them. 
Finally  the  night  ended,  and  as  the  day  approached  from  behind  the 
eastern  hills,  the  troops  were  again  astir,  but  their  movements  were  as 
silent  as  the  grave.  Under  whispered  orders  and  with  stealthy  tread  the 
companies  took  position.  As  the  light  increased  and  the  men  were  ad- 
vancing cautiously,  an  Indian  rode  out  of  the  willows  directly  in  front  of 
Lieutenant  Bradley's  position,  en  route  to  the  pony  herd  on  the  hillside, 
and  was  instantly  shot.  The  entire  line  at  once  advanced  on  the  village  ; 
volleys  were  fired  into  the  tepees,  and  with  an  eager  yell  the  whole  line 
swept  wildly  into  the  midst  of  the  slumbering  camp.  The  Indians,  com- 
pletely surprised,  rushed  from  their  lodges  panic  stricken  by  the  sudden- 
ness of  the  attack,  running  for  the  river  banks  and  thickets;  squaws  yell- 
ing, children  screaming,  dogs  barking,  horses  neighing,  many  breaking  their 
lariats  and  stampeding.  For  a  few  minutes  no  effective  fire  was  returned, 
but  as  soon  as  the  Indians  recovered  from  their  surprise,  they  opened  fire 
upon  the  troops  with  terrible  effect.  In  less  than  twenty  minutes  the 
troops  had  possession  of  the  camp  and  orders  were  given  to  set  fire  to  it. 

The  Indians,  however,  had  not  given  up  the  fight,  and  while  a  portion  of 
the  command  was  setting  fire  to  the  tepees,  the  other  portion  was  occupied 
in  replying  to  the  shots,  which  now  came  upon  them  from  every  direction. 
At  almost  every  crack  of  the  rifle  from  the  distant  hills,  some  member  of 
the  command  was  sure  to  fall.  The  troops  were  now  formed  into  two 
lines,  back  to  back,  and  the  order  was  given  to  charge  through  the  brush 
in  opposite  directions,  for  the  purpose  of  driving  out  the  Indians  who  re- 
mained there,  but  they  simply  retreated  further  into  the  woods.  In  this 
part  of  the  action  Lieutenant  Coolidge  (now  Captain)  while  gallantly  lead- 
ing his  company,  was  shot  through  both  thighs,  and  was  carried  to  a  place 
of  safety  by  ist  Sergt.  Patrick  Rogan,  to  whom  Congress  awarded  a  medal 
for  bravery  in  this  engagement. 

It  soon  became  evident  that   it  was  not  prudent  to  attempt  to  hold  the 


5IO  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

position  in  the  river  bottom  any  longer,  and  the  order  was  given  to  fall 
back  to  the  hills,  which  was  done,  with  all  the  wounded.  Here  they  re- 
plied with  good  effect  to  the  sharpshooters  who  were  gathering  around 
them,  and  here  Lieutenant  English  received  his  death,  and  Captain  Wil- 
liams a  severe  but  not  fatal  wound.  The  Indians  crawled  up  as  closely  as 
they  dared,  and  with  yells  of  encouragement  urged  each  other  on,  but  the 
troops  met  them  with  a  bold  and  determined  front,  their  fire  being  very 
destructive  to  the  enemy.  While  in  this  position  the  Indians  attempted  to 
fire  the  grass,  and  smoke  the  troops  out,  but  fortunately  it  was  too  green, 
and  would  not  burn. 

At  ten  o'clock  on  the  following  morning  General  Howard  arrived  with 
part  of  his  command,  and  thus  saved  from  entire  annihilation  the  remainder 
of  the  regiment,  which  surely  would  have  been  wiped  out  had  it  not  been 
for  this  timely  reinforcement.  In  this  fight  the  regiment  lost  22  killed 
and  35  wounded  while  the  enemy  acknowledged  to  have  lost  208.  Among 
those  killed  was  Captain  Logan  and  Lieutenant  Bradley,  and  among  the 
wounded  were  Colonel  Gibbon  and  Lieutenant  Woodruff. 

On  the  morning  of  the  13th,  the  command  started  for  Deer  Lodge, 
reaching  it  on  the  15th.  Here  the  greatest  care  was  given  the  wounded  by 
the  citizens,  and  everything  done  for  their  comfort.  From  here  the  com- 
panies went  to  their  respective  stations,  taking  with  them  such  of  their 
wonded  as  were  able  to  travel. 

The  regiment  remained  in  Montana  until  September,  1888,  when  the 
Headquarters,  Band  and  Companies  B,  C,  E,  F.  H  and  K,  left  for  Fort 
Snelling,  Minnesota,  and  took  station  there  and  were  followed  by  Compa- 
nies A,  D,  G  and  I,  in  October  of  the  following  year. 

Companies  B,  C,  E,  F,  H  and  K,  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Colonel 
Charles  C.  Gilbert,  7th  Infantry,  left  Fort  Snelling  on  October  i,  1889,  for 
service  against  the  hostile  Utes  on  White  River.  Colorado,  who  on  the  29th 
of  September  had  ambushed  Major  Thornburg's  command,  killing  him  and 
many  of  his  men.  The  companies  left  the  post  within  two  hours  after 
receiving  the  order,  and  arrived  at  the  camp  on  White  River,  October  14th, 
Here  they  remained  until  June  11,  1880,  when  they  were  ordered  back  to 
Fort  Snelling,  from  which  point  they  were  distributed  to  several  posts  in 
the  Department. 

Here  the  regiment  remained  until  November,  1882,  when  it  was  ordered 
to  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  with  its  headquarters  at  Fort  Laramie, 
Wyoming,  remaining  until  October,  1889,  when  it  was  ordered  to  Fort 
Logan,  Colorado,  at  which  are  at  present  eight  companies  of  the  regiment. 
The  regiment  participated  in  the  Sioux  War  of  1890-91,  returning  to  Fort 
Logan  in  January,  1891. 

This  regiment  has  the  unusual  distinction  of  having  had  a  colonel,— 
Matthew  Arbuckle, — longer  than  any  regiment  in  the  world,  viz.,  from 
March  16,  1820,  to  June  11,  1851, — over  thirty-one  years.  It  has  had  many 
men  of  note  and  mark  on  its  rolls,  such  as  Zachary  Taylor,  U.  S.  Grant,  B. 
L.  E.  Bonneville,  the  explorer,  Joseph  H.  Potter,  Gabriel  R.  Paul,  Cadmus 
M.  Wilcox,  Gabriel  I.  Raines,  John  Gibbon  and  others  ;  and  for  the  past 
few  vears  has  stood  at  the  head  of  the  army  in  marksmanship. 


General 
ULYSSES     SIMPSON     GRANT 
Commanding  the  Army,   1864-1869. 


T 


:nny,  Geor 


duty  and  th' 

.  eacemakei 

ihe  northern   Lrircler  . .' 

'..ciered  to  report  'c  C' 

10  take  p^a: 

•  their  rest 

cnt.     At  this   t, 

iientlv  did  not  at 


THE  EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       513 

words  of  one  of  their  chiefs,  they  could  find  no  safe  place  in  which  to  rest 
their  weary  heads  ;  so  in  broken  and  scattered  bands  they  fled  their 
native  wilds  ;  delivered  themselves  up  at  Fort  Brooke,  until  only  Billy  Bow- 
legs and  Sam  Jones  with  a  handful  of  warriors  and  their  families  were  left 
to  represent  what,  but  a  few  years  before,  had  been  an  Indian  nation. 

The  activity  of  the  scouting  parties  was  not  diminished,  however,  until 
the  14th  of  August,  1842,  when  Colonel  Worth,  from  his  headquarters  at 
Cedar  Keys,  announced  the  termination  of  the  war  with  the  Seminole 
Indians  which  is  estimated  to  have  cost  the  United  States  2000  lives  and 
$20,000,000.  Colonel  Worth  assigned  certain  lands  to  the  remaining  Indians 
for  hunting  and  planting  purposes,  and  immediately  set  about  redistributing 
the  troops  of  his  command  in  more  healthful  and  accessible  stations. 

Although  the  war  had  ended  the  companies  of  the  regiment  appear  to 
have  been  ever  on  the  move  from  station  to  station  during  the  year  1843 
though  more  quietly  at  their  posts  in  1844  and  1845. 

In  the  latter  year  it  became  apparent  that  peaceful  relations  with  the 
Republic  of  Mexico  could  not  be  maintained  much  longer,  and  the  8th  In- 
fantry received  orders  in  the  early  fall  to  join  General  Taylor's  "  Army  of 
Occupation  "  in  Texas. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Nueces,  a  tributary  of  Corpus  Christi  Bay, 
stretches  a  bleak  sandy  plain  for  two  miles  to  the  southeast,  dotted  here 
and  there  with  scrub  live-oaks  and  dwarf  mesquite,  terminating  at  a  bare 
bluff  or  ridge  under  which  in  those  days  slept  the  village,  hamlet,  town,  or 
ranch,  of  Corpus  Christi,  the  most  murderous,  thieving,  gambling,  cut- 
throat, God-forsaken  hole  in  the  "  Lone  Star  State"  or  out  of  it.  This 
stretch  of  plain  was  the  camping  ground  of  the  Army  of  Occupation  from 
August,  1845,  until  March,  1846.  Here  the  regiment  joined  the  army,  then 
consisting  of  five  regiments  of  infantry,  one  regiment  of  dragoons,  and 
Ringgold's  "  Flying  Artillery," — the  largest  force  of  troops  of  the  regular 
army  that  had  been  assembled  up  to  that  time,  amounting  to  nearly  5000 
men. 

By  the  middle  of  October,  1845,  all  the  companies  were  again  united  and 
the  regiment  was  ready  for  the  Mexican  War,  in  which  it  was  second  to 
none  in  the  performance  of  distinguished  services.  It  was  placed  in  the 
First  (Worth's)  Brigade,  and  was  under  the  command  of  Major  Belknap,  and 
at  the  beginning  of  the  campaign  in  Northern  Mexico  it  numbered  20  offi- 
cers and  394  men. 

Early  in  1846  the  news  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the  United  States 
was  received,  and  on  the  9th  of  March  General  Taylor  took  up  his  march 
to  the  Rio  Grande,  reaching  that  river  opposite  Matamoras  March  28th. 

The  army  immediately  set  about  strengthening  its  camp,  and  during  this 
time  an  event  occurred  which  threw  a  gloom  over  the  whole  army.  Colonel 
Worth  had  had  a  controversy  with  Colonel  Twiggs  several  months  before 
as  to  their  respective  rights  to  command, — Colonel  Worth  claiming  seni- 
ority by  virtue  of  his  rank  in  the  line,  and  Colonel  Twiggs  by  virtue  of  his 
brevet  rank.  The  claim  of  the  latter  having  been  sustained  by  President 
Polk,  Colonel  Worth  at  once,  in  disregard  of  the  earnest  appeals  of  General 
Taylor,  Major  Belknap,  and  his  host  of  friends,  tendered   his  resignation 


514  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

and,  by  the  advice  of  General  Taylor,  accompanied  it  to  Washington.  The 
regiment  was  paraded  April  23  to  bid  farewell  to  its  colonel.  Major  Bel- 
knap succeeded  him  in  the  command  of  the  First  Brigade,  and  Captain 
W.  R.  Montgomery  took  command  of  the  regiment. 

Fearing  for  the  safety  of  his  depot  at  Point  Isabel,  General  Taylor  moved 
his  army  there,  except  a  small  force  under  Major  Brown  in  the  field-work 
opposite  Matamoras,  and  spent  several  days  in  completing  its  defenses, 
during  which  time  the  Mexicans  cannonaded  the  troops  left  behind.  On 
the  7th,  at  3  P.  M.,  he  began  the  return,  having  in  his  front  an  army  of  8000 
men,  his  own  force  numbering  less  than  2500.  The  two  armies  came  in 
contact  at  about  2  p.  m..  May  8,  1846,  and  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto  ensued, 
the  first  battle  in  which  the  Eighth  Infantry  was  engaged  as  a  regi- 
ment. 

The  regiment  occupied  its  several  positions  during  the  day  without 
firing  a  shot,  although  it  lost  four  killed  and  14  wounded,  about  one-third 
of  all  the  casualties.  The  action  in  fact  was  a  defensive  one  on  the  part  of 
the  Americans,  and  was  fought  mainly  by  artillery  against  Mexican  artillery 
and  cavalry,  supported  by  infantry.  To  the  American  infantry  it  was  most 
trying  and  unsatisfactory,  subjected  as  they  were  to  the  artillery  fire  for 
hours  without  the  possibility  of  replying  to  it.  At  daybreak  on  the  9th  the 
two  armies  were  in  sight  of  each  other,  but  before  daylight  the  enemy  could 
be  seen  moving.  He  fell  back  to  the  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  which  was  a  ra- 
vine six  or  eight  feet  deep  and  50  yards  wide,  with  thick  woods  bordering 
its  margin.  The  Mexican  line  formed  a  crescent  along  it  for  a  mile  on  the 
right  and  left  of  the  road  leading  to  Matamoras. 

The  American  army  began  its  pursuit  at  an  early  hour,  moving  from  the 
right  and  thus  bringing  the  Eighth  in  the  rear  of  the  column,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  battle  it  was  held  in  reserve,  but  later,  as  the  regiment  in 
its  advance  came  near  General  Taylor,  Captain  May  reported  that  he  had 
run  around  the  Mexican  battery  in  the  centre  of  their  line  but  could  not 
hold  the  guns.  General  Taylor  immediately  turned  to  Major  Belknap  and 
gave  him  the  following  memorable  order,  "  Charge  in  there,  Colonel  Belk- 
nap, and  take  those  guns  and  keep  them." 

The  regiment  was  quickly  deployed  in  an  open  space  on  the  left  of 
the  road,  and,  accompanied  by  a  part  of  the  5th  Infantry,  charged  into 
the  ravine  and  up  on  the  other  side  of  it.  The  Mexican  regiments  at  this 
point  were  the  Lapadores  and  the  Tampico  Guards,  two  of  the  best  in 
their  army.  These  troops  defended  their  guns  with  special  determination, 
and  a  hand-to-hand  bayonet  conflict  followed,  in  which  most  of  the  Mex- 
ican force  was  either  killed,  wounded  or  taken  prisoners.  All  seven  of 
the  guns  were  taken.  The  total  loss  of  the  regiment  was  one  officer  and 
nine  men  killed,  and  seven  officers  and  26  men  wounded.  After  this  sec- 
ond defeat  the  Mexicans  abandoned  all  hope  of  defending  the  line  of  the 
Rio  Grande,  and  General  Taylor  occupied  Matamoras  on  May  iSth. 

While  here,  owing  to  the  depletion  of  Companies  C,  F,  G  and  K,  they 
were  broken  up,  and  the  enlisted  men,  except  the  ist  sergeants,  assigned  to 
the  remaining  companies  of  the  regiment. 

The  President  having  declined  to  accept  the  resignation  of  Colonel 


THE  EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       515 

Worth,  he  returned  to  the  army  and  assumed  command  of  the  First  Brigade,' 
May  29th. 

During  the  advance  upon  Monterey,  divisional  organization  of  the  army 
was  effected,  the  Eighth  being  placed  in  the  Second  Division,  still  under 
Colonel  Worth.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Staniford  assumed  command  of  the 
regiment,  August  30,  at  Cerralvo,  and  on  September  14,  the  division  left 
that  place,  encamping  at  Walnut  Springs,  three  miles  northeast  of  Monterey, 
on  the  19th. 

The  2d  Division  left  its  camp  at  2  p.  m.,  September  20,  to  cut  the 
enemy's  line  of  retreat  by  the  Saltillo  road.  No  opposition  was  offered  on 
the  2oth,  but  on  the  morning  of  the  21st,  Companies  A  and  B  under  Captain 
Screven  being  among  the  skirmishers  covering  the  front  of  the  division,  a 
body  of  cavalry  about  450  strong  charged  upon  the  advance  and  were  hotly 
engaged  near  three-fourths  of  an  hour,  when  they  were  driv^en  back  and 
entirely  dispersed,  the  Eighth  meeting  with  no  loss.  The  Saltillo  road  was 
reached  and  held,  but  in  taking  up  a  position  for  the  night  Captain  Mc- 
Kavett  and  one  man  were  wounded.  The  report  of  Colonel  Staniford  as  to 
the  succeeding  operations  is  as  follows  : 

"  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  22d,  Companies  A,  B  and  D,  of  the  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Screven,  were  detached  and  ordered  to  join  three  companies  of  the 
Artillery  Battalion,  all  under  the  command  of  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  T.  Childs,  for 
the  assault  of  the  fortified  height  on  the  left  of  the  Saltillo  road,  commanding  at  once 
this  road,  the  strongly  fortified  Bishop's  Palace,  and  the  entire  city  of  Monterey. 

"  Soon  after,  an  engagement  commenced  between  this  command  and  the  enemy  on 
the  height,  when  I  was  ordered  with  the  remaining  companies  of  the  Eighth,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Bomford,  Lieutenants  Shepherd  and  Selden,  to  hasten  to  the  sup- 
port of  Colonel  Childs.  On  reaching  the  height,  I  found  the  enemy  driven  from  it, 
and  Company  A,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Longstreet,  Company  B  by  Lieutenant 
Holloway,  with  two  companies  of  the  Artillery  Battalion  and  a  part  of  Colonel  Hays' 
regiment  of  Texas  rangers  under  command  of  Captain  Vinton,  composing  the  advance 
of  Colonel  Childs'  command,  still  engaged  with  the  enemy,  driving  them  towards  the 
Bishop's  Palace.  A  while  after  reaching  the  summit  of  the  height.  Company  H,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Bomford,  was  thrown  in  advance  to  relieve  Company  A,  and  the 
action  was  kept  up  by  the  companies  of  the  Eighth  named,  companies  of  the  Artillery 
Battalion,  companies  of  the  5th  Infantry,  a  party  of  Texas  Rangers,  and  a  howitzer  com- 
manded by  Lieutenant  Roland,  which  was  brought  on  the  height,  until  about  3  o'clock, 
when  the  enemy  appeared  in  force  in  front  of  Captain  Vinton's  command  ;  they  were 
met  by  him,  repulsed  and  driven  in  confusion  from  the  Palace,  which  resulted  in  the 
capture  of  three  pieces  of  artillery,— one  12-pdr.  one  6-pdr  and  one  howitzer. 

"  During  this  engagement  the  regiment  lost  in  killed  one  private  ;  one  officer  (Lieu- 
tenant Wainright)  and  two  non-commissioned  officers  wounded  ;  and  it  is  but  justice 
to  add  that  the  conduct  of  both  officers  and  men  was  worthy  of  the  highest  praise, 
more  particularly  that  of  Captain  Vinton,  Lieutenants  Roland,  Longstreet  and  Wain- 
wright,  for  the  zeal  and  ability  with  which  they  discharged  their  duties. 

"About  12  M.  on  the  23d,  Captain  Screven,  with  three  companies  of  the  regiment, 
commanded  by  Captain  Bomford,  Lieutenants  Selden  and  Holloway,  was  detached 
and  ordered  to  advance  by  one  of  the  streets  leading  into  the  city,  in  which  movement 
the  companies  shortly  after  passing  its  exterior  limits,  were  deployed  as  skirmishers  and 
in  this  order  advanced  as  well  as  possible  over  and  around  numerous  high  stone  en- 
closures and  took  undisputed  possession  of  a  cemetery,  the  walls  of  which  were  pierced 


5i6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

with  numerous  loop-holes  and  otherwise  prepared  for  defense,  but  was  vacated  when  our 
forces  came  in  possession  of  the  palace,  it  being  in  range  of  the  guns  of  that  position. 

"  Immediately  succeeding  the  departure  of  Captain  Screven,  Companies  A  and  E 
were  detached  and  directed  to  follow,  leaving  Company  D  with  the  headquarters  of 
the  regiment  at  the  palace.  Company  E  joined  Captain  Screven  at  the  cemetery  and 
was  then  ordered  to  support  a  piece  of  artillery  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  J. 
G.  Martin,  ist  Artillery. 

"  Companies  H  and  B  being  left  as  a  reserve  on  the  plaza,  he  then  proceeded  in 
column  up  the  street  with  the  remaining  companies  and  a  piece  of  artillery  supported 
as  above  stated.  After  advancing  a  short  distance  the  enemy  was  reported  in  front, 
the  piece  was  placed  in  battery  and  immediately  received  a  galling  fire  from  the  enemy 
which  was  promptly  returned  ;  the  piece  was  soon  ordered  off  and  the  action  was  con- 
tinued some  distance  up  the  street,  by  Company  H  on  the  right  and  E  on  the  left ; 
when  Captain  Bomford  with  a  party  was  detached  and  employed  with  mattocks  in 
making  openings  through  the  walls,  and  thus  the  troops  were  enabled  to  proceed  from 
point  to  point  until  the  extremity  of  the  square  was  gained,  and  they  might  have  entered 
the  next  street.  Night,  however,  closing  in,  the  firing  ceased,  and  the  command  hav- 
ing been  joined  by  Company  A,  which  up  to  this  time  was  engaged  in  another  part  of 
the  town,  with  the  command  of  Captain  Miles,  7th  Infantry,  in  similar  operations,  the 
whole  depth  of  the  square  was  taken  possession  of  and  retained  during  the  night. 

"The  next  morning,  when  operations  were  about  being  recommenced,  a  cessation 
of  hostilities  was  announced.  During  the  action  of  the  23d  three  privates  of  the  regi- 
ment were  wounded. 

"  In  closing  this  report,  it  is  in  justice  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the  regiment  added, 
that  their  conduct  was  marked  by  a  high  order  of  zeal  and  gallantry  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties." 

At  the  battle  of  Monterey  the  strength  of  the  8th  Infantry  was  16  offi- 
cers and  321  men. 

The  movement  from  Monterey  to  join  General  Scott  at  Vera  Cruz  be- 
gan January  10,  1847,  and  the  six  companies  of  the  regiment,  now  under 
Captain  George  Wright,  embarked  at  Brazos  February  6,  and  landed  on  the 
Island  of  Sacrificios,  three  miles  from  the  Castle  of  San  Juan  de  Uloa 
March  9th. 

The  siege  of  Vera  Cruz  was  almost  wholly  a  bombardment  and  the  duty 
of  the  infantry  mainly  that  of  guarding  the  trenches.  The  city  and  castle 
surrendered  March  28th,  and  Colonel  Worth  was  made  commandant  and 
governor  of  the  city. 

Company  C  was  reorganized,  mainly  with  recruits,  March  i8th,  and 
placed  on  duty  with  the  regiment. 

Headquarters  with  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  H  and  I,  left  the  encamp- 
ment near  Vera  Cruz  April  13th,  for  the  advance  upon  the  City  of  Mexico. 
The  regiment  was  not  directly  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  Cerro  Gordo,  but, 
after  the  surrender,  was  ordered  from  the  position  which  it  had  gained  on 
the  National  Road  in  rear  of  Cerro  Gordo,  to  take  charge  of  and  guard  the 
prisoners.  They  were  paroled  April  1 8th,  and  the  regiment,  resuming  the 
march,  reached  Puebla  May  15th. 

Here  the  reorganized  companies — F,  G  and  K — reported  August  6th,  but 
on  the  7th  Company  G  was  again  broken  up  and  its  men  transferred  to  the 
other  companies. 


THE  EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       5 '7 

In  the  general  advance  upon  the  City  of  Mexico  after  a  long  halt  at 
Puebla,  the  nine  companies  of  the  Eighth  left  that  city  on  the  9th  of 
August.  Although  they  were  the  first  troops  to  enter  the  Valley  of  Mexico, 
they  were  not  actually  engaged  with  the  enemy  at  the  battle  of  Contreras. 
August  19th. 

The  next  day  the  enemy  made  a  stand  at  Churubusco,  six  miles  from 
the  capital.  The  storming  of  Churubusco  was  perhaps  the  most  brilliant 
exploit  in  a  war  abounding  in  splendid  feats  of  arms,  and  the  Eighth  In- 
fantry was  a  conspicuous  participant  in  it.  The  attack  was  begun  by  the 
6th  Infantry  without  a  reconnoissance  and  with  only  partial  information  of 
the  enemy's  position.  The  Fifth  and  Eighth  were  brought  up  to  reinforce 
the  advance,  and  the  forward  movement  was  made  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
but  being  over  ditches  filled  with  water  and  fields  of  full-grown  corn,  was 
attended  with  some  confusion.  Reaching  a  point  about  1 50  yards  from  the 
tete-dic-pont  the  fire  became  so  severe  that  the  line  was  staggered  and  for  a 
moment  absolutely  halted.  Seeing  this,  Captain  Bomford  urged  his  com- 
pany (H)  with  the  colors  from  the  regimental  line.  This  company,  led  by 
himself  and  Lieutenant  Longstreet,  hurried  forward  and  when  near  the 
ditch  the  color-bearer  fell.  Captain  Bomford  now  took  the  colors  and  car- 
ried them  to  the  ditch,  where  he  left  them  with  Lieutenant  Longstreet,  and 
worked  his  way  through  the  moat.  When  on  the  side  next  the  wall  the 
adjutant  threw  the  colors  to  the  captain  and  hurriedly  crossed  the  ditch 
followed  by  Lieutenants  Pickett  and  Snelling  and  Company  H,  immediately 
behind  which  came  the  rest  of  the  regiment.  Several  attempts  were  now 
made  to  get  into  the  fort,  and  in  so  doing  the  flag  was  passed  from  one  to 
another  as  the  chances  for  an  entrance  seemed  good,  until  at  last  Captain 
Bomford,  by  placing  his  feet  on  the  shoulders  of  some  of  his  men,  climbed 
into  the  work  through  the  embrasure,  dragging  the  colors  with  him,  and  in 
the  shortest  space  of  time  the  other  officers  above  mentioned,  with  the  bal- 
ance of  the  regiment  and  other  troops  followed.  Thus  the  Eighth  Infantry 
was  the  first  of  the  army  to  occupy  the  work,  and  its  regimental  colors  the 
first  American  flag  on  the  fortress.  The  loss  of  the  regiment  in  this  assault 
was  seven  enlisted  men  killed  and  Lieutenant  Holloway  and  33  men 
wounded. 

Notwithstanding  the  hard  service  already  performed  by  the  regiment 
and  its  depleted  condition,  it  gallantly  pushed  forward  at  the  head  of  the 
ist  Division,  reaching  Tacubaya  on  the  day  following  the  battle  of  Churu- 
busco, and  was  among  the  first  in  the  engagement  of  Molino  del  Rey  on  the 
8th  of  September. 

Here  the  regiment.— under  Major  Waite,  succeeded  by  Captain  Mont- 
gomery,—performed  very  conspicuous  and  meritorious  service  during  the 
entire  battle.  At  daylight  September  8,  it  was  formed  in  line  of  battle 
on  the  extreme  left,  opposed  to  the  enemy's  right  which  was  strongly  in- 
trenched. The  enemy  was  driven  from  his  works  but  made  a  gallant 
though  unsuccessful  attempt  to  recover  his  lost  position,  approaching  within 
50  paces  of  the  American  line  but  then  breaking  and  taking  refuge  under 
the  walls  of  Chapultepec. 

The  regiment  then  took  a  secure  position  in  rear  of  Chapultepec  where 


5i8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

it  remained  until  the  killed  and  wounded  were  collected,  when  it  was 
ordered  to  assist  in  their  conveyance  from  the  field.  This  being  done  the 
regiment  marched  to  and  resumed  its  quarters,  but  more  than  one-third  of 
the  gallant  men  who  had  participated  in  the  action  were  missing.  Three 
color-bearers  were  killed  in  quick  succession  and  the  fourth  wounded  ;  the 
fifth  bore  them  gallantly  through  the  action.  The  regiment  went  into 
action  with  425  muskets  and  came  out  with  284,  having  had  27  men  killed 
on  the  field,  and  ten  officers  and  in  men  wounded. 

The  assaulting  column  in  another  part  of  the  field  was  drawn  from  all 
the  regiments  of  the  ist  Division,  and  the  contingent  of  the  8th  Infantry 
formed  the  fifth  company  and  was  commanded  by  Captain  Bomford  with 
Lieutenant  Snelling,  All  the  enemy's  positions  in  front  of  this  column  were 
finally  carried  and  the  party  remained  in  possession  of  the  field  for  a  short 
time,  after  which  the  survivors  rejoined  their  respective  regiments.  The 
loss  of  this  command  was  four-fifths  of  its  officers  and  nearly  one-half  of 
the  enlisted  men. 

The  regiment  was  left  out  of  the  attacking  party  on  the  12th  of  Septem- 
ber on  account  of  its  severe  losses  and  fatiguing  duties,  but  on  the  13th  it 
marched  with  its  division  to  assault  the  fortress  of  Chapultepec.  It  charged 
up  the  hill  at  double  time  to  the  enemy's  walls,  and  then  forward  with  other 
forces  into  the  works,  driving  the  garrison  over  the  walls  or  taking  them 
prisoners.  Lieutenant  Pickett  took  charge  of  the  regimental  colors  after 
Lieutenant  Longstreet  was  wounded,  had  them  carried  to  the  top  of  the 
castle,  lowered  the  enemy's  standard  and  replaced  it  with  that  of  the  8th 
Infantry  and  the  national  colors  while  the  battle  was  yet  raging  beneath. 
The  regiment  took  part  in  the  advance  of  the  ist  Division  along  the  San 
Cosme  causeway  and  finally  reached  the  Garita  de  San  Cosme  by  cutting 
through  walls  and  advancing  on  the  tops  of  houses.  The  loss  of  the  regi- 
ment at  Chapultepec  and  the  San  Cosme  gate  was  six  men  killed,  and 
Lieutenants  Longstreet  and  Selden  and  14  men  wounded. 

The  affair  at  the  San  Cosme  gate  was  the  last  action  in  Mexico  in  which 
the  regiment  was  engaged.  Seventy-one  enlisted  men  of  the  regiment  re- 
ceived certificates  of  merit  for  brave  and  meritorious  service  during  the 
war. 

The  march  towards  the  coast  for  home  began  June  12,  1848,  and  the 
regiment  embarked  at  Vera  Cruz  July  16,  on  the  transport  Alexandria,  the 
\,zx^John  Davis,  and  the  brig  Apalachicola,  arriving  at  New  Orleans  July 
24  and  25,  1848. 

From  New  Orleans  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  Jefferson  Barracks 
by  steamer  Missouri,  arriving  August  i,  1848,  but  in  November  was  ordered 
to  Texas  via  New  Orleans,  reaching  Port  Lavacca  December  18,  where 
camp  was  established  about  one  mile  from  town. 

Companies  A,  E,  G,  I  and  K.— the  right  wing,— left  camp  on  the  21st 
December,  and  by  easy  marches  reached  a  camp  on  the  Guadalupe  River, 
near  Victoria,  on  the  29th.  On  the  night  of  the  21st,  cholera  attacked  the 
left  wing,— Companies  B,  C,  D,  F  and  H,— and  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours 
became  epidemic,  so  much  so  as  to  prevent  the  troops  moving  from  the 
camp  to  join  the  right  wing.     The  disease  attacked  the  right  wing  also,  but 


THE  EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       519 

not  with  such  virulence  as  it  did  the  left.  It  attained  its  height  on  the  24th, 
and  had  almost  disappeared  on  the  27th. 

Major  Morrison's  report,  dated  January  5,  1849,  gives  a  concise  account 
of  this  disaster. 

"  The  cholera  broke  out  as  an  epidemic  in  the  regiment  on  the  21st  De- 
cember, and  has  nearly  destroyed  it,  one-third  of  the  men  falling  victims  to 
it.  Such  has  been  its  virulence  that  one-half  of  the  cases  terminated 
fatally  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours. 

"The  disease  has  been  one  of  those  mysterious  visitations  that  cannot 
be  accounted  for,  as  the  regiment  on  its  landing  at  Lavacca  was  in  apparent 
good  health,  cheerful,  comfortably  clothed,  subsistence  of  the  best  kind, 
with  new  tents  and  everything  that  could  put  it  in  first  rate  condition  for 
the  field." 

Early  in  January,  1849,  the  regiments  were  distributed  among  the  forts 
and  camps  of  Texas  which  it  was  to  occupy  for  twelve  years.  There  were 
many  movements  of  companies  in  this  interval,  a  number  of  Indian  skir- 
mishes, several  collisions  with  Cortina's  outlaws,  and  many  long  marches 
on  escort  duty  or  scouting,  but  no  occurrence  of  general  interest. 

Brevet  Major-General  Wm.  J.  Worth,  the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  died 
of  Asiatic  cholera  at  San  Antonio,  May  7,  1849,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  John  Garland,  promoted  from  the  Fourth. 

The  only  movements  of  the  different  companies  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year  1861  (except  a  change  of  station  of  Company  K),  were  made  in  com- 
pliance with  an  order  issued  by  General  Twiggs,  the  Department  com- 
mander, for  the  troops  to  leave  the  State  by  way  of  the  coast.  The  attempt 
to  comply  with  this  order  resulted  in  the  capture  of  all  the  regiment  by  the 
newly  organized  military  forces  of  the  Confederate  States. 

Company  C,  on  entering  the  plaza  at  San  Antonio  April  22,  was  sur- 
rounded by  an  overwhelming  force  and  obliged  to  surrender.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Hoffman,  commanding  the  regiment,  and  the  regimental  staff  and 
band,  were  taken  prisoners  about  10  o'clock  the  same  day  at  San  Antonio. 
The  regimental  colors  were  not  captured,  and  the  manner  in  which  they 
were  saved  is  narrated  by  Corporal  John  C.  Hesse,  Company  A,  as 
follows  : 

"  A  few  days  subsequent  to  the  surrender,  upon  going  to  the  former  office 
of  the  regimental  headquarters,  the  building  bemg  then  in  possession  and 
under  the  control  of  the  rebels,  I  met  there  Lieutenant  Hartz,  the  regi- 
mental adjutant,  and  Sergeant-Major  Joseph  K.  Wilson,  8th  Infantry.  Our 
regimental  colors  being  in  the  office.  Lieutenant  Hartz  proposed  to  us  to 
take  the  colors  from  the  staffs,  conceal  them  beneath  our  clothing  and  try  to 
carry  them  off.  We  did  so.  I  took  the  torn  color  which  the  regiment  had 
carried  through  the  Mexican  War,  put  it  around  my  body  under  my  shirt 
and  blouse,  and  passed  out  of  the  building,  which  was  strongly  guarded  by 
rebels.  Fortunately  the  rebels  did  not  suspect  what  a  precious  load  we 
concealed  with  us,  for  if  they  had  our  lives  would  not  have  been  worth 
much.  We  put  the  colors  in  one  of  Lieutenant  Hartz's  trunks,  and  next 
day  left  San  Antonio  for  the  North.  On  the  route  we  guarded  the  colors 
with  our  lives,  always  fearing  that  the  rebels  might  find  out  what  we  had 


520  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

taken  away  and  come  after  us  ;  but  they  did  not,  and  we  arrived  safe  with 
our  colors  on  the  26th  of  May,  1861,  in  Washington  City,  and  turned  them 
over  to  the  regiment." 

For  tkis  act  Sergeant  Wilson  and  Corporal  Hesse  each  received  a  medal 
of  honor. 

Companies  A  and  D  were  captured  at  Indianola,  April  24,  and  Compan- 
ies B,  E,  F,  H,  I  and  K,  under  Captain  I.  V.  D.  Reeve,  near  San  Lucas 
Springs,  about  22  miles  west  of  San  Antonio,  May  9th.  Company  G  had 
been  broken  up. 

The  officers  of  Captain  Reeve's  battalion  were  not  paroled  as  the  others 
had  been,  but  were,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  held  prisoners  at  San  An- 
tonio for  about  nine  months,  when  they  were  exchanged.  The  enlisted  men 
were  held  until  February  25,  1863,  during  which  time  they  were  divided  into 
squads  and  removed  to  different  posts  on  the  frontiers  of  Texas,  deprived 
of  pay  for  more  than  two  years,  supplied  with  scanty  food  and  clothing,  and 
made  to  suffer  severe  military  punishments.  Recruiting  officers  visited 
them  daily,  offering  them  commissions  and  large  bounties  to  desert  their 
flag.  With  few  exceptions,  however,  they  repelled  the  bribes  and  avoided 
the  treason.  Those  who  chose  a  different  course  did  it  to  escape  their 
prison. 

The  officers  of  the  regiment  who  took  commissions  in  the  Confederate 
service  were :  Major  Theophilus  Holmes,  Captains  Larkin  Smith,  E.  B. 
Holloway,  Joseph  Selden  and  E.  D.  Blake ;  First  Lieutenants  T.  K.  Jack- 
son, T.  M.  Jones,  R.  G.  Cole  and  Lafayette  Peck,  and  Second  Lieutenants 
J.  R.  Cooke  and  J.  G.  Taylor.  The  opening  of  the  Civil  War  thus  found 
the  Eighth  Infantry  with  its  officers  and  men  either  prisoners  of  war,  or 
debarred  by  their  paroles  from  serving  against  the  enemy;  and  it  was  not 
until  October,  1863,  that  a  body  which  can  be  considered  fairly  representa- 
tive of  the  regiment  could  be  assembled. 

The  reorganization  of  the  regiment  began  May  i,  1861,  at  Fort  Wood, 
N.  Y.  Harbor,  where  Company  G  was  recruited.  Company  F  was  reorgan- 
ized at  Newport  Barracks,  Ky.,  in  July,  1861.  Company  A  at  Fort  Hamil- 
ton February  17,  1862,  and  D  at  the  same  station  May  7th.  B  at  Fort 
Columbus  July  29;  Cat  Fort  Columbus  April  15,  1863;  E  and  I  at  Fort 
Columbus,  May  22  ;  K  on  the  9th,  and  H  on  the  12th  of  March,  1865. 

Company  G  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  then,  with  Com- 
pany F,  was  placed  on  duty  in  Washington  as  provost  guard. 

Companies  A  and  D  joined  the  Army  of  Virginia  under  General  Banks 
and  on  August  9, 1862,  were  engaged  in  the  action  with  the  Confederate  army 
at  Cedar  Mountain.  On  this  day  the  battalion  was  in  the  advance,  and  on 
the  appearance  of  the  enemy  Captain  Pitcher  was  directed  to  throw  his 
command  forward  as  skirmishers.  Companies  A  and  D  formed  the  right  of  the 
line  and  advanced  towards  the  enemy's  line  of  battle  across  an  open  field 
with  a  steadiness  and  precision  which  were  commented  upon  by  Generals 
Fitzhugh  Lee  and  Stuart.  The  line  continued  to  advance  until  confronted 
by  the  main  body  of  the  enemy,  when,  not  being  supported,  it  fell  back  to 
its  second  line.  How  well  the  companies  fought  is  shown  by  their  losses, 
which  were  8  killed,  8  wounded,  and  3  missing,— nearly  one-third   of  the 


THE  EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       521 

effective  strength.     Of  the  five  officers  present,  three  were  wounded  and  two 
taken  prisoners. 

Both  companies  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Antietam  and  then  joined 
Companies  F  and  G  for  duty  as  provost  guard  at  the  headquarters  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac. 

While  Companies  A  and  D  were  serving  in  northern  Virginia,  Companies 
F  and  G  had  taken  part  in  the  Peninsula  Campaign  as  provost  guard  at  Gen- 
eral McClellan's  headquarters. 

Company  B  arrived  at  Sharpsburg,  October  3,  1862,  and  the  five  com- 
panies,— A,  B,  D,  F  and  G, — were  now  united  for  the  first  time  since  their 
reorganization.  The  battalion  accompanied  the  headquarters  in  all  the 
marches  preceding  Fredericksburg,  in  which  battle  it  was  engaged  December 
13,  1862.  Company  C  joined  the  battalion  at  Falmouth,  Va.,  April  i8,  1863, 
where  the  regiment  remained  during  the  Chancellorsville  campaign.  It 
marched  with  the  army  to  Gettysburg,  but  was  not  actually  engaged 
in  the  battle,  its  duties  as  provost  guard  keeping  it  employed  in  other 
ways. 

A  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
New  York  City  to  suppress  the  draft  riots,  and  encamped  in  the  City  Hall 
Park  from  July  17  to  30,  1863,  and  on  the  Battery  from  July  30  to  August  22. 
It  remained  in  New  York  Harbor  until  April  23,  1864,  being  stationed  on 
Governor's  Island  until  March  22,  and  after  that  date  at  Hart's  Island. 
During  this  interval  the  various  companies  performed  much  detached  ser- 
vice, being  apparently  available  for  any  object  which  presented  itself.  The 
most  important  of  these  duties  was  the  suppression  of  a  mutiny  on  Novem- 
ber 7,  among  certain  N.  Y.  volunteer  regiments.  Companies  B  and  I  put 
down  the  mutiny  and  brought  the  ringleaders  to  Fort  Columbus. 

The  regiment  left  Hart's  Island  April  21,  1864,  and  proceeded  to  Warren- 
ton,  Va.,  where  it  became  the  provost  guard  of  the  9th  Army  Corps.  It 
took  part  in  all  the  movements  of  that  corps,  its  detail  as  provost  guard 
preventing  it  from  engaging  actively  in  any  of  the  battles  in  which  the  corps 
were  engaged. 

On  the  2d  of  November,  1864,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Buffalo 
N.  Y.,  to  preserve  order  during  the  elections,  and  thence  (November  12) 
to  Baltimore,  Md.  After  several  movements  of  companies  in  Delaware 
and  Maryland,  the  regiment  was  united  at  Hancock  Barracks,  Baltimore, 
Md.,  August  31,  1865,  where  it  remained  during  the  remainder  of  the 
year. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1861,  Colonel  John  Garland,  the  colonel  of  the 
regiment,  died  at  New  York,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Pitcairn 
Morrison,  who  retired  October  20,  1863,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel 
Albemarle  Cady.  Colonel  Cady  retired  May  18,  1864,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Colonel  James  V.  Bomford. 

In  April,  1866,  Companies  A,  B,  D,  F,  H  and  K  were  sent  to  stations 
in  North  Carolina,  and  Companies  E,  G  and  I  to  Charleston,  S.  C, 
Company  C  went  to  Winchester,  Va.,  in  January,  but  in  September  it, 
too,  went  to  South  Carolina.  During  the  reconstruction  period  in  the 
South  the  companies  changed  station  very  often.    The  regiment  occupied 


522  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

stations  in  the  Carolinas  until  May,  1868,  after  which  the  whole  regiment 
was  in  South  Carolina. 

In  1869,  at  the  time  of  the  reduction  of  the  army,  the  8th  Infantry  was 
consolidated  with  the  23d,  the  order  taking  efifect  in  May  of  that  year. 

The  numerous  movements  of  the  different  companies  while  the  regiment 
was  in  the  South  were  due  to  the  inability  of  the  civil  authorities  to  enforce 
the  laws  of  reconstruction,  and  the  necessity  for  a  military  force  to  support 
and  maintain  them.  In  the  execution  of  their  peculiar  and  unpleasant 
duties  the  most  prudent  and  judicious  measures  were  adopted  by  the 
officers  of  the  regiment  in  order  to  accomplish  the  ends  of  justice  and  pre- 
vent bloodshed. 

In  1870  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  David's  Island,  N.  Y.  Harbor, 
in  order  that  it  might  be  in  readiness  to  proceed  at  any  time  to  the  Island 
of  San  Domingo  to  protect  the  interests  of  the  United  States  there.  With 
this  expectation,  the  regiment  recruited  to  a  "  strength  present "  greater 
than  at  any  other  period  of  its  existence,  the  regimental  return  for  Novem- 
ber, 1870,  showing  29  officers  and  810  men. 

The  Chicago  fire  in  October,  1871,  was  the  cause  of  a  part  of  the  regi- 
ment (Companies  D,  E,  G  and  I)  being  sent  to  that  city  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  property  belonging  to  the  sufferers  by  the  fire.  The  battalion 
remained  in  Chicago  until  May  3,  1872,  when  it  was  sent  to  Utah,  where  it 
established  and  built  the  post  of  Fort  Cameron.  These  companies  re- 
mained continuously  at  this  post  until  the  regiment  was  moved  to  Arizona 
in  1874. 

The  rest  of  the  regiment  remained  at  David's  Island  until  July,  1872,  when 
it  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  arriving  at  Fort  Rice 
July  21.  Here  the  battalion  was  attached  to  the  command  of  Colonel  D. 
S.  Stanley,  22d  Infantry,  designed  to  accompany  and  protect  the  surveyors 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  While  on  this  duty  the  battalion 
marched  about  600  miles  and  had  several  collisions  with  the  Indians, 
but  without  loss.  A  similar  march  was  made  by  Companies  B,  C,  F  and 
H,  in  1873,  ^"d  after  its  termination  in  September  the  battalion  was  sta- 
tioned at  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  Wyoming. 

In  February,  1874,  the  garrison  of  Fort  D.  A.  Russell  was  called  upon 
to  furnish  troops  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  Ogallalla  Sioux  on  their 
reservation,  and  Companies  B,  C,  H,  F  and  K  were  ordered  upon  this  duty. 
Fort  Laramie  was  reached  February  28,  and  on  the  3d  of  March  the  bat- 
talion began  the  march  for  Red  Cloud  Agency, — 80  miles  distant,  and  the 
site  of  the  present  Fort  Robinson,  —which  was  reached  on  the  8th.  Here 
Company  F  was  left  with  a  battalion  of  the  13th  and  14th,  under  Captain 
Van  Horn,  and  Companies  B,  C,  H  and  K.  commanded  by  Captain  Lazelle, 
continued  the  march  to  the  Spotted  Tail  Agency,  41  miles  further  down 
White  River,  where  they  arrived  on  the  nth. 

For  the  next  four  months  the  little  garrison  led  a  very  monotonous  and 
circumscribed  existence,  since  "Two  Strikes' "  band  of  Sioux  and  a  party  of 
Minneconjous  were  encamped  close  by,  and  the  main  body  under  Spotted 
Tail  was  only  eight  miles  away. 

During  this  year  the  regiment  was  designated  for  service  in  Arizona,  and 


THE  EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       5^3 

as  Colonel  Bomford  had  sustained  a  paralytic  stroke  in  November.  1S73, 
and  was  entirely  incapacitated  for  such  service,  the  President  retired  him 
from  active  service  on  June  8th. 

This  distinguished  officer,  who  had  spent  almost  a  lifetime  in  the  Eighth, 
was  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  esteemed  of  the  officers  of  the  old 
army.  To  a  bravery  in  battle  never  surpassed  by  any  one,  he  united  a  pecu- 
liar kindness  and  urbanity  towards  all  those,  of  whatever  rank,  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  With  his  high  reputation  in  the  old  army  and  his 
estimable  personal  qualities,  his  failure  to  attain  distinguished  prominence 
in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  has  always  been  a  matter  of  surprise  and  a  sub- 
ject for  comment  among  those  who  knew  and  admired  him.  An  explana- 
tion of  this  may,  however,  be  found  in  the  fact  that,  having  surrendered  in 
Texas  in  1S61  as  major  of  the  6th  Infantry,  his  loyalty  was  for  a  time  un- 
reasonably suspected  by  the  authorities  ;  and  still  more  to  the  other  fact 
that,  at  the  battle  of  Perryville,  while  acting  as  chief  of  staf?  to  General 
McCook  and  conducting  himself  with  his  usual  gallantry,  he  was  very 
severely  wounded  and  virtually  incapacitated  for  further  service  during  the 
war. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  August  V.  Kautz. 

The  movement  to  Arizona  was  begun  in  July,  1874,  and  by  the  end  of 
October  the  companies  were  at  their  new  stations, —  Headquarters  and  Com- 
pany F  at  Whipple  Barracks;  A  and  B  at  Camp  Verde;  Cat  Fort  Mc- 
Dowell ;  D  and  G  at  Camp  Lowell ;  E  and  K  at  Camp  Apache  ;  H  at  Fort 
Yuma  ;  and  I  at  Camp  Grant. 

The  8th  Infantry  remained  in  Arizona  for  four  years,  during  all  of  which 
time  most  of  the  companies  remained  at  their  posts  performing  the  ordinary 
garrison  duties,  and  in  most  cases  were  employed  in  constructing  or  enlarg- 
ing posts,  building  roads,  telegraph  lines,  etc.  The  Indians  were  generally 
quiet,  and  no  one  of  the  companies  was  sent  into  the  field  as  an  organiza- 
tion. Many  of  the  officers,  however,  performed  arduous  and  important 
service  in  command  of  scouting  parties,  composed  of  Indian  scouts  and  de- 
tachments of  the  regiment.  The  only  approach  to  an  engagement  with  the 
Indians  in  which  the  regiment  took  part,  occurred  at  Camp  Apache  on  July 
9,  1876,  when  Diablo's  band  of  White  Mountain  Apaches  fired  into  the  post 
from  a  neighboring  hill.  Company  E,  which  was  the  only  company  of  the 
regiment  at  that  post  at  the  time,  turned  out  at  once  with  the  rest  of  the 
garrison  and  attacked  the  Indians,  soon  forcing  them  to  retreat  up  the 
mountains. 

When  the  Nez  Perce  war  broke  out  in  1877,  Company  H  joined  the 
column  which  General  Howard  had  organized  against  Chief  Joseph.  It 
began  its  march  July  30,  and  during  the  next  three  months  was  engaged 
in  all  the  marches  and  other  operations  of  that  famous  pursuit.  Joseph 
having  surrendered,  the  company  was  sent  back  to  California,  having  trav- 
elled, by  steamer,  rail  and  marching,  7244  miles  during  the  campaign. 

In  1878  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  California,  but  the  transfer  was 
complicated  by  the  Bannock  Indian  war  which  broke  out  while  it  was  in 
progress.  All  the  companies  except  E  and  G  were  involved  in  this  and  were 
kept  constantly  in  motion  while  it  lasted.    At  its  close  the  regiment  was  as- 


524  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

signed  to  stations  at  Benicia  Barracks,  Angel  Island,  San  Diego,  Fort  Mc- 
Dermitt,  Fort  Bidwell,  Camp  Halleck,  and  Camp  Gaston,  with  headquarters 
first  at  Angel  Island,  then  at  Benicia,  and  finally  (March  2,  1880)  at  Angel 
Island. 

In  September,  1881,  tfie  Apache  Indians  broke  out  again,  and  after  the 
encounter  at  Cibicu  in  which  the  Indians  had  the  advantage,  seven  com- 
panies of  the  regiment  (A,  B,  C,  D,  F,  I  and  K)  were  selected  for  field  ser- 
vice in  Arizona.  They  were  not  engaged  with  the  Indians  though  con- 
stantly on  the  move  seeking  for  them,  and  by  December  20  had  all  returned 
to  their  stations  except  Company  A.  This  company  rejoined  at  San  Diego 
in  March,  1882,  only  to  be  sent  out  again  a  month  later,  to  return  finally 
May  10,  1882. 

The  next  three  years  passed  without  incident,  but  in  the  last  days  of  1885 
the  Geronimo  campaign  began  and  was  the  cause  of  the  regiment's  being 
sent  to  Arizona  for  the  third  and  last  time.  There  was  the  usual  escort  and 
scouting  duty  to  perform  and  Company  E,  among  its  other  duties,  escorted 
Indian  prisoners  in  April,  1886,  to  Fort  Marion.  Florida,  thus  finding  itself 
at  the  station  it  had  occupied  41  years  before.  In  going  and  returning  this 
company  travelled  a  distance  of  4414  miles. 

In  May  Company  D  was  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians  under 
Natchez  and  Geronimo.  The  men  on  this  march  were  reported  as  com- 
pletely worn  out,  barefoot  and  almost  destitute  of  clothing,  and  8  men  were 
sent  to  Fort  Huachuca  for  medical  treatment. 

During  the  month  of  June,  1886,  the  intention  of  keeping  the  regiment 
in  Arizona  seems  to  have  been  formed  and  the  companies  were  assigned  to 
stations. 

In  July  Company  I  joined  Captain  Lawton's  command  in  the  field  and 
marched  rapidly  to  the  Fronteras  River  in  Sonora,  remaining  in  the  field 
until  September  10.  Detachments  from  Companies  D  and  K  were  also  on 
duty  with  Captain  Lawton  at  this  time  and  were  70  days  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians,  marching  a  distance  of  nearly  700  miles  through  a  mountainous  and 
almost  inaccessible  country. 

The  campaign  against  Geronimo  having  ended,  the  regiment  was  trans- 
ferred in  November,  1886,  to  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  the  head- 
quarters, and  Companies  A,  B,  E,  F,  G  and  H  going  to  Fort  Niobrara,  C 
and  I  to  Fort  Robinson,  D  and  K  to  Fort  Bridger. 

In  August,  1888,  the  regiment  was  concentrated  in  a  camp  of  instruction 
near  Bordeaux,  Nebraska,  and  in  1889  another  camp  was  organized  at  Fort 
Robinson.  Other  troops  of  all  arms  were  sent  to  this  camp  from  the  various 
posts  in  the  Department,  the  whole  forming  the  largest  body  of  regular 
troops  assembled  since  the  war.  On  September  9th  the  regiment  took  part 
in  a  practice  march  conducted  in  accordance  with  the  conditions  of  actual 
warfare  and  lasting  until  the  14th,  when  it  returned  to  camp  having  marched 
70  miles. 

Companies  I  and  K  were  skeletonized  in  September,  1890. 

Although  Companies  A,  B,  C  and  H  were  called  out  for  service  at  the 
Pine  Ridge  and  Rosebud  Agencies,  they  were  not  actually  engaged  in  the 
campaign.    Company  A  was  the  first  to  reach  the  battle-field  of  Wounded 


THE  EIGHTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       5^5 

Knee  after  the  battle,  and  at  once  began  the  work  of  searching  out  the  dead 
from  under  the  snow  by  which  they  were  covered,  and  in  caring  for  tlic 
wounded  who  had  survived  the  intense  cold  of  the  previous  nights.  The 
campaign  having  terminated,  headquarters  and  Companies  A  and  H  were 
ordered  to  Fort  McKinney,  and  at  8.15  p.  M.,  January  31,  reached  the  ter- 
minus oi  the  Burlington  and  Missouri  Railroad,  where  preparations  were  at 
once  begun  for  the  march  to  Fort  McKinney,  135  miles  distant. 

The  weather  was  intensely  cold  and  the  departure  was  delayed  several 
days  in  the  hope  that  it  might  moderate.  On  February  3d,  there  being  no 
prospect  of  the  weather  becoming  more  favorable,  the  command  began  its 
march  westward  to  Fort  McKinney,  This  march,  of  a  week's  duration,  was 
probably  as  severe  a  test  of  the  endurance  of  officers  and  men  as  the  army 
has  ever  been  called  upon  to  undergo.  The  extremely  low  temperature 
continued  to  the  very  end,  and  was  combined  with  frequent  snow  storms 
and  blizzards.  On  several  occasions  camp  was  made  with  little  or  no  wood, 
and  no  water  other  than  that  obtained  by  melting  snow.  At  Powder  River, 
when  half  the  route  had  been  traversed,  a  halt  of  one  day  was  made  to 
enable  the  exhausted  command  to  obtain  rest  and  warmth.  The  command 
reached  Fort  McKinney  February  loth,  where  it  has  since  remained. 

During  the  month  of  March,  1891,  Company  I  was  reorganized  as  a 
company  of  Indians,  recruited  from  the  Arapahoe  and  Shoshone  tribes  of 
the  Wind  River  Reservation  in  Wyoming,  taking  station  at  Fort  Wa- 
shakie. 

On  April  20,  1891,  Colonel  Kautz  was  promoted  brigadier-general,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Colonel  J.  J.  Van  Horn,  the  present  colonel. 


THE   NINTH    REGIMENT   OF    INFANTRY. 

By  Captain  E.  B.  ROBERTSON,  qth  U.  S.  Infantry. 

UNDER  the  authority  granted  the  President  by  the  Act  of  July  i6, 
1798,  to  raise  twelve  additional  regiments  of  infantry,  the  9th 
Infantry  first  came  into  existence  in  the  Army  of  the  United 
States  in  January,  1799,  with  Josiah  Carville  Hall,  of  Maryland,  as 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Commandant.  All  of  the  officers  were  appointed  from 
Maryland,  and  an  order  of  the  War  Department  of  January  5,  1800. 
directed  that  the  regiment  be  recruited  in  that  State.  All  of  the  officers 
were  appointed  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  but  it  is  probable  that  but 
few  enlistments  were  made,  as  the  Act  of  February  20,  1800,  suspended 
enlistments  for  the  new  regiments.  The  Act  of  May  14,  1800,  authorized 
the  President  to  discharge  them,  and  under  this  authority  the  9th  Infantry 
was  disbanded  June  15,  1800. 

Under  the  Act  of  January  11,  1812,  the  9th  Infantry  was  again  organized 
in  March,  1812.  with  Simon  Learned,  of  Massachusetts,  as  colonel.  The 
regiment  was  raised  in  Massachusetts,  and  though  a  part  of  the  regular 
army,  was  accredited  to  that  State.  It  took  an  active  part  in  the  War  of 
1 81 2,  on  the  northern  border,  being  present  at  the  battle  of  Niagara  Falls, 
Lundy's  Lane,  and  other  actions  in  that  vicinity. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  army  under  the  act  of  March  3,  181 5,  this 
regiment  was  disbanded  and  no  regiment  bearing  the  designation  existed 
until  April,  1847,  when  the  9th  Infantry  was  again  organized,  it  being  one 
of  the  few  regiments  authorized  by  the  Act  of  February  11,  1847.  The  first 
colonel  was  Trueman  B.  Ransom,  of  Vermont,  who  was  killed  in  the 
assault  upon  Chapultepec.  He  was  succeeded  by  Col.  Jones  M.  Withers, 
who  resigned  May  23,  1848,  and  he,  by  Col.  Henry  L.  Webb.  The  regi- 
ment rendered  efficient  service  in  the  series  of  actions  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  and  ending  with  the  capture  of  the  City  of  Mexico.  At  Con- 
treras,  Churubusco,  San  Antonio,  Molino  del  Rey  and  Chapultepec  it  took 
a  distinguished  part.  At  Chapultepec  it  was  in  support  of  the  storming 
force,  but  joined  with  it  and  became  part  of  it  in  the  assault  on  the  citadel. 
Sixteen  officers  and  eleven  enlisted  men  of  the  regiment  were  mentioned  by 
name  in  the  report  of  Major-General  Pillow  for  meritorious  conduct  in 
this  battle,  among  the  former  being  General  R.  C.  Drum,  then  a  second 
lieutenant.     In  August,  1848,  the  regiment  was  again  disbanded. 

Under  authority  of  the  Act  of  March  3,  1855,  the  9th  Infantry  was  again 
organized.  Lieutenant-Colonel  George  Wright,  4th  Infantry,  was  appointed 
colonel ;  Captain  Silas  Casey,  2d  Infantry,  lieutenant-colonel ;  and  Captains 
Edward  J.  Steptoe,  3d  Artillery,  and  Robert  S.  Garnett,  ist  Cavalry, 
majors.  The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  established  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  Va.,  March  26,  1855,  and  recruiting  rendezvous  were  opened  by 

526 


THE  NIN  TH  RE  GIMEN  T  OF  IN  FA  NTRY.         527 

officers  of  the  regiment  in  Maine,  Connecticut,  New  York.  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia,  Ohio  and  Tennessee.  Companies  A,  F 
and  G,  were  organized  in  May.  B,  H  and  I  in  June,  D  and  K  in  August, 
E  in  September,  and  C  in  November,  1855.  In  the  following  month  the 
regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  via  Panama,  arriving  in  the  latter 
part  of  January,  1856.  The  headquarters  and  Companies  A,  B,  C,  E,  F,  G, 
I  and  K,  took  station  at  Fort  Vancouver,  W.  T.,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Casey 
with  Companies  D  and  H  going  to  Fort  Steilacoom,  W.  T.,  and  thence  in  a 
few  days  into  the  field  in  active  operations  against  the  Indians  of  that 
locality. 

In  March,  1S56,  Colonel  Wright  with  Companies  A,  E,  F  and  I  left  Fort 
Vancouver  on  an  expedition  to  Fort  Walla  Walla,  W.  T.,  then  an  aban- 
doned Hudson  Bay  Company's  post.  After  leaving  Fort  Dalles,  Oregon, 
on  the  26th,  information  was  received  of  an  attack  by  Indians  on  the  set- 
tlers at  the  Cascades,  and  the  command  returned  to  that  point  by  forced 
march  and  dispersed  the  Indians,  the  ringleaders  being  made  prisoners. 
The  command  remained  at  the  Cascades  until  ihe  latter  part  of  the  follow- 
ing month,  when  the  colonel  with  companies  A  and  C  left  on  an  expedition 
to  the  Yakima  River,  being  joined  in  May  by  Companies  B,  F,  G,  I  and  K. 
This  expedition  remained  in  the  field  until  August  and  brought  about  the 
surrender  of  five  hundred  hostile  Indians  on  the  Weuache  River  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  July.  Companies  D  and  H  remained  in  the  field  nearly  all  of 
the  year  and  had  several  engagements  with  Indians. 

From  the  close  of  field  operations  in  1856  until  the  spring  of  1858,  the 
regiment  was  principally  engaged  in  building  posts  and  making  roads.  In 
August,  1857,  Company  F  was  detailed  as  escort  to  the  Northern  Boundary 
Commission  and  remained  in  the  field  on  that  duty  nearly  three  years.  In 
May,  1858,  Company  E  formed  part  of  a  force  of  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
nine  men  sent  to  make  a  reconnaissance  of  the  country  to  the  north  of  Fort 
Walla  Walla.  On  May  17th  the  command  was  attacked  by  over  one  thou- 
sand Indians  and  after  fighting  till  dark  and  nearly  exhausting  their  ammu- 
nition was  compelled  to  retire.  A  forced  march  was  begun  that  night  and 
a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles  covered  by  ten  o'clock  the  following  morn- 
ing without  the  loss  of  a  man  or  horse. 

In  August,  1858,  an  expedition  was  organized  under  command  of 
Colonel  Wright  to  proceed  against  the  Spokane  Indians  and  their  allies. 
Companies  B  and  C  formed  part  of  this  expedition,  and  after  two  engage- 
ments at  Four  Lakes  and  on  Spokane  Plains,  W.  T.,  it  was  successful  in 
bringing  about  a  lasting  peace  with  the  Indians  of  that  section. 

Companies  C,  G  and  I  were  in  the  field  in  August  and  September  of 
this  year  with  an  expedition  under  Major  Garnett,  against  Indians  to  the 
north  of  Fort  Lincoln,  Oregon. 

In  October,  i860.  Company  B,  with  a  detachment  of  Company  E,  under 
command  of  Captain  T.  F.  Dent,  left  Fort  Walla  Walla,  W.  T.,  to  the 
rescue  of  emigrants  who  had  escaped  from  the  massacre  of  September  9th 
and  loth,  i860,  en  Snake  River. 

In  May,  1861,  two  officers  and   one  hundred   men  of  the  regiment  were 


528  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

detailed   as   escort   to   the    Fort    Benton    wagon    road    expedition,   and 
remained  absent  on  this  duty  nearly  fifteen  months. 

In  the  autumn  of  1861,  after  nearly  six  years  of  arduous  service  in  Oregon 
and  Washington  Territories,  the  regiment,  with  the  exception  of  Compa- 
nies A  and  C,  was  ordered  to  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  preliminary  to  its 
transfer  to  the  East.  The  latter  order  was,  however,  revoked,  and  but  one 
company,  E,  left  the  Pacific  Coast.  In  January,  1862,  the  enlisted  men  of 
this  company,  with  the  exception  of  the  non-commissioned  officers,  were 
transferred  to  the  4th  Infantry.  The  regiment  remained  on  duty  at  the 
posts  near  San  Francisco,  and  performed  provost  guard  duty  in  that  city 
until  late  in  1865,  when  it  was  distributed  to  posts  in  California  and  Nevada. 
On  the  30th  of  July,  1865,  the  regiment  lost  its  colonel,  George  Wright,— 
Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  V.,  and  Brevet  Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  A.,— who 
was  drowned  at  sea  by  the  wreck  of  the  steamer  Brother  Jonaihatt,  while 
en  route  to  assume  command  of  the  Department  of  the  Columbia.  General 
Wright's  service  had  been  long  and  varied.  He  graduated  at  the  Military 
Academy  in  1822,  and  had  served  with  distinction  in  many  parts  of  the 
country.  He  had  received  the  brevet  of  major  for  meritorious  conduct  in  the 
Florida  War  and  the  brevets  of  lieutenant  colonel  and  colonel  for  gallant 
conduct  in  battle  in  the  Mexican  War.  In  1858,  in  Washington  Territory, 
he  subdued  the  Indians  and  brought  about  a  peace  that  it  is  believed  has 
never  been  broken.  Not  the  least  valuable  of  his  services  was  rendered  on 
the  Pacific  Coast  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  where  by  his  conduct  of 
affairs  he  was  largely  instrumental  in  preserving  California  to  the  Union, 
The  regimental  orders,  announcing  his  death,  after  reciting  his  military, 
record,  continue  as  folllows :  "  Placed  in  command  of  the  immense  De- 
partment of  the  Pacific  shortly  after  the  outbreak  of  the  recent  rebellion, 
he,  by  his  wisdom,  so  managed  the  great  interests  under  his  control  that 
the  burden  of  the  war  was  scarcely  felt  within  its  borders.  Deaf  alike  to 
the  goadings  of  rebellious  spirits  and  the  frenzied  appeals  of  timid  loyalists 
he  pursued  his  course  with  firmness  and  moderation  to  the  glorious  result. 
Without  bloodshed  he  accomplished  the  work  of  the  statesrnan  and  soldier, 
protected  the  honor  of  his  country's  flag  and  preserved  the  peace. 

General  Wright  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  John  H.  King,  Bvt.  Major- 
General,  U.  S.  A.,  who  assumed  command  of  the  regiment  in  December, 
1866.  During  the  period  from  1866  to  1869,  portions  of  the  regiment  were 
at  different  times  in  conflict  with  Indians  in  Northern  California  and 
Oregon  and  in  Southern  California.  In  June,  1869,  after  more  than  thirteen 
years  of  service  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  during  which  time  it  had  taken  an 
active  part  in  all  the  Indian  troubles  and  had  garrisoned  nearly  every  post  in 
that  territory,  from  Sitka,  Alaska,  to  Fort  Mohave,  Arizona,  the  regiment 
was  ordered  to  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  where  upon  arrival  in  July, 
the  27th  Infantry  was  consolidated  with  it.  The  regiment  performed  garri- 
son duty  at  various  posts  and  guard  duty  on  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  until  May,  1873,  when  six  companies,  A,  D,  E,  F,  H  and  I,  were 
sent  to  the  Department  of  Dakota  for  duty  with  the  Yellowstone  Expedi- 
tion, which  formed  the  escort  to  the  engineers  locating  the  Northern  Pacific 
R.  R.  in  that  year,  returning  to  the    Department  of   the   Platte  after  an 


THE  NINTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         529 

absence  of  over  four  months.  From  the  summer  of  1874  to  May.  1876,  the 
regiment  was  stationed  at  posts  on  or  near  the  Sioux  reservation  in  Nebraska 
and  Wyoming  and  was  almost  constantly  employed  in  escort  duty  to  wagon 
trains.  In  the  summer  of  1875  Companies  C,  E  and  H.  were  in  the  lilack 
Hills,  Dakota,  as  part  of  the  escort  to  the  Jenney  exploring  party.  Company 
E  remaining  in  the  field  until  November  assisting  in  the  ejectment  of 
intruders  who  had  entered  this  territory  prior  to  the  extinguishment  of  the 
Indian  title. 

In  May,  1876,  Companies  C,  G  and  H  became  a  part  of  the  Big  Horn 
and  Yellowstone  Expedition  under  command  of  Brig.-General  Crook  and 
were  in  the  field  until  late  in  October  taking  part  in  the  engagement  with 
the  Indians  at  Tongue  River,  Montana,  June  9th,  Rosebud  River,  Montana, 
June  17th,  and  Slim  Buttes,  Dakota,  September  9th.  Companies  G  and  H 
also  assisted  in  repelling  a  night  attack  by  Indians  on  the  infantry  camp 
on  Goose  Creek,  Wyoming,  July  9,  1876.  In  the  early  part  of  September 
the  entire  command  was  without  rations  for  a  number  of  days,  and  subsisted 
on  horse  flesh  and  a  small  quantity  of  dried  meat  and  fruit  captured  at 
Slim  Buttes.  In  October,  1876,  the  Powder  River  Expedition  was  organized 
and  Companies  A,  B,  D,  F,  I  and  K  formed  a  part  oi  it.  This  command 
remained  in  the  field  until  January,  1877,  during  the  most  severe  part  of  the 
winter,  and  practically  brought  to  a  termination  the  warfare  against  the 
whites,  that  had  been  carried  on  for  many  years  by  the  Sioux  Indians  and 
their  allies.  In  July  1877,  Companies  B,  D,  F,  H,  I  and  K  were  a  part  of 
the  force  sent  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  at  the  time  of  the  railroad  riots.  They 
remained  a  month  performing  guard  duty  over  various  public  and  private 
institutions. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1878  Companies  B,  C,  H  and  I  were  in  the 
field  for  nearly  six  months  as  a  part  of  a  force  of  observation  under  com- 
mand of  Lieut.-Col.  L.  P.  Bradley,  9th  Infantry,  on  the  Little  Missouri 
River,  and  in  the  northwestern  part  of  theBlack  Hills.  In  October  of  this 
year  Companies  G  and  K  were  part  of  the  force  in  the  field  in  connection 
with  the  pursuit  of  the  Cheyenne  Indians,  who  raided  across  the  country 
from  Indian  Territory  to  Red  Cloud  Agency,  Dak.  Company  G  remained 
in  camp  at  Sidney,  Neb.,  and  Company  K  was  mounted  and  took  active 
part  in  the  pursuit,  being  at  one  time  over  thirty-six  hours  without  water. 
In  October,  1879,  Companies  E  and  K  went  into  the  field  in  the  Ute  coun- 
try in  northwestern  Colorado  shortly  after  the  massacre  at  White  River 
Agency,  remaining  until  July,  1880.  In  February,  1882,  the  colonel  of  the 
regiment.  Brevet  Maj.-Gen.  John  H.  King,  U.  S.  A.,  was  retired  and  suc- 
ceeded by  Col.  James  Van  Voast,  formerly  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  regiment. 
Col.  Van  Voast  never  joined,  he  being  retired  in  Apri'l,  1883.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Col.  John  S.  Mason,  Brevet  Brigadier- General  U.  S.  A.  In  July, 
1885,  Companies  A,  D,  E,  F  and  I  were  part  of  the  force  sent  to  Crisfield, 
Kas.,  at  the  time  of  the  threatened  uprising  of  theCheyennes  and  Arapahoes 
in  Indian  Territory.  After  remaining  in  camp  at  that  point  about  three 
weeks  they  returned  to  their  station  in  Wyoming.  In  July,  1886,  after 
serving  over  seventeen  years  in  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  the  regiment 
went  to  the  Department  of  Arizona.     Four  companies,  C,  E,  H  and  I,  were 


530  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

in  the  field  in  New  Mexico  for  about  a  month  during  the  Apache  campaign 
of  that  year.  During  the  service  of  the  regiment  in  this  department  por- 
tions of  it  were  in  garrison  at  every  post  in  Arizona  and  at  some  posts  in 
New  Mexico.  In  August,  1888,  Col.  Mason  was  retired  and  was  succeeded 
by  Col.  Alfred  L.  Hough,  who  retained  command  until  April,  1890,  when 
he  was  retired.  He  was  succeeded  by  Col.  Charles  G.  Bartlett — who  now 
commands  the  regiment.  In  October,  1891,  the  headquarters  and  Com- 
panies A,  D,  F  and  G,  were  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  East, 
Companies  B,  C,  E  and  H  following  in  May,  1892. 


THE  TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  LIEUT.  S.  V.  SEYBURN,   U.  S.  A., 
Adjutant  Tenth  Infantry. 

IN  submitting  this  sketch  the  author  disclaims  any  attempt  to  narrate 
events  in  what  is  termed  a  popular  style,  but  has  endeavored  to  give 
to  those  interested  a  concise  history  of  the  Tenth  Infantry,  accurate  in 
details  so  far  as  painstaking  work  and  careful  revision  can  make  it. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  it  does  not  include  the  history  of  the  organizations 
designated  as  Tenth  Infantry  which  existed  for  short  periods  of  time  in  the 
military  history  of  the  country  prior  to  1855.  It  would  be  very  gratifying, 
no  doubt,  to  be  able  to  add  to  our  records  the  gallant  names  and  deeds  of 
those  regiments,  but  it  is  a  question  if  their  history  should  properly  be  in- 
cluded in  that  of  the  present  organization. 

Th^  Tenth  Infantry  of  to-day  has  a  record  of  which  its  members  may 
feel  sufficiently  proud,  and  it  is  hoped  that  some  able  pen  may  yet  describe 
in  an  attractive  manner  the  deeds  of  heroism,  privations  and  sufferings  of 
its  members. 

The  regiment  was  organized  by  Act  of  Congress  approved  March  3, 
1855,  which  also  established  the  9th  Infantry,  and  ist  and  2d  (now  4th  and 
5th)  regiments  of  cavalry,  and  the  following  named  officers  were  appointed 
to  the  original  organization  : 

Colonel  Edmund  B.  Alexander. 

Lieut. -Colonel  Charles  F.  Smith. 

Majdrs :  William  H.  T.  Walker  and  Edward  R.  S.  Canby. 

Captains :  Henry  F.  Clarke,*  Franklin  Gardner,*  James  G.  S.  Snelling,* 
Barnard  E.  Bee,*  John  C.  Symmes,*  Matthew  S.  Pitcher  (N.  Y.),  Nathaniel 
S.  Webb  (Conn.),  Albert  Tracy  (Me.),  Jesse  A.  Gove  (N.  H.),  and  John 
Dunovant  (S.  C). 

First  Lieutenants:  Joseph  L.  Tidball,*  Alfred  Gumming,*  Cuvier 
Grover,*  Louis  H,  Marshall,*  Henry  E.  Maynadier,*  Henry  B.  Kelly  (La.). 
James  Findlay  Harrison  (Ohio),  William  Clinton  (Penn.),  John  McNab 
<Vt.),  Nathan  A.  M.  Dudley  (Mass.). 

Second  Lieutenants:  Peter  T.  Swaine,^  John  H.  Forney,*  Lyman  M. 
Kellogg,*  Lawrence  A.  Williams,*  James  Deshler,*  William  H.  Rossell 
<N.  J.),  Alexander  Murry  (Penn.),  Malcolm  H.  Nicholls  (La.),  William 
Kearny  (Mo.),  and  Curtis  Dunham  (Kan.). 

Captains  Clarke  and  Symmes  declined,  and  ist  Lieutenants  A.  D.  Nelson* 
and  Henry  Heth,*  6th  Infantry,  were  appointed  to  fill  their  vacancies. 
John  Dunovant  was  the  only  captain  who  had  seen  no  previous  service. 

The  9th  and   loth  Regiments  of  Infantry  (riflemen)  were  uniformed  as 

*  Graduates  of  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy. 


532  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

other  regiments  of  infantry,  v^ith  the  exception  of  the  knapsack  straps  and 
waist  belts,  which  were  like  those  of  the  French  Chassenrs-a-pied.  They 
were  also  furnished  with  bugles  instead  of  drums. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  stationed  at  Carlisle  Barracks, 
Pa.,  recruitmg  being  conducted  under  the  superintendence  of  the  regimental 
commander,  to  whom  all  officers  appointed  to  the  regiment  were  directed 
to  report  by  letter,  giving  their  addresses,  and  suggesting  places  in  their 
respective  neighborhoods  where  recruitmg  rendezvous  could  be  opened. 
For  the  first  few  months  a  field  officer  other  than  the  colonel  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  regiment. 

Recruiting  rendezvous  were  established  at  various  points  throughout 
the  Middle  and  New  England  States,  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Kentucky,  and  the 
junior  major  was  designated  as  "  inspector  of  regimental  rendezvous  and 
stations"  in  April,  1855;  Lieutenants  McNab  and  iVIaynadier  being  an- 
nounced at  the  same  time  as  adjutant  and  quartermaster  respectively. 

Colonel  Alexander  joined  and  assumed  command  of  the  regiment 
August  25,  1855,  relievmg  Lieutenant-Colonel  Smith  and  continuing  the 
regimental  staff  in  their  positions. 

To  facilitate  the  necessary  military  instruction.  Companies  A,  B,  D,  G 
and  K  were,  in  August,  placed  under  the  supervision  of  Lieut.-Col.  Smith, 
and  C,  F,  H  and  \,  under  that  of  Major  Canby.  Hardie's  Rifle  and  Light 
Infantry  Tactics  were  first  used  for  instruction  in  the  regiment.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1855,  preparations  were  commenced  for  the  transfer  of  the  regiment 
to  its  first  regular  station. 

In  October  Lieutenant  McNab  was  detailed  on  recruiting  service  and 
Lieutenant  Maynadier  was  made  regimental  adjutant  in  his  place.  Lieuten- 
ant Swaine,  later,  being  appointed  regimental  quartermaster  in  Maynadier's 
place. 

The  Field,  Stafl,  and  A,  B,  C,  D,  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  left  Carlisle  Barracks 
October  13th,  and  arrived  at  Galena  October  17th.  Headquarters  and 
A,  C,  D,  I  and  K,  travelled  thence  by  steamboat  to  Fort  Snelling,  arriving 
October  20th.  Companies  B,  F,  G  and  H,  under  Major  Canby,  left  Galena 
on  the  1 8th  and  arrived  at  Fort  Crawford,  Wis.,  October  19th.  Company 
C  took  station  at  Fort  Ripley  October  31st. 

Of  the  first  five  hundred  men  enlisted  for  the  regiment,  sixty-six  were 
born  in  the  New  England  States,  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  in  the  Middle 
and  Western  States,  and  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  were  foreign  born. 
From  this  total  enlisted,  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  deserted  before 
completing  their  enlistment. 

Company  E  during  this  year  was  serving  in  the  field  under  General 
Harney,  a  portion  of  the  time  being  mounted.  The  seventy  men  carried 
on  its  return  for  July  had  all  been  selected  by  Captain  Heth  from  the  gen- 
eral service  recruits  at  Governor's  Island,  N.  Y.  The  company,  under 
Lieutenant  Dudley,  arrived  at  Fort  Leavenworth  on  the  25th  of  July.  It 
left  that  post  on  the  4th  of  August,  and  on  the  3d  of  September  was  en- 
gaged in  the  battle  of  Blue  Water. 

The  only  changes  in  the  list  of  officers  of  the  regiment  for  the  year  1855 
were  due  to  the  death  of  Captain  Snelling  and  the  resignations  of  Lieuten- 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  K  533 

ants  Harrison  and  Kellogg.  Aside  from  the  regular  promotions  so  caused, 
three  brevet  second  lieutenants — Hill  of  the  loth,  Bennett  of  the  3d,  and 
Bryan  of  the  9th — were  promoted  and  joined  the  regiment  at  the  foot  of 
the  list  of  second  lieutenants. 

In  March,  1856,  a  system  of  regimental  instruction  was  instituted.  Ex- 
ercise in  drill,  target  practice  and  marching  was  zealously  kept  up.  It  was 
impressed  on  the  soldiers  that  their  duties  as  "  Light  Infantrj'men  "  required 
of  them  a  complete  knowledge  of  the  use  of  the  rifle,  and  especially  delib- 
eration and  calmness  in  firing,  that  each  shot  might  be  effective.  The 
ranges  for  target  practice  were  two,  three,  four,  five,  six  and  seven  hundred 
yards.  Five  shots  were  allowed  at  200  yards,  seven  at  300,  nine  at  400,  nine 
at  500,  and  ten  each  at  600  and  700  yards.  The  target  used  was  a  piece  of 
white  cotton,  seven  feet  long  and  four  feet  wide,  stretched  on  an  iron  frame. 
The  bull's-eye  was  a  circle  eight  inches  in  diameter,  four  feet  from  the 
ground  and  equidistant  from  the  sides,  painted  black,  with  the  exception 
of  a  small  spot  in  the  centre  left  unpainted  to  determine  the  centre  accu- 
rately. Outside  the  bull's-eye  were  two  black  rings  concentric  with  it,  with 
radii  of  six  and  nine  inches  respectively.  All  shots  were  recorded  and  the 
men  classified  according  to  ability.  Squads  and  individuals  were  practised, 
and  the  percentage  of  hits  to  misses  governed  the  score,  record  in  the  cases 
of  individuals  being  kept  of  bull's-eye  hits. 

Regimental  headquarters  and  four  companies,  under  Colonel  Alexander, 
left  Fort  Snelling  June  24th  of  this  year,  and  arrived  at  Fort  Ridgely  June 
30th,  taking  station  there;  B,  F,  G  and  H  left  Fort  Crawford,  Wis.,  June 
9th,  and  arrived  at  Fort  Snelling  June  nth,  where  H  was  assigned  to  duty. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  B  (Gardner)  and  F  (Pitcher)  left  Camp  Alexander, 
near  Fort  Snelling,  under  the  command  of  Lieut. -Col.  Smith,  on  the  Red 
River  expedition.  They  were  absent  until  November  27th  of  the  same 
year,  when  the  command  returned  to  Fort  Snelling,  havmg  marched  in  that 
time  a  distance  of  nearly  a  thousand  miles.  Colonel  Smith  assumed  com- 
mand of  Fort  Snelling  on  his  return  to  that  post. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  1857,  it  was  reported  to  the  commanding  officer 
of  Fort  Ridgely,  that  a  war  party  of  Sioux  had  raided  a  settlement  at  Spirit 
Lake  on  the  southern  border  of  Minnesota,  killing  settlers  and  burning 
their  homes.  The  call  for  assistance  came  from  Des  Moines  City,  described 
at  that  time  as  a  settlement  on  the  Des  Moines  River,  some  fifteen  miles 
north  of  Spirit  Lake.  Captain  B.  E.  Bee  with  "  D,"  numbering  forty-eight 
rank  and  file,  left  the  post  at  noon  of  the  same  day  and  proceeded  down 
the  valley  of  the  Minnesota  River  to  South  Bend. 

The  season  of  the  year  was  most  unfavorable  for  such  an  expedition. 
The  snow  lay  deep  on  the  trail,  and  had  thawed  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
would  not  bear  the  weight  of  the  men  or  the  heavy  sleds  used  for  transpor- 
tation.    Their  progress  was  necessarily  slow  and  wearisome. 

Extricating  the  mules  and  sleds  from  the  deep  drifts  of  snow  by  digging 
with  spade  and  shovel,  and  pulling  them  out  of  the  sloughs,  more  trouble- 
some than  the  snow-banks,  and  more  dangerous,  occupied  the  men  from 
early  daylight  until  darkness  set  in,  and  greatly  delayed  the  progress  of 
the  command.     For  several  days  the  same  difficulties  were  encountered. 


534  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

By  marching  the  command  in  column  of  fours  and  relieving  the  men  at 
the  head  of  the  column,  at  short  intervals,  they  were  able  to  break  a  road 
through  the  deep  and  heavy  snow.  They  would  then  stack  arms,  and  the 
soldiers  would  fall  back  to  the  assistance  of  the  sleds.  In  spite  of  these 
difficulties  the  command  marched  fifteen  or  eighteen  miles  a  day.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  severe  strain  this  labor  imposed  upon  the  men,  they  were, 
after  reaching  camp,  drilled  in  skirmishing,  as  many  of  them  were  recruits 
who  had  never  been  instructed  in  this  drill.  In  spite  of  their  hardships  and 
sufferings  the  soldiers  behaved  gallantly,  evincing  patience,  determination 
and  pluck,  and  maintained  a  cheerfulness  really  remarkable. 

On  the  afternoon  of  March  28th,  after  a  weary  march  of  twenty  miles, 
the  command  arrived  in  sight  of  the  Indian  village,  which  was  situated 
in  a  thick  grove  of  timber  and  apparently  consisted  of  about  thirty  lodges. 
At  once  all  was  made  ready  for  action.  The  sick  and  weary  rejoined  the 
ranks  from  the  sleighs.  The  advance  was  made  and  the  old  story  repeated. 
The  Indians  had  fled,  and  only  their  deserted  village  and  a  half-breed  Sioux 
settler,  well  known  to  the  whites  by  the  name  of  Caboo,  remained  to  com- 
pensate the  troops  for  their  gallant  effort.  From  Caboo  it  was  learned  that 
the  hostiles  were  a  portion  of  Ink-pah-du-tah's  band.  They  had  wiped  out 
the  settlement,  and  had  gone  to  Heron  Lake,  some  twenty-five  miles  dis- 
tant in  the  direction  of  the  Yankton  Country. 

Caboo  was  confident  that  the  Indians  were  there,  although  he  asserted 
that  they  intended  to  join  the  Yanktons,  who  were  then  at  war,  and  against 
.whom  troops  were  then  operating  on  the  Missouri  River. 

At  retreat,  Captain  Bee,  having  decided  to  continue  the  pursuit,  called 
for  volunteers,  desiring  to  select  for  that  purpose  the  strongest  and  most 
ardent  of  the  men,  but  every  man  of  the  company  stepped  to  the  front  and 
desired  to  be  permitted  to  accompany  the  expedition.  Selecting  one 
officer, — Lieutenant  Murry, — two  non-commissioned  officers,  and  twenty 
privates,  rationed  for  three  days,  Captain  Bee  pushed  on  to  Heron  Lake. 
Caboo,  who  had  joined  the  command  as  a  guide,  by  intercepting  the  trail 
shortened  the  distance  marched  to  about  fourteen  or  sixteen  miles.  The 
camp  was  found,  but  the  Indians  had  become  alarmed  and  fied  in  haste  from 
their  village,  leaving  behind  traces  of  their  plunder  in  the  shape  of  books, 
scissors,  articles  of  female  apparel,  furs,  traps,  etc.,  scattered  about  all  parts 
of  the  village.  They  had  been  gone  some  hours.  About  four  miles  beyond, 
at  another  small  lake  and  grove,  a  small  camp  of  hostiles  had  also  been  es- 
tablished, but  was  deserted  when  Lieutenant  Murry  and  his  men,  detached 
for  that  purpose,  reached  it.  Fearing  that  other  bands  were  still  about  the 
settlement,  and  being  destitute  of  provisions,  with  a  rapidly  rising  stream — 
the  Des  Moines— between  him  and  his  supplies,  and  his  men  being  foot-sore 
and  weary  from  a  march  of  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  under  difficulties 
not  easily  portrayed.  Captain  Bee  was  obliged  to  return  disappointed  to  his 
main  camp.  The  command  then  marched  to  the  settlements,  and  an  inves- 
tigation entered  into  by  Captain  Bee  disclosed  the  cause  of  the  outbreak  to 
be  as  follows : 

In  the  early  winter  Ink-pah-du-tah's  band,  numbering  about  thirteen 
men,  had  been  hunting  on  the  Little  Sioux  River.     A  dog  belonging  to  one 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INF  A  NTRY.  535 

of  the  settlers  attacked  and  severely  bit  one  of  these  Indians,  and  was 
promptly  killed  by  the  Indian.  The  owner  of  the  dog  punished  the  Indian, 
and  the  other  settlers,  fearing  trouble  from  the  settler's  rash  act,  made  mat- 
ters still  worse,  in  fact,  precipitated  upon  themselves  an  Indian  war  in  short 
order.  They  disarmed  the  whole  band  of  Indians,  thus  leaving  them  with- 
out means  of  procuring  sustenance.  The  Indians  became  highly  incensed 
at  this  act  of  the  whites.  The  captured  arms  were  left  unguarded,  a  fact  the 
Indians  soon  discovered.  They  immediately  recovered  them,  and  then 
turned  with  true  savage  fury  upon  the  defenseless  settlers  of  the  valley, 
murdering,  burning  and  carrying  into  captivity  women  and  children. 
These  Indians  procured  through  the  unscrupulousness  of  a  pair  of  white 
wretches  by  the  name  of  Wood,  who  were  brothers,  living  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river  to  the  settlement  destroyed  by  the  Indians,  arms  and  am- 
munition. They  are  said  to  have  carried  on  a  profitable  traffic  with  the  hos- 
tiles.     There  appears  no  record  of  a  subsequent  hanging  match  either. 

During  April  of  this  year  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  tem- 
porarily established  at  Fort  Snelling,  in  consequence  of  the  Indian  excite- 
ment, and  upon  the  strong  recommendation  of  General  Alexander,  who 
earnestly  set  forth  the  advantages  possessed  by  that  post  in  having  a  daily 
mail  in  summer,  and  a  tri-weekly  mail  in  winter. 

In  May  one  of  the  white  women,  captured  by  Ink-pah-du-tah's  band  of 
Sioux  at  the  Spirit  Lake  massacre,  was  surrendered  to  Agent  Flandreauand 
taken  to  Fort  Ridgeley.  While  negotiating  the  surrender  of  two  others 
held  by  the  band,  it  was  decided  to  suspend  military  operations  planned, 
and  which  were  to  have  been  carried  on  mainly  by  the  Tenth  Infantry,  under 
the  command  of  Lieut.-Colonel  Smith  and  Major  Canby,  until  that  object 
had  been  accomplished.  Yellow  Medicine  Agency  was  the  point  from  which 
the  negotiations  were  being  conducted. 

Following  closely  upon  the  Indian  troubles  which  most  of  the  regiment 
had  been  employed,  since  early  spring,  in  suppressing,  came  the  necessity 
to  send  to  Utah  a  large  military  force  to  protect  the  Federal  officers  there, 
and  to  compel  obedience  to  the  laws.  Brigham  Young,  who  had  been 
running  things  successfully  with  a  high  hand  for  some  years,  finally  an- 
nounced himself  as  follows  : 

"  I  am,  and  will  be  Governor,  and  no  power  can  hinder  it  until  the  Lord 
Almighty  says,  '  Brigham,  j'ou  need  not  be  Governor  any  longer.'  " 

This  seems  to  have  settled  it.  The  Government  ordered  an  expedition, 
consisting  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  men  under  Colonel  A.  S.  Johnston, 
to  Utah  Territory  for  protection  of  the  newly  appointed  Governor,  Alfred 
Gumming,  and  other  federal  officials  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties. 

The  Tenth  Infantry  formed  a  part  of  the  expedition,  and  by  the  30th  of 
June,  1857,  the  regiment,  excepting  A  and  D,  was  at  Camp  Walbach,  near 
Fort  Leavenworth.  General  Alexander,  Colonel  Smith,  and  Major  Canby 
were  present  for  duty;  A  was  at  that  time  at  Fort  Ripley,  and  D  at  Fort 
Ridgeley. 

The  regiment  took  up  the  march  July  iS  and  reached  Fort  Kearney 
August  7  where  it  remained  until  the  nth,  and  on  August  31  encamped 
eight  miles  below  Fort  Laramie,  on  the  scene    of    Lieutenant   Grattan's 


536  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY, 

massacre.*  A  left  Fort  Ripley  July  8,  and  D  Fort  Ridgeley  July  21,  and  at 
the  end  of  August  both  companies  were  in  camp  near  Fort  Kearney,  Neb., 
en  route  to  Utah. 

The  march  of  the  regiment  from  Fort  Laramie  was  not  resumed  until 
Sept.  5,  the  time  since  its  arrival  having  been  occupied  in  refitting,  replen- 
ishing supplies,  and  resting  the  weary.  On  the  night  of  the  24th  the  Mor- 
mons made  an  attempt  to  stampede  the  mules  of  the  baggage  train,  a  small 
party  of  them  dashing  through  the  herd,  firing  and  yelling.  Only  eleven  of 
the  mules  were  driven  ofT,  and  they  were  recovered  the  next  day  by  a  party 
of  teamsters  sent  in  pursuit  under  Lieutenants  Maynadier  and  Swayne.  The 
regiment  reached  Green  River  on  the  27th,  left  there  at  midnight  the  same 
night,  and  after  a  march  of  23  miles  reached  Ham's  Fork.  Company  C 
formed  a  part  of  the  command  of  Captain  R.  B.  Marcy  during  October.  It 
returned  to  Ham's  Fork  October  31.  A  and  D  joined  the  command  on  the 
6th  of  November. 

The  regiment  arrived  at  Camp  Scott,  near  Fort  Bridger,  on  the  20th, 
where  a  winter  camp  was  formed.  The  health  of  the  regiment  was  reported 
remarkably  good,  but  many  cases  of  frost-bite  occurred  during  the  month. 
Theoretical  and  practical  instruction  was  maintained  as  regularly  as  was 
permitted  by  inclement  weather,  and  the  absence  of  large  details  for  detached 
guard  and  outpost  duty,  and  the  necessity  of  hauling  all  the  fuel  by  hand 
four  or  five  miles.  These  laborious  duties  were  performed  too,  upon  a 
restricted  and  indifferent  allowance  of  food.  The  ration  of  flour  was  re- 
stricted at  one  time  to  ten  ounces,  and  the  beef  cattle  furnished  were  of  the 
poorest  quality,  some  of  them  unable  to  stand  up. 

The  regiment  moved  from  Camp  Scott  to  Fort  Bridger  March  18,  1858, 
in  one  of  the  most  terrible  snowstorms  ever  encountered  in  that  valley.  It 
remained  at  this  post  until  June  15,  when  it  marched  to  Salt  Lake  City,  ar- 
riving June  26,  and  at  the  temporary  site  of  Camp  Floyd,  U.  T.,  July  7, 
Major  Canby,  with  E  and  K  left  Camp  Floyd  August  6  to  proceed  to  Fort 
Bridger  and  there  to  assume  command.  Lieut.-Colonel  Smith  assumed 
command  of  the  regiment  August  6,  Colonel  Alexander  going  on  leave,  and 
the  regiment  moved  from  temporary  to  permanent  site  of.  Camp  Floyd 
September  7,  and  at  once  commenced  erecting  adobe  quarters  mto  which  it 
moved  October  16,  1858. 

It  was  during  the  year  1858  that  the  "double  quick"  was  established  as 
the  habitual  marching  time  of  the  regiment  in  the  formation  of  line. 

The  duties  which  devolved  upon  the  officers  and  men  of  the  regiment  at 
this  period  were  extremely  disagreeable,  and  demanded  the  utmost  caution, 
determination,  firmness  and  good  judgment.  The  troops  were  employed  in 
arresting  and  guarding  civil  prisoners,  upon  the  requisitions  of  U.  S.  Mar- 
shals, and  supporting  officers  at  the  U.  S.  Courts ;  Captain  Heth,  particu- 
larly, rendering  efficient  service  in  these  duties.  Company  B,  under  Lieu- 
tenant Cunningham,  was  employed  in  protecting  immigrants  against 
ndians  in  the  northern  part  of  the  territory,  going  as  far  north  as  Fort 
Hall. 

Sergeant  Ralph  Pike,  loth  Infantry,  died  at  Camp  Floyd,  U.  T.,  August 

*  Brevet  2d  Lieut.  John  L.  Grattan,  6th  Infantry,  killed  in  action  with  Indians  Aug.  19,  1854. 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INF  A  NTR  Y.  537 

14,  1S59,  and  was  buried  with  military  honors  on  the  r5th.  He  was  a  victim 
to  Mormon  hatred,  having  been  assassinated  in  revenge  for  the  proper  dis- 
charge of  his  duty.  It  is  of  interest  to  know  that  the  murderer  of  Sergeant 
Pike  was  arrested.  The  arrest,  however,  was  not  made  until  about  twenty- 
eight  years  had  elapsed,  and  it  is  not  known  what  punishment,  if  any,  the 
murderer  received. 

On  March  21,  i860,  the  command  of  the  regiment  devolved  upon  Major 
Canby,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Smith  having  been  directed  to  assume  command 
of  the  department  of  Utah.  Indian  troubles  in  New  Mexico  occupied  the 
attention  of  the  military  authorities  early  in  this  year  (i860),  the  powerful 
Navajo  tribe  furnishing  the  greatest  number  of  malcontents.  Major  Canby 
who  stood  high  as  an  efficient  and  successful  officer  in  the  field,  was  directed 
by  the  War  Department  to  proceed  to  Fort  Garland,  N.  M.,  and  on  May  20 
he,  with  A,  F  and  H,  left  Camp  Floyd  en  route  for  that  post,  which  was 
reached  after  a  long  and  arduous  march  of  more  than  640  miles,  extending 
over  a  period  of  two  months.  The  route  selected  was  by  way  of  Summit 
Camp  on  Salt  Creek,  Utah,  where  the  command  arrived  May  31,  and  the 
Blue  River,  on  which  it  encamped  from  June  28  until  July  6,  i860,  finally 
arriving  at  its  new  station,  Fort  Garland,  July  28. 

Regimental  Headquarters,  and  B,C  and  G,  under  Captain  Gumming,  left 
Camp  Floyd  May  10  en  route  to  Forts  Bridger  and  Laramie,  and  reached 
Fort  Bridger  May  20.  Headquarters,  and  C,  D  and  K,  under  Captain 
Dunovant,  left  Bridger  May  26,  and  arrived  at  Fort  Laramie  June  19,  i860, 
having  marched  a  total  distance  of  550  miles. 

Colonel  Alexander  rejoined  from  leave  and  took  command  of  the  regi- 
ment July  16,  i860,  and  on  the  same  date  appointed  Lieutenant  J.  H.  Hill, 
adjutant  and  Lieutenant  L.  H.  Marshall,  R.  Q.  M.  Lieut.-Colonel  Smith 
was  relieved  of  the  command  of  the  department  of  Utah  and  assumed  com- 
mand of  Camp  Floyd  August  20,  i860. 

During  the  month  of  August,  i860,  A  left  Fort  Garland  on  an  expedi- 
tion against  Navajo  Indiansand,  on  the  3d  of  October,  had  a  sharp  skirmish 
with  a  superior  force  of  them  in  the  Tunica  Mountains,  near  the  Sierra  de 
las  Estrellas,  killing  ten  Indians,  capturing  five  prisoners,  taking  16  horses 
and  destroying  the  village.  First  Sergeant  Boyce  was  wounded  in  the 
affair  by  an  arrow  shot  through  his  breast.  The  company  then  proceeded  to 
Fort  Defiance,  A.  T.,  arriving  October  4,  and  leaving  on  the  i  ith  as  part  of 
the  first  column  of  the  Navajo  expedition.  On  the  last  day  of  the  month 
the  company  was  in  camp  at  Mesa  de  las  Bacas,  Lieutenant  Rossell  in  com- 
mand, having  marched  a  distance  during  the  month  of  over  300  miles. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  month  of  November,  A  was  employed  in 
scouting  the  country  between  Canon  de  Chele  and  Canon  de  las  Simitas. 

Major  Walker  and  Captain  Dunovant,  who  were  both  from  the  South, 
resigned  in  December  of  this  year. 

Company  A,  with  G,  5th  Infantry,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Lewis. 
5th  Infantry,  left  Fort  Fauntleroy  January  5,  i86i,on  a  scouting  expedition. 
About  thirty  miles  north  of  Fort  Fauntleroy,  on  the  morning  of  the  7th.  a 
village  was  located,  surprised  by  the  troops,  four  Indians  killed,  seventeen 
taken   prisoners,  twelve  animals  captured,  and  the  village  destroyed.     At 


538  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  commencement  of  the  year  1862  the  regiment  was  stationed  as  follows; 

Headquarters  and  Companies  D  and  K  at  Fort  Laramie,  Neb. ;  A  and  F 
at  Socorro,  N.  M.;  B,  E,  G  and  I  in  Washington,  D.  C. ;  C  at  Fort  Wise, 
Col. ;  and  H  in  camp  at  Pinos  Ranch,  near  Santa  Fe,  N.  M. 

In  January  and  early  m  February.  A,  F  and  H  concentrated  at  Fort 
Craig,  N.  M.,  and  on  the  21st  of  February  were  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Val 
Verde,  near  Fort  Craig,  with  the  rebel  forces,  F  serving  a  battery  of  howit- 
zers. The  battalion  commander,  Capt.  W.  H.  Rossell,  loth  Infantry,  was 
taken  prisoner,  ten  enlisted  men  were  killed  and  sixteen  wounded  in 
this  engagement.  The  killed  were  Privates  Collins,  Hoggant,  Miller, 
Reichling,  Schweer  and  Washburne  of  Company  A,  and  Corporals  Crotty 
and  Christianson,  and  Privates  Brown  and  Schweep  of  Company  H.  This 
was  the  regiment's  first  sacrifice  to  the  Civil  War,  made  on  the  dreary  plains 
of  New  Mexico,  nearly  two  thousand  miles  from  the  principal  theatre  of 
operations. 

Companies  B,  E,  G  and  I,  serving  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  left 
Washington,  March,  1862, — encamped  near  Fort  Monroe  from  March  26  till 
April  4, — and  at  Yorktown,  Va.,  on  the  12th.  In  May  B  was  broken  up  and 
the  men  absorbed  by  E,  G  and  I.  The  same  course  was  adopted  during  the 
same  month  with  A  in  New  Mexico,  the  privates  being  transferred  and  the 
non-commissioned  officers  attached  to  F  and  H.  During  the  previous 
month  A,  F  and  H  had  formed  part  of  Colonel  Canby's  command,  which 
left  camp  at  Val  Verde,  N.  M.,  on  April  i,  1862,  F  serving  as  artillery.  They 
took  part  in  the  afTairs  at  Albuquerque  on  the  8th,  and  Peralto  on  the  15th. 
of  April.  In  September  and  October,  1862,  C,  F  and  H,  marched  to  Leav- 
enworth, arriving  November  7.  On  the  24th  they  were  in  Washington,  and 
four  days  later  had  reported  for  duty  with  the  2d  Brig.,  2d  Div.,  5th  Corps,. 
General  Sykes  commanding,  at  Aquia  Creek,  Va.,  where  E,  G  and  I  were 
also  serving.  These  six  companies  were  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Freder- 
icksburg, Dec.  13,  14  and  15.  E,  G  and  I,  while  forming  part  of  Sykes'  Bri- 
gade, were  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Chickahominy,  with  a  loss  in  killed  and 
wounded  of  thirty  enlisted  men,  and  were  engaged  at  Malvern  Hill  and  Bull 
Run,  2d,  with  a  loss  in  those  two  engagements  of  thirteen  enlisted  men. 
They  were  also  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Antietam,  and  in  the  action  near 
Shepardstown,  Va.,  with  a  loss  in  these  two  engagements  of  fifteen  enlisted 
men. 

The  year  1863  proved  to  be  a  most  eventful  one  for  the  regiment.  At  its 
commencement  Headquarters  and  D  and  K  were  at  Fort  Kearney,  having 
been  transferred  to  that  postfrom  Fort  Laramie  in  the  preceding  June.  C,  E, 
F,  G,  H  and  I  were  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Early  in  March,  1863, 
C,  E,  F  and  I  were  broken  up.  and  the  enlisted  men,  numbering  81,  were 
transferred  and  attached  to  Companies  G  and  H.  Regimental  Headquar- 
ters and  D  and  K,  commanded  by  Lieut.  Bush,  left  Fort  Kearney  April  7, 
and  joined  the  regiment  in  the  field  near  Chancellorsville  on  the  night  of 
the  30th.  When  Lieut.  Bush  and  his  command,  numbering  three  officers 
and  fifty  men,  direct  from  the  plains  of  Nebraska,  joined  the  regiment,  its 
total  strength  then  amounted  to  but  eight  officers  and  100  enlisted  men. 

At  about  noon  of  the  following  day,  while  moving  toward  Fredericks- 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.  539 

burg,  the  enemy  made  his  appearance,  and  was  attacked  and  driven  back  by 
the  2d  Brigade,  which  on  that  morning  led  the  division.  When  the  enemy 
was  first  encountered  the  2d  Brigade  was  deployed  with  the  2d  and  6th  In- 
fantry on  the  right  of  the  road,  the  7th,  loth,  and  nth  on  the  left.  The  17th 
was  deployed  as  skirmishers.  The  loth,  with  some  assistance  from  the  nth, 
captured  in  this  advance  27  of  the  enemy,  including  one  officer.  Lieut.  Bush 
commanded  the  regiment  in  this  battle,  and  in  his  report  recommends  Ser- 
geant-Major William  Stanley  for  promotion  to  a  second-lieutenancy  for  gal- 
lant conduct  in  the  field.  He  also  mentions  national  color  bearer,  Lance 
Sergeant  J.  A.  Crotty  for  soldierly  conduct  and  for  capturing  one  of  the 
enemy  ;  and  mentions  Sergeant  Michael  Finaughty  regimental  color  bearer, 
for  his  coolness  under  fire. 

The  brigade  commander  in  his  report  of  the  battle  mentions  Lieutenants 
Bush,  Sellers,  Kellogg  and  Boyce,  loth  Infantry.  Lieut.  Sellers  was  at  this 
time  A.A.A.G.  of  the  2d  Brigade,— Lieut.  Kellogg,  A.D.C.,— and  Lieut. 
Boyce,  A. A.D.C.  to  the  brigade  commander.  Lieut.  Hampson  is  also  men- 
tioned by  the  regimental  commander  for  having  distinguished  himself  in 
this  action.  The  loss  of  the  regiment  in  this  engagement  was  12  enlisted 
men  wounded.  On  the  6th  of  May  the  regiment  recrossed  the  Rappahan- 
nock and  encamped  near  Falmouth,  Va.  In  this  month  K  was  broken  up 
and  its  25  enlisted  men  were  transferred  and  attached  to  D.  The  regiment, 
still  forming  a  part  of  the  2d  Brig.,  2d  Div.,  5th  Corps,  left  camp  near  Fal- 
mouth, Va.,  June  4,  reached  the  vicinity  of  Gettysburg  July  2d,  and  fought 
the  enemy  the  same  day,  losing  one  officer— Lieut.  W.  J.  Fisher— and  16  en- 
listed men  killed  ;  five  officers  and  27  men  wounded,  and  three  men  missing. 
Captain  William  Clinton  commanded  the  regiment  at  this  time.  The  regi- 
ment lay  in  position,  supporting  a  battery  during  the  night  of  the  2d,  and 
took  part  in  the  fighting  on  the  3d,  4th  and  5th.  The  loss  inflicted  in  these 
engagements  upon  what  remained  of  the  regiment  at  this  time  was  fearful. 
Sixty  per  cent,  of  the  officers,  and  over  fifty-four  per  cent,  of  the  enlisted 
men  engaged  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  regiment  occupied  at  one  time 
an  exposed  position,  with  a  greatly  superior  force  in  front  and  on  both 
flanks.  A  terrific  fire  was  directed  against  it  by  the  enemy,  and  the  roar  of 
musketry  was  so  great  that  the  commands  given  it  to  fall  back  were  not 
heard.  Fortunately  another  portion  of  the  Corps  came  to  the  rescue,  and 
compelled  the  enemy  to  retreat.  The  wounded  officers  were  Captains 
Clinton  and  Bush,  and  Lieuts.  Welles,  Boyce  and  Hamilton.  Lieut.  Boyce 
died  shortly  after  from  wounds  received  in  this  battle. 

On  the  8th  of  July  the  regiment  was  encamped  near  Middleton,  Md.  It 
crossed  the  South  Mountain  on  the  9th,  and  arrived  in  camp  near  Williams- 
port  on  the  14th.  On  the  15th  it  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Berlin,  and  on  the 
night  of  the  23d  formed  a  part  of  the  line  of  battle  at  Manassas. 

The  losses  of  the  regiment  had  been  so  heavy,  and  it  had  become  so 
reduced  in  point  of  numbers,  that  it  had  become  necessary  for  the  authori- 
ties to  withdraw  it  from  the  field  and  send  it  North  for  recuperation.  On 
the  17th  of  August  what  remained  of  it  left  Alexandria  by  steamer,  arriving 
in  New  York  City  on  the  20th,  where  it  remained  until  the  14th  of  Septem- 
ber, when  it  was  transferred  to  Fort  Lafayette,  N.  Y.  H.   At  the  end  of  the 


540  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

year  all  that  was  left  of  the  regiment  consisted  of  the  band  and  Company  D, 
with  a  total  strength,  present  and  absent,  of  128. 

Capt.  William  G.  Jones,  loth  Infantry,  while  absent  commanding,  as 
colonel,  the  36th  Ohio  Volunteers,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga, 
Ga..  Sept.  19,  1863. 

The  regiment  left  Fort  Lafayette  on  the  23d  of  April,  1864.  and  joined 
the  I  St  Brig.,  ist  Div.,  9th  Corps,  near  Bealton  Station,  Va.,  on  the  29th  of 
the  same  month.  On  the  6th  of  May  it  took  part  in  the  battle  of  the  Wil- 
derness, with  a  loss  of  eight  enlisted  men  killed,  one  officer— Major  Hayman 
—and  48  enlisted  men  wounded,  and  five  men  missing.  On  the  12th  of  May 
the  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va.,  losing 
but  two  men  wounded. 

From  this  time  on  until  the  battle  of  North  Anna  River,  May  24,  there 
was  a  total  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing  of  17  men.  Casualties  fre- 
quently occurred  while  employed  in  reconnoissances,  picket  duty  and  skir- 
mishing. While  making  a  reconnoissance  near  Spottsylvania  C.  H.  on  the 
1 6th,  one  man  was  killed  ;  and  two  days  later,  while  on  the  same  duty,  two 
men  were  killed  and  one  officer— Lieut.  Reed— and  one  man  were  wounded. 
On  the  3d  of  June  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor, 
losing  one  officer — Lieut.  Stanley,  adjutant — and  one  man  wounded.  The 
regiment  was  transfered  June  11  to  the  ist  Brig.,  2d  Div.,  5th  Corps,  and 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Petersburg,  June  18,  losing  in  killed  and  wounded 
three  men.  One  man  was  killed  on  the  19th,  and  another  on  the  21st.  On 
this  date  also  Lieut.  Skinner  was  wounded,  from  the  effects  of  which  he 
died  June  26. 

The  regiment  also  took  part  in  the  assault  following  the  explosion  of  the 
mine  at  Petersburg,  July  30.  It  was  also  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Weldon 
Railroad,  August  18,  19  and  21,  1864,  losing  six  men  killed,  one  officer- 
Captain  R.  H.  Hall—  and  nine  men  wounded,  and  one  officer— Lieut.  J.  C. 
White— and  sixteen  men  missing.  The  movement  of  the  regiment  to  its 
position  of  the  first  day  at  Weldon  Railroad  began  at  daylight  on  the  i8th. 
The  march  was  a  most  fatiguing  one,  the  heat  intense.  Lieutenant  Luning, 
commanding,  was  prostrated  about  noon  from  its  elifects,  and  the  command 
then  devolved  upon  2d  Lieut.  T.  H.  French.  Fully  one-third  of  the  men  had 
fallen  out  of  ranks  before  this  time  from  sheer  exhaustion,  although  they 
bravely  endeavored  to  keep  up.  In  the  first  advance,  which  was  made 
through  a  dense  wood  east  of  the  railroad,  and  half  a  mile  beyond,  the  regi- 
ment was  engaged,  outflanked,  and  subjected  to  a  heavy  cross-fire,  which 
caused  it  to  fall  back  to  a  position  in  the  rear  of  the  woods.  Captain  Hall  joined 
the  regimenton  the  morning  of  the  19th.  At  about  3  o'clock  on  the  afternoon 
of  that  day  the  enemy  again  attacked  the  line  of  which  the  regiment  formed 
a  part,  again  outflanked  it,  and  caused  it  to  withdraw.  It  subsequently  re- 
gained its  first  line  after  a  gallant  charge  against  the  enemy.  Captain  R.  H. 
Hall,  commanding  the  regiment,  was  hit  by  a  musket  ball  in  the  head  a  few 
hours  after  taking  command. 

On  the  2oth  there  was  no  fighting  for  the  regiment,  but  on  the  21st  it 
occupied  a  position  greatly  exposed  to  an  artillery  cross-fire.  The  fire  was 
so  well  directed  that  our  men  had  to  seek  safety  on  the  outside  of  their  breast- 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.  54 ' 

works.  1st  Sergeant  Pealock  received  special  mention  for  his  gallant  con- 
duct, coolness  and  bravery,  during  these  engagements  of  the  i8th,  19th  and 
2ist  of  August, 

On  the  1st  of  October  the  regiment,  still  forming  a  part  of  the  ist  Brig.. 
2d  Div.,  5th  Corps,  was  engaged  in  battle  on  the  Squirrel  Level  Road,  Va., 
losing  three  men,  killed,  and  one  officer — Lieut.  T.  H.  French —  and  five 
men  wounded,  and  18  men  missing.  The  regiment  was  commanded  in 
this  battle  by  2d  Lieut.  Theodore  Schwan,  who,  in  his  report,  mentions 
Lieutenants  French  and  Hunter  as  having  behaved  with  gallantry  seldom 
surpassed,  ist  Sergeant  Pealock  is  again  mentioned  for  coolness  and 
bravery.  Corporal  H.  Marshall,  ist  Sergeant  Marpool,  and  Privates 
Stephens,  Steward,  Landan  and  Mahony  are  also  noticed  for  noticeable 
coolness  under  fire. 

On  the  1 2th  of  October  the  regiment  was  detailed  as  provost  guard  at 
Headquarters  2d  Div.,  5th  Corps,  and  on  the  25th  was  ordered  to  Fort 
Hamilton,  N.  Y.  H.,  where  it  arrived  on  the  29th.  It  was  transferred  to 
Fort  Columbus,  N.  Y.  H.,  November  3d,  and  to  Fort  Porter,  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
December  2d,  where  it  was  stationed  at  the  end  of  the  year.  It  was  much 
depleted  in  numbers,  mustering,  present  and  absent,  but  189,  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  absent  sick  being  permanently  disabled. 

In  March,  1865,  245  recruits  were  sent  to  the  regiment,  certain  compa- 
nies were  reorganized,  and  were  all  filled  to  the  maximum  strength.  In  April 
170  recruits  were  received  and  Company  G  was  reorganized. 

The  regiment  was  again  ordered  into  the  field  in  April,  1865,  and 
reached  Headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac  April  23d,  at  Burksville,  Va. 
It  marched  with  that  army,  via  Richmond,  May  6th,  and  encamped  at  Ar- 
lington Heights  May  12th.  It  participated  in  the  review  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  May  23d,  at  Washington. 

On  the  20th  of  October  the  regiment  moved  by  rail  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
arriving  October  27th,  and  on  the  31st  Companies  A,  B,  D,  F,  G  and  H 
moved  by  steamer  up  the  Mississippi  River  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  were 
stationed  as  follows:  Companies  D  and  F  at  Fort  Snelling  ;  Band  H  at 
Fort  Ridgeley,  and  A  and  G  at  Fort  Ripley,  Minn.;  Regimental  Headquar- 
ters were  established  at  JefTerson  Barracks,  Mo.  In  December,  1865,  C,  E,  I 
and  K  were  reorganized  at  the  General  Recruiting  Depot,  Fort  Columbus, 
N.  Y.  H.,  and  in  April,  1866,  together  with  Regimental  Headquarters, 
joined  the  regiment  at  Fort  Snelling. 

A  redistribution  to  posts  took  place,  and  early  in  June,  1866,  the  regi- 
ment was  stationed  as  follows  :  Headquarters  and  Company  B  at  Fort 
Snelling;  H  at  Fort  Ridgely;  A  and  I  at  Fort  Ripley;  D  and  F  at  Fort 
Abercrombie,  D.  T. ;  C,  E,  G  and  K  at  Fort  Wadsworth,  D.  T. 

After  the  arrival  of  the  regiment  in  Minnesota,  it  was  employed  in  re- 
pairing and  rebuilding,  and  in  procuring  fuel,  so  that  but  little  work  was 
possible  toward  instructing  and  drilling  the  new  men. 

In  June,  1867,  Company  C,  with  detachments  from  D  and  F,  acted  as 
mounted  escort  to  the  department  commander,  and  while  encamped  near 
Fort  Stevenson  a  party  of  hostile  Indians  stampeded  the  horses  belonging 
to  the  escort,  and  succeeded  in  running  off  several.    The  Indians  were  im- 


542  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

mediately  pursued,  soon  overtaken,  and  in  the  skirmish  which  ensued  Pri- 
vate Wallace  was  wounded.  During  the  summer  G  and  H  were  busily- 
employed  in  building  the  post  of  Fort  Ransom. 

In  1869  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  Texas,  and  by 
the  end  of  July  the  assignments  to  stations  had  been  completed.  By  the 
end  of  August,  1869,  the  consolidation  of  the  regiment  with  the  26th  In- 
fantry had  also  been  effected,  at  which  time  the  regiment  was  stationed  as 
follows :  Headquarters  and  A,  H  and  K,  at  Fort  Brown,  Texas  ;  E  and  I  at 
Ringgold  Barracks  ;  B  at  Corpus  Christi ;  C  at  Fort  Mcintosh  ;  D  at  Gal- 
veston ;  F  at  San  Antonio,  and  G  at  Helena,  Texas. 

During  its  stay  of  ten  years  in  the  Department  of  Texas  the  regiment  was 
engaged  in  a  constant  series  of  scouting  and  Indian  fighting  expeditions  of 
more  or  less  importance,  some  of  them  extending  even  into  Old  Mexico. 

The  causes  which  combined  to  bring  about  the  frequent  expeditions  or- 
ganized for  field  service  during  the  years  1866-67-68  had  their  origin  mainly 
in  the  comfort,  aid  and  security  extended  the  Indians  by  the  Mexicans 
on  their  side  of  the  river.  The  Lipans,  a  tribe  small  in  numbers  but  active 
as  monkeys,  and  as  bold  and  cunning  as  Comanches,  had  established  them- 
selves near  the  towns  of  Zaragoza  and  Remilina,  in  the  State  of  Coahuila, 
from  which  points  they  usually  started  on  their  destructive  raids  into  Texas. 
In  1876  Colonel  Shafter  with  a  large  command  crossed  the  Rio  Grande, 
hunted  up  the  hostile  villages,  wiped  two  or  three  of  them  from  the  face  of 
the  earth  and  killed  a  number  of  their  most  active  warriors.  This  had  the 
effect  of  keeping  the  survivors  of  the  tribe  quiet  for  a  few  months,  by  which 
time  they  had  effected  something  in  the  way  of  a  combination  with  the 
Mescalero  Apaches,  when  they  again  became  troublesome,  but  the  troops 
followed  them  up  so  closely  that  their  raids  to  our  side  of  the  river  soon 
practically  ceased  and  the  redoubtable  little  band  of  Lipans  rather  mysteri- 
ously disappeared  from  view.  But  it  is  not  at  all  unlikely  that  many  of  them 
can  now  be  found  among  their  old  allies  the  Mescalero  Apaches  on  their 
reservation  near  Fort  Stanton,  N.  M. 

In  1878  raids  by  the  Indians  from  Coahuila  had  become  a  thing  of  the 
past,  but  early  in  that  year  a  large  expedition  was  organized,. commanded  by 
General  Mackenzie,  and  Mexico  was  again  invaded  by  our  troops.  This  time 
however,  the  Mexican  military  authorities  made  a  pretence  of  opposing  the 
American  forces  and  established  themselves  in  a  strongly  defensive  position 
on  the  crest  of  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Remilina  Creek,  a  rapid  stream, 
which  was  about  four  feet  deep  opposite  their  lines. 

The  loth  Infantry  battalion,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  W.C.  Kellogg, 
was  directed  to  advance  against  the  enemy  which  was  done  in  double  time, 
the  creek  was  reached  and  the  crossing  found  very  difficult  owing  to  the 
swiftness  of  the  current,  but  when  the  battalion  had  emerged  from  the  creek 
and  had  ascended  the  opposite  slope,  not  a  white  coated  Mexican  soldier 
could  be  seen.  The  rapidity  of  their  flight  could  only  be  equalled  by  that 
of  a  flock  of  mallards.  Not  a  shot  was  fired  by  either  side.  The  other 
battalions,  which  where  composed  of  troops  from  the  20th,  24th  and  25th 
Infantry,  2d  Artillery,  4th,  8th  and  loth  Cavalry,  in  all  about  1000  men,  stood 
silently  by  in  column,  apparently  wondering  what  it  all  meant  and  what  the 


TENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.  543 

trick  was  anyhow.  In  the  Department  of  Texas  this  affair  was  frequently 
mentioned  and  never  without  exciting  derisive  remarks  and  much  amuse- 
ment.    It  has  been  termed  the  battle  of  Remilina. 

The  field  operations  of  the  loth  Infantry  for  the  years  from  1872  to  1879 
involved  no  small  amount  of  extremely  severe  labor.  The  young  officers  of 
the  regiment  were  almost  constantly  in  the  field  serving  with  the  scouts  or 
cavalry  when  their  own  companies  were  in  garrison.  This  was  occasioned 
mainly  by  a  scarcity  of  officers  throughout  the  Department.  Many  were 
disabled,  awaiting  retirement,  and  others  were  on  detached  service. 

Good  fortune  was  in  store  for  the  regiment,  however,  for  in  May,  1879,  it 
was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  East,  arriving  in  Detroit,  May  27. 
1879.  It  was  stationed  as  follows:  Headquarters  and  A,  E,  H  and  K  at 
Fort  Wayne  ;  B  and  I  at  Fort  Brady  ;  C  and  D  at  Fort  Mackinac,  and  F  and 
G  at  Fort  Porter,  N.  Y. 

During  its  stay  of  live  years  in  this  Department  nothing  of  general  inter- 
est occurred  except  perhaps  the  participation  of  Regimental  Headquarters 
and  A,  D,  F  and  H,  in  the  centennial  celebration  at  Yorktown,  Va.,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1881. 

In  June,  1884,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the 
Missouri,  taking  stations  as  follows  :  Headquarters  and  B,  C,  F  and  I,  at 
Fort  Union,  N.  M.;  D.  and  H  at  Fort  Bliss,  Texas;  A  and  E  at  Fort 
Lyon,  Colorado ;  and  G  and  K  at  Fort  Crawford,  Colorado. 

On  the  i6th  of  March,  1885,  Captain  Kirkman,  Lieutenant  Seyburn 
and  twenty  enlisted  men  proceeded  from  their  station.  Fort  Union,  to 
Springer,  the  county  seat  of  Colfax  County,  N.  M.,  to  prevent,  if  possible,  a 
collision  between  the  civil  authorities  and  outlaws.  The  command  arrived 
in  the  town  at  night,  raised  the  siege  of  the  court-house  which  was  being 
conducted  by  the  excited  outlaws  and  cowboys,  and  rescued  the  civil  offi- 
cers who  had  taken  refuge  in  the  building.  In  this  affair  the  celebrated 
Dick  Rogers  lost  his  life,  as  did  one  of  the  Currys  and  "  Red  River  Tom," 
all  presumably  at  the  hands  of  one  man,  a  deputy  sheriff  by  the  name  of 
Jesse  Lee.  The  soldiers  escorted  the  officials  to  Las  Vegas  for  safe  keeping 
and  then  returned  to  Fort  Union. 

Companies  C.  D,  F,  H  and  I,  took  part  in  the  campaign  against  the 
hostile  Chiricahua  Apaches  under  Geronimo,  in  1885-86,  F  and  I  being 
out  from  July,  1885,  until  the  end  of  August,  1886. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1889,  an  expedition  commanded  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Simon  Snyder,  loth  Infantry,  consisting  of  G  and  K,  loth  Infantry, 
and  K  and  G,  iSth  Infantry,  left  Fort  Lyon,  Col.,  for  Oklahoma,  I.  T.  The 
object  of  this  expedition  was  to  aid  in  preserving  the  peace  among  the  peo- 
ple upon  the  opening  of  Oklahoma  Territory.  The  President's  proclama- 
tion opening  it  to  settlement  went  into  effect  at  noon  on  the  22d  of  April, 
at  which  time  great  numbers  of  people  poured  in  from  all  directions. 
There  was  entire  absence  of  law.  Extreme  disorder  prevailed,  and  the 
duties  of  the  troops  in  preventing  bloodshed  were  difficult  and  demanded 
good  judgment,  patience  and  skill. 

The  regiment  is  stationed  at  the  present  time  (January,  i89i)as  follows: 
Headquarters  and  Company  D  at  Fort  Marcy,  N.  M.;  C  and  H  at  Fort 


544  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Union,  N.  M.;  B  at  Fort  Stanton.  N.  M.;  A  and  F  at  Fort  Leavenworth, 
Kansas  ;  E  at  Fort  Lewis,  Col.  ;  and  C  at  Oklahoma,  L  T.  I  and  K,  skele- 
tonized. 

It  is  noticeable  how  frequently  the  regiment  has  occupied  the  same  sta- 
tions. In  1855  a  portion  of  it  garrisoned  Fort  Snelling,  Minn.,  and  again 
in  1866.  In  1 861  portions  of  the  regiment  were  stationed  at  Forts  Union, 
Marcy  and  Lyon,  and  again,  twenty-nine  years  later,  these  posts  were  occu- 
pied by  a  part  of  the  loth  Infantry.  In  1865  it  was  at  Fort  Porter,  N.  Y. 
In  1879  and  until  May,  1884.  Companies  F  and  G  composed  the  regular 
garrison  of  that  post. 


General 

WILLIAM     TECUMvSEH     SHERMAN 

Commanding  the  Army,  1869-1883. 


f  have  no  intern 

try  data  even  if  I 

liere  and  there  ove 

of  the  014  Eleven ti 

lems,  as  I  may  rev 

On  thi»  I4th  r)ti\ 


oi-gcir.  .^ 

pointed 

with  his  vu'iv- 

Steele,  appoin 

appointed  fr.. 

Indiana,  an  ;-i|  • 
Colonel  Scii'  :^ 
md  Fort  Indepc 


•lonei   Scrinver  selecrf 
M-.ber  to  be  adiuianl.  ari'; 


I     StIERM 


ELEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         547 

in  the  regiment  after  a  time,  Captain  Fitzmorris,  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Gaines'  Mill,  carrying  the  regimental  color. 

By  October  six  companies  had  been  organized  and  assigned  to  the  First 
Battalion.  About  the  tenth  of  that  month  the  battalion  (with  regimental 
headquarters,  temporarily)  was  ordered  to  Perryville,  Maryland,  opposite 
Havre  de  Grace,  where,  joined  by  the  14th  Infantry  from  Fort  Trumbull, 
Conn.,  we  remained  during  the  winter,  guarding  mules  and  wagons  col- 
lected at  Perryville  to  make  up  a  wagon  train  for  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac. Picket  guards  at  the  ferry  landings,  and  guards  on  the  boats,  added 
to  the  duties  the  men  were  called  upon  to  perform.  The  battalion  was  en- 
camped on  the  bank  of  the  river  near  the  ferry,  and  in  tents  until  late  in 
January,  when  it  had  a  welcome  change  to  rude  but  very  comfortable  tem- 
porary barracks.  Colonel  Shriver  commanded  the  post,  with  Lieutenant 
Lieber  as  post  adjutant.  Captain,  now  Colonel,  Sawtelle,  of  the  Quarter- 
master's Department,  was  depot  quartermaster.  Major  Delancy  Floyd- 
Jones  commanded  the  battalion,  with  ist  Lieut.  Charles  A.  Hartwell  as  bat- 
talion adjutant.  I  wish  I  could  remember  the  name  of  the  post  surgeon,  a 
very  attentive  and  competent  physician.  I  passed  many  pleasant  hours  in 
his  quarters.  It  is  somewhat  strange  that  while  I  remember  so  much  of 
what  occurred  at  Perryville,  by  no  association  of  events  or  individuals  can 
I  recall  the  doctor's  name. 

The  company  officers  present  in  our  first  camp  were  Captams  Russell, 
Chipman,  Lowe,  Ames,  Lawrence  and  Elder;  Lieuts.  J.  S.  Fletcher,  Bates, 
Pleasants,  Head,  Ingham,  Higbee,  Patterson,  Gray,  Evans  and  Brownell. 
Sergeants  William  Fletcher,  of  the  8th  Infantry,  and  Bentzoni  and  Hun- 
tington, of  the  nth,  were  appointed  to  and  joined  the  regiment  before  the 
end  of  the  year.  I  think  I  have  mentioned  all  who  w^ere  for  duty  with  the 
battalion  at  that  time,  and,  with  the  exception  of  Elder  and  Bentzoni,  they 
embarked  with  the  battalion  for  the  Peninsula. 

In  March,  1862,  the  nth  Infantry  and  the  14th  were  ordered  to  Wash- 
ington, where  they  joined  Sykes'  Division  of  Regulars.  Colonel  Schriver 
left  the  regiment  at  this  time  to  join  General  McDowell  as  his  chief  of  staff. 
The  battalion  marched  with  the  division  in  the  reconnoissance  to  Manas- 
sas, returned  with  it  to  Alexandria,  and  went  into  camp  near  the  Theologi- 
ical  Seminary.  It  embarked  for  the  Peninsula,  sharing  the  transport  with 
the  4th  Infantry,  and,  in  the  operations  before  Yorktown,  its  camp  was  in 
the  division  camp  called  Winfield  Scott,  near  General  McClellan's  head- 
quarters. 

I  intend  to  refer  as  little  as  possible  to  the  division  and  brigade  to  which 
my  regiment  was  attached  during  the  War,  and  will  therefore,  before  pro- 
ceeding farther,  give  them  as  briefly  as  possible  for  the  whole  period. 
Sykes'  division  w^as  an  independent  command,  reporting  direct  to  General 
McClellan's  headquarters,  until  the  organization  of  the  5th  Corps,  when  it 
joined  that  corps  as  its  Second  Division. 

In  the  Peninsular  campaign  the  division  was  made  up  of  two  Regular  and 
one  volunteer  brigades.  The  3d,  4th,  12th  and  14th  regiments  of  infantr)- 
were  in  the  First  Brigade;  the  2d,  6th,  7th,  loth,  nth  and  17th  regiments 
of  infantry  in  the  Second  ;  the  ist  Connecticut  Heavy  Artillery,  the  5th  and 


548  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

loth  New  York  Volunteers  in  the  Third  Brigade.  A  company  of  the  ist 
Infantry  served  with  Sykes'  Division  in  the  Peninsula  campaign.  I  have 
forgotten  to  which  regiment  it  was  attached.  Lieut.-Col.  R.  C.  Buchanan, 
4tl-rinfantry,  commanded  the  First,  Lieut.-Col.  William  Chapman,  the  Sec- 
ond, and  Col.  G.  K.  Warren.  5th  New  York  Volunteers,  the  Third  Brigade. 
This  division  formation— referring  to  regiments— (the  company  of  the  ist 
Infantry  was  detached  from  the  division,  I  think,  at  Harrison's  Landing) 
continued  until  the  fall  of  1862,  when  the  ist  Connecticut  Artillery  and  loth 
New  York  Volunteers  were  detached  from,  and  the  140th  and  the  146th  New 
York  Volunteers  attached  to  the  Third  Brigade. 

The  5th  New  York,  a  two  years'  regiment,  was  mustered  out  in  May, 
1863,  by  expiration  of  term  of  service.  It  was  reorganized  by  Col.  Cleve- 
land Winslow,  a  very  gallant  officer,  and  returned  to  the  field  and  to  the 
Third  Brigade,  where  it  maintained  the  high  reputation  its  first  organiza- 
tion had  made,  as  one  of  the  most  distinguished  volunteer  regiments  in 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  In  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, preparatory  to  the  campaign  of  1864,  the  three  brigades  of  Sykes'  old 
division  were  consolidated  into  one,  and  assigned  to  the  First— Griffin's- 
Division  of  the  5th  Corps.  The  service  of  the  Regular  infantry  as  a  sepa- 
rate command  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  came  to  an  end  with  this  con- 
solidation. The  assignment  to  Griffin's  Division  continued  until  after  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  when  the  brigade  was  returned  to  the  Second  Di- 
vision as  its  Second  Brigade,  and  General  Ayresto  his  former  Second  Divi- 
sion command. 

Gen.  George  Sykes  (major  14th  Infantry)  organized  the  division  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  in  March,  1862,  and  continued  to  command  it  until,  at 
Frederick,  Maryland,  in  June,  1863,  he  succeeded  General  Meade  in  com- 
mand of  the  5th  Corps.  Gen.  R.  B.  Ayres  (captain  5th  Artillery)  who  came 
to  the  First  Brigade  just  before  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  succeeded 
General  Sykes  in  command  of  the  division  and,  excepting  the  short  time 
his  division  served  as  a  brigade  in  Griffin's  division,  continued  to  command 
it  to  the  end  of  the  War.  This  recital,  though  somewhat  lengthy  and  a  de- 
parture from  the  line  of  my  narrative,  will,  I  hope,  be  interesting.  It  may 
serve  a  useful  purpose. 

Upon  the  evacuation  of  Yorktown,  the  regiment  marched  via  Williams- 
burg, Cumberland,  the  White  House,  and  Tunstall's  Station,  to  near  the 
Chickahominy,  and  went  into  camp  on  the  Mechanicsville  road  near  Gaines' 
Mill-,  Camp  Lovell  it  was  called.  It  took  part  in  the  movement  to  Hanover 
Court  House,  and  did  its  share  of  picket  and  fatigue  duty  on  the  Chick- 
ahominy. The  only  thing  that  disturbed  the  even  tenor  of  our  camp  life 
after  the  Hanover  Court  House  affair,  was  Stuart's  raid.  We  were  hurried 
out  of  camp  about  sundown,  marched  off  rapidly  for  a  few  miles,  and  then 
marched  back.  I  do  not  know  if  we  were  expected  to  catch  Stuart's  raid- 
ers, and  can  explain  the  movement  only  as  Artemus  Ward  did  a  similarly 
futile  effort.     It  may  have  been  "  Strategy,  my  boy." 

At  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill  the  battalion  was  posted  to  support  Mar- 
tin's Mass.  Battery.  Lieutenant  Hartwell,  battalion  adjutant,  was  severely 
wounded  in  this  action.     At  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  the  nth  Infantry 


ELE  VENTH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  N  TR  Y.         549 

and  5th  N.  Y.  Vols,  were  detached  under  Col.  G.  K.  Warren,  and  posted 
in  the  bottom  land  on  the  extreme  left  of  our  army.  The  regiment  fol- 
lowed the  army  to  Harrison's  Landing  and  remained  m  camp  there  until 
about  August  14th,  when  it  marched  with  the  division  via  Charles  City 
Court  House  and  Williamsburg  to  Newport  News,  .£•«  rou/e  to  join  Pope's 
army  north  of  the  Rappahannock.  It  landed  from  transport  at  Acquia 
Creek,  remained  for  a  few  days  at  Fredericksburg,  and  appeared  in  due 
time  upon  the  battle-field  of  the  Second  Bull  Run,  where  it  was  engaged. 
The  regiment  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  crossed  the  river  in 
the  reconnoissance  to  Sharpsburg,  and  was  engaged  on  the  skirmish  line. 
It  accompanied  the  division  back  to  the  Rappahannock,  and  went  into 
camp  near  Falmouth,  Va.  It  crossed  the  river  and  was  engaged  at  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburg.  Captain  Lawrence  was  severely  wounded  in  this 
action.  It  shared  the  fatigues  and  discomforts  of  the  "  Mud  March,  '  and 
wintered  in  the  division  camp  near  Potomac  Creek.  At  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  (May  ist)  the  regiment  was  again'on  the  skirmish  line,  at 
first  supporting  the  17th  Infantry,  and  then  deployed  on  its  right  in  the  ad- 
vance of  Sykes'  Division  in  the  direction  of  Fredericksburg.  The  skirmish 
line  went  forward  for  a  mile  or  more  without  encountering  very  much  oppo- 
sition, or  observing  any  indication  that  it  would  encounter  any,  when,  for 
some  reason  thought  to  be  good,  I  suppose,  by  whoever  ordered  it,  the 
skirmish  line  was  withdrawn,  and  the  division  returned  to  the  camp  it  left 
in  the  morning. 

On  the  evening  of  the  disaster  to  a  portion  of  the  Eleventh  Corps, 
the  regiment,  about  sunset,  was  ordered  out  upon  the  road  leading  to 
the  river,  to  aid  in  restoring  order,  and  to  assist  in  stopping  the  stream  of 
stragglers  making  for  the  bridge.  I  shall  not  attempt  a  description  of  how 
a  large  body  of  men  appeared  when  under  the  influence  of  the  unaccount- 
able demoralization.  The  scene  was  one  of  confusion  and  excitement  truly 
thrilling,  and  though  order  was  soon  restored,  suggested  the  thought  of 
what  a  chaotic  condition  of  things  would  have  been  likely  to  follow,  had 
the  panic  extended  beyond  the  limits  to  which  it  was  fortunately  confined. 

In  the  battle  of  the  next  morning  the  regiment  was  in  line  to  the  right 
of  the  troops  engaged.  It  formed  part  of  the  rear-guard  when  the  army 
crossed  to  the  north  bank  of  the  river  and,  waiting  to  see  the  ponton  bridge 
taken  up,  then  returned  to  its  winter  camp  near  Falmouth.  The  regiment 
accompanied  the  division  to  Gettysburg.  The  division,  early  in  the  after- 
noon of  July  ist,  went  into  camp  near  York,  Pa.,  to  prepare  muster  and  pay 
rolls.  About  sunset  it  was  hurriedly  put  en  route  for  Gettysburg,  had  a 
very  exhausting  night  march  and,  passing  in  the  early  morning  to  the  rear  of 
the  battle-field  of  the  day  before,  halted  on  the  pike  in  rear  of  the  Round 
Top  for  rest  and  breakfast.  Later  in  the  day  the  division  was  put  in  posi- 
tion covering  the  Round  Top,  the  Regular  brigades  posted  out  well  to  the 
front.  The  enemy  soon  appeared  in  great  force,  threatening  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Regular  infantry  by  an  enfilade.  The  gallantry  of  Col.  Hannibal 
Day,  6th  Infantry,  commanding  the  ist, — and  Col.  Sidney  Burbank,  2d 
Infantry,  commanding  the  2d  Brigade,— their  coolness  and  skill  in  with- 
drawing their  commands  from  the  terrible  fire  to  which  they  were  exposed 


550  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

without  support,  made  the  veteran  officers  named  conspicuous  figures  on 
that  part  of  the  field.  The  following  extracts,  which  I  cannot  resist  quot- 
ing, from  Colonel  Fox's  "  Regimental  Losses  in  the  Civil  War,"  will  be  in- 
teresting as  showing  what  the  Regular  infantry  did  and  suffered  in  this 
great  battle  : 

•'  At  Gettysburg  the  two  Regular  brigades,  under  Colonels  Day  and 
Burbank,  again  displayed  that  marked  efficiency  which,  at  Gaines'  Mill  and 
on  other  fields,  had  made  them  famous,  their  thinned  ranks  being  again 
depleted  under  the  terrible  fire  which  they  encountered." 

And  again  : 

"  At  Gettysburg  the  two  Regular  brigades  included  ten  regiments,  but 
they  contained  only  fifty-seven  small  companies.  Out  of  1985  present,  they 
lost  S29  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  and  in  Burbank's  Brigade,  out  of 
80  officers  present,  40  were  killed  or  wounded." 

The  loss  of  the  i  ith  Infantry  in  officers  was  the  largest  it,— or  any  other 
Regular  regiment,  so  far  as  I  can  learn, — suffered  in  any  one  battle  of  the 
War.  Captain  Barri  and  Lieutenants  Kenaston,  Elder,  Rochford  and  Bar- 
ber were  killed ;  and  Captain  Goodhue  and  Lieutenant  Harbach  wounded. 
The  regiment  marched  with  the  division  back  to  the  Rappahannock. 

In  the  fall  of  1863  the  Regular  infantry,  with  other  commands  from  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  were  sent  to  New  York  City  to  preserve  order  during 
the  next  draft.  The  nth  Infantry  encamped  on  the  East  River,  across  the 
street  and  to  the  north  of  Jones'  Wood  garden.  When  the  purpose  for 
which  the  troops  were  sent  to  New  York  had  been  accomplished,  they  were 
ordered  back  to  the  front. 

A  great  deal  of  marching  and  counter-marching  is  all  that  I  remember 
as  occurring  to  the  time  of  the  assault  and  capture  by  the  6th  Corps  of  the 
rebel  redoubts  covering  the  railroad  bridge  crossing  the  Rappahannock. 
On  that  occasion  the  nth  Infantry  was  on  the  skirmish  line  to  the  left  of 
the  attack.  The  regiment  took  part  in  the  movement  to  Mine  Run,  re- 
turned to  the  vicinity  of  Bealton  Station,  and  went  into  what  we  thought 
would  be  our  winter  quarters.  Remaining  in  that  locality  for  a  short  time, 
it  moved  to  near  Nokesville.  We  had  completed  the  hutting  of  the  com- 
mand when,  about  Christmas,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Alexandria,  Va., 
for  duty  as  train  guards  to  Brandy  Station.  The  end  of  the  year  left  the 
regiment  in  camp  near  the  cemetery  at  Alexandria,  performing  the  duty 
last  mentioned. 

About  May  ist,  1864,  the  regiment  moved  to  Brandy  Station,  where  the 
division,  cantoned  along  the  railroad  during  the  winter,  was  assembling  to 
take  part  in  the  campaign  of  1864.  The  division  crossed  the  Rapidan  at 
Ely's  Ford  and  bivouacked  on  the  night  of  May  4th  well  out  on  the  Orange 
Court  House  road.  In  the  engagement  of  the  next  day  the  regiment  was 
on  the  skirmish  line.  Lieutenants  Pleasants  and  Staples  were  killed  in  this 
action.  The  regiment  was  again  under  fire  May  8th  and  12th.  Lieutenant 
Pratt  was  killed  in  the  action  of  May  8th.  The  regiment  crossed  the  North 
Anna  River  near  Jericho  Ford,  and  was  engaged  on  that  day,  June  2d,  at 
Bethesda  Church.  Under  cover  of  a  heavy  growth  of  timber  the  enemy 
succeeded  in  turning  the  right  of  the   5th  Corps,  capturing  Lieutenants 


ELE  VENTH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  NTRY.        551 

Hunington  and  Nealy,  and  a  number  of  the  enlisted  men  of  Company  F, 
ist  Battalion,  our  right-flank  company.  The  enemy  came  upon  us  from 
our  right  and  rear.  I  did  not  stop  to  inquire  what  the  rebels  thought 
about  it,  but  we  were  very  much  surprised  indeed. 

The  regiment,  still  tramping  with  the  division,  crossed  the  Chicka- 
hominy  at  Long  Bridge,  moved  after  some  delay  to  the  James  River,  and 
crossed  at  Wilcox's  Landing,  was  retained  on  the  south  bank,  and  made  the 
most  exhausting  night  march  it  ever  experienced.  It  arrived  in  front  of 
the  works  covering  Petersburg  on  the  morning  of  June  17th,  and  was  in 
supoort  of  the  disastrous  assault  of  the  9th  Corps,  On  the  i8th  the  divi- 
sion moved  to  the  left,  to  near  the  Weldon  Railroad  cut,  and  took  part  in 
an  effective  and  bloody  attack  upon  the  rebel  defenses  on  that  front.  The 
nth  Infantry  suffered  severely  from  the  fire  of  a  battery  located  in  are- 
doubt  fronting  the  line  of  the  advance.  Lieut.-Col.  E.  S.  Otis,  140th  New 
York  Volunteers,  commanded  our  brigade  in  this  action.  After  remaining 
for  several  weeks  in  the  trenches  the  regiment  moved  to  the  more  com- 
fortable locality  of  a  camp  to  the  rear  in  the  timber,  where  a  man  could 
hold  up  his  head  without  the  certainty  of  a  sharp-shooter  making  a  target 
of  it.  I  can  imagine  no  more  utterly  wearing,  forlorn,  and  dispiriting 
situation  than  that  of  hiding,  day  after  day,  behind  a  breast-high  parapet, 
waiting  for  your  turn  to  come  to  be  knocked  on  the  head.  Looking  across 
to  the  rebel  works  they  appeared  deserted,  until  some  movement  or  dem- 
onstration in  our  line  called  them  to  arms,  when  their  parapet  would  glisten 
with  bayonets,  suggestive  of  the  quills  upon  the  fretful  porcupine.  The 
regiment  was  engaged  at  the  battle  of  the  Weldon  R.  R.  and  the  battle  of 
the  Chapel  House.  Lieut.-Col.  Otis,  our  brigade  commander,  was  very 
severely  wounded  in  the  last-named  action.  The  regiment  took  part  in  the 
movement  to  Hatcher's  Run,  returned  to  a  camp  near  the  Yellow  Tavern, 
and  on  the  ist  day  of  November,  1864,  the  Regular  infantry  serving  with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  were  ordered  out  of  the  field.  The  casualties  inci- 
dent to  field  service,  with  the  difficulty  experienced  in  obtaining  recruits 
for  the  Regular  Army,— state  and  county  bounties  attracting  recruits  to  the 
volunteer  service, — had  reduced  the  several  regiments  to  an  aggregate  en- 
listed of  little  more  than  the  maximum  allowed  a  company,— several  of  the 
older  regiments  fell  below  it. 

This  separation  was  final.  I  do  not  think  that  I  exaggerate  when  I  re- 
mark that,  in  its  service  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  Regular  infantry 
bore  its  part  honorably  and  well  ;  that  the  high  standard  for  efficiency  ex- 
pected of  it  was  always  maintained  when  put  to  the  crucial  test  of  battle. 
Too  few  in  numbers  to  claim  recognition  as  a  great  element  of  strength  to 
that  army,  the  record  it  made  from  Yorktown  to  the  Chapel  House  is  an 
assurance  of  what  a  notable  influence  it  would  have  exercised,  had  its  en- 
listed strength  been  sufficient  to  permit  its  organization  as  an  army  corps. 
The  regiment  went  from  the  field  to  Hunt  Barracks,  in  rear  of  Fort 
Hamilton,  N.  Y.  Harbor,  remained  there  until  November  iSth,  when,  with 
the  8th  Infantry,  it  embarked  for  Baltimore,  Md.  Remained  at  Baltimore 
until  December  5th,  when  it  was  sent  to  Annapolis,  Md.,  for  duty  at  Camp 
Parole.     Remained  at  Camp  Parole  until  January  26,  1865,  when  it  em- 


55^  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

barked  for  City  Point,  Va.  Arriving  at  City  Point,  it  went  into  camp  near 
General  Grant's  headquarters,  where  it  remained  until  March  8th,  when  it 
moved  to  Park  Station,  and  from  that  time  to  the  end  did  duty  as  part  of 
the  provost  guard  at  headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

After  the  surrender,  the  nth  Infantry  with  other  Regular  troops,  was 
sent  to  Richmond,  Va.,  where  it  arrived  May  3d.  It  did  provost  duty  in 
Richmond  ui.til  the  civil  government  of  the  city  was  organized,  and  at 
Libby  Prison  until  its  use  was  discontmued. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1865  the  twenty-four  companies  of  the 
regiment  were  organized. 

In  the  summer  of  1866,  the  regiment  suffered  a  great  mortality  from 
cholera.  I  think  the  order  reorganizing  the  Army  was  received  in  Sep- 
tember, and  soon  afterward  the  29th  Infantry  (3d  Battalion)  was  ordered  to 
Lynchburg,  Va.  In  January,  1866,  the  20th  Infantry  (2d  Battalion)  was 
ordered  to  New  Orleans,  La.,  leaving  the  ist  Battalion  heir  to  the  colors 
and  records  of  the  nth  Infantry  of, — ^what  we  were  proud  to  have  been, — 
Sykes'  Division  of  the  5th  Army  Corps. 

The  field  officers  of  the  old  Eleventh  were  Colonels  E.  D.  Keyes  and 
W.  S.  Ketchum  ;  Lieut.-Colonels  Edmund  Schriver,  John  T.  Sprague  and 
R.  S.  Granger  ;  Majors  Frederick  Steele,  Delancy  Floyd-Jones,  Jonathan 
W.  Gordon,  Daniel  Huston,  Jr.,  T.  H.  Neill,  and  Lyman  Bissell.  I  do  not 
remember  all  who  were  regimental  and  battalion  staff  officers.  Those  I  do 
remember  are  Lieuts.  G.  N.  Lieber,  G.  E.  Head  and  F.  A.  Field,  regimental 
adjutants;  R.  B.  Smith  and  Oscar  Hagan,  regimental  quartermasters. 
Lieuts.  C.  A.  Hartwell  and  J.  C.  Bates  were  adjutants  of  the  ist  Battalion 
in  the  field. 

At  the  time  of  the  reorganization  Lieut.  W.  H.  Clapp  was  adjutant  of 
the  1st  Battalion,  and  Lieut.  Wm.  Fletcher  quartermaster.  Lieut.  A.  A. 
Harbach  was  adjutant  of  the  2d  Battalion  ;  Lieut.  John  A.  Coe,  quarter- 
master. I  have  forgotten  who  was  adjutant  of  the  3d  Battalion  ;  Lieut. 
Henry  Wagner  was  quartermaster.  Lieut.  Charles  Bentzoni  had  been 
quartermaster  of  the  3d  Battalion.  Lieut.  Irvin  B.  Wright  was  at  one  time 
a  battalion  staff  officer.  Lieut.  J.  P.  Pratt  was  adjutant  of  the  2d  Battalion 
when  killed  in  front  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House.  Major  Delancy  Floyd- 
Jones  commanded  the  battalion  at  Gaines'  Mill,  Malvern  Hill,  2d  Bull 
Run,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg ;  Major 
Gordon  at  Mine  Run;  Captain  Francis  M.  Cooley  at  the  Wilderness; 
Spottsylvania  Court  House,  North  Anna  River,  and  the  assault  of  June 
1 8th;  Captain  W.  G.  Edgerton  at  the  Weldon  R.  R.  and  Chapel  House; 
Captain  A.  E.  Littimer  at  the  time  of  the  surrender. 

In  closing  my  informal  narrative  I  desire  to  mention  three  officers  of 
my  old  regiment.  Two  of  them — Captains  Russell  and  Barri — were  great 
favorites,  the  third  was  my  particular  and  intimate  friend.  We  messed 
together  and  were  attached  to  the  same  company  for  the  1864  campaign. 
I  have  never  known  a  better  or  more  companionable  fellow  than  Wright 
Staples,  whose  young  life  went  out  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  on  the 
skirmish  line,  doing  his  duty  in  his  manly  way. 

Captain  Thomas  O.  Barri,  who  died  in   the  division  field  hospital  at 


ELEVENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         553 

Gettysburg,  was  a  loss  to  the  regiment  that  aflected  both  rank  and  file 
deeply.  Of  a  happy  temperament, — bright,  witty  and  clever, — he  possessed 
social  qualities  joined  to  a  correct,  courageous  and  honorable  conduct,  that 
made  him  loved  as  a  comrade,  and  respected  as  an  officer  and  gentleman. 
A  cultivated  musician,  he  sang  delightfully.  His  camp  fire  was  always  the 
chief  attraction  of  our  bivouac.  Among  the  first  to  fall,  he  could  not  be 
removed  from  the  field  until  the  enemy  had  been  driven  back.  He  died 
soon  after  being  brought  in. 

I  think  all  who  served  near  Captain  Charles  S.  Russell,  will  agree  with 
me  that  he  was  an  exceptionably  able  commander  of  troops  in  action.  I 
never  knew  him,  in  the  many  times  his  capacity  was  put  to  the  test,  to  fail 
in  the  soldierly  qualities  which  made  him  so  distinguished.  In  every  action 
of  the  regiment  from  Gaines'  Mill  to  Gettysburg,  he  was  the  acting  field 
officer,  and  always  made  his  presence  felt.  He  was  appointed,  at  the  re- 
quest of  Governor  Morton  of  Indiana,  colonel  of  the  8th  U.  S.  Colored 
Troops,  and  in  the  Campaign  of  1864,  commanded  a  brigade  in  the  9th  and 
25th  Corps.  His  brigade  was  selected  to  accompany  General  Sheridan's 
Army  to  Texas.  The  death  of  Captain,  Brevet  Colonel,  Russell  at  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  in  November,  1866,  removed  from  the  Army  one  of  its  most  dis- 
tinguished officers  of  his  grade.  He  was  of  tried  courage,  and  admitted 
capability  for  high  command. 

I  have  reached  the  limit  of  space  allowed  me,  and  conclude  my  labor  of 
love  with  the  regret  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  do  more  ample  justice  to 
so  deserving  a  subject. 

II. 

By  lieutenant  R.  J.  C.  IRVINE,  U.  S.  A., 

Eleventh  Infantry. 

In  1869  the  present  Eleventh  Infantry  was  formed  by  the  consolidation 
of  the  24th  and  29th  Regiments  of  Infantry.  The  24th  Infantry  was  con- 
solidated into  five  companies,  and  the  29th  also  into  rive  companies,  and 
by  General  Orders  No.  80,  dated  5th  Military  District,  April  25,  1869,  the 
consolidation  of  the  two  regiments  into  the  Eleventh  Infantry  was  com- 
pleted. 

Colonel  Alvan  C.  Gillem  was  the  first  colonel  of  the  reorganized 
Eleventh  Infantry,  but  in  December,  1870,  he  was  transferred  to  the  ist 
Cavalry. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  William  H.  Wood,  who  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  regiment  in  February,  1871,  and  remamed  its  colonel  until  he 
was  retired  at  his  own  request  in  June.  1882. 

The  retirement  of  Colonel  Wood  promoted  Lieut.-Colonel  Richard  I. 
Dodge,  of  the  23d  Infantry,  to  the  Eleventh,  and  he  has  remained  its 
colonel  to  the  present  time. 

The  history  of  the  present  nth  Infantry  is  necessarily  brief.  From  its 
formation  in  1S69  up  to  1876  it  was  stationed  in  the  Department  of  Texas, 
and  the  companies  took  part  at  different  times  in  the  scouts  and  expedi- 
tions against  hostile  Indians,  and  performed  escort  and  other  field  duties. 


554 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 


In  August  and  September,  iS76,the  regiment  was  sent  from  the  Depart- 
ment of  Texas  to  the  Department  of  Dakota  for  field  service  in  connectfon 
with  the  Indian  War  in  that  Territory  and  in  Montana.  The  larger  part  of 
the  regiment  (seven  companies)  was  sent  to  the  Cheyenne  River  agency, 
Dakota,  where  these  troops  were  hutted  for  shelter  during  the  winter,  and 
three  companies  were  stationed  at  Standing  Rock  agency,  Dakota.  In  1877 
the  regiment  was  transferred  from  the  Department  of  Texas  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Dakota. 

In  April  and  May,  1877,  three  companies  (C,  F  and  G)  were  moved  from 
Cheyenne  Agency,  and  three  companies  (A,  B  and  H)  from  Standing  Rock 
Agency  to  the  Little  Big  Horn,  Montana,  under  the  command  of  Lieut.- 
Colonel  G.  P.  Buell,  nth  Infantry,  where  they  constructed  the  post  of  Fort 
Custer. 

During  the  years  1877  and  1878  the  different  companies  of  the  regiment 
were  employed  as  occasion  demanded  on  expeditions  and  scouts  against 
hostile  Indians. 

On  January  2d,  1881,  Company  F,  nth  Infantry,  was  engaged  in  an 
attack  upon  hostile  Indians,  under  Sitting  Bull,  near  Poplar  Creek  Agency, 
as  part  of  the  command  of  Major  G.  Ilges,  5th  Infantry. 

The  infantry  battalion,  composed  of  Company  F,  nth  Infantry,  and  de- 
tachments of  Companies  A,  B  and  E,  7th  Infantry,  and  one  three-inch  gun, 
all  under  command  of  Captain  O.  B.  Read,  nth  Infantry,  left  the  agency  at 
n.30  A.  M.,  marched  three  miles,  crossed  the  Missouri  River,  took  and  held 
a  point  of  timber  commanding  the  lower  village  of  the  Indians  until  joined 
by  Major  Ilges  with  the  main  command  (5  companies  5th  Infantry,  i  com- 
pany 7th  Cavalry  and  an  artillery  detachment).  The  attack  commenced 
at  once,  and  after  an  engagement  of  about  one  hour,  during  which  Com- 
pany F  was  engaged  in  firing  upon  and  turning  back  Indians  attempting  to 
escape  from  the  artillery  fire,  resulted  in  the  capturing  of  three  Indian  vil- 
lages and  their  destruction.  324  prisoners  were  taken,  with  about  300 
ponies  and  a  large  number  of  arms.  No  casualties  among  the  troops.  Loss 
of  enemy  in  killed  and  wounded  not  known. 

In  July,  1887,  the  regiment  left  the  Department  of  Dakota  for  service  in 
the  Division  of  the  Atlantic,  where  it  is  now  stationed  in  the  Lake  Region, 
with  headquarters  at  Madison  Barracks,  N.  Y. 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 
By  Lieut.  CHARLES  W.  ABBOT,  Jr..  Adjutant  i2th  U.  S.  Lnfantry. 

THE  numerical  designation  "  Twelfth"  has  been  borne  by  four  regiments 
of  infantry  in  the  regular  service  of  the  United  States.  The  first 
was  organized  July  i6,  1798,  under  an  act  of  same  date,  and  dis- 
banded June  15,  1800.  The  second  and  third  were  raised  tempo- 
rarily during  hostilities,  the  former  in  181 2,  its  personnel  being  chiefly  from 
Virginia,  the  latter  during  the  Mexican  War.  Both  performed  well  the  duty 
for  which  intended,  and  upon  the  cessation  of  hostilities  were  disbanded. 

The  present  regiment  was  organized  by  direction  of  the  President  in  a 
proclamation  dated  May  4, 1861.  An  act  of  Congress  of  July  29th  of  the  same 
year  confirmed  the  organization.  It  was  to  consist  of  three  battalions  of  eight 
companies  each.  The  first  regimental  return  shows  that  the  field  officers 
were  appointed  June  i8th,  and  company  officers  August  23d;  although 
the  actual  date  of  commission  of  all  the  former,  and  many  of  the  latter  was 
May  14th. 

The  first  colonel  was  William  B.  Franklin,  who  was  promoted  from  cap- 
tain of  Topographical  Engineers.  He  never  joined,  having  been  appointed 
brigadier-general  of  volunteers  May  17th.  He  was  promoted  to  major- 
general  July  4,  1862,  and  resigned  his  commission  as  colonel  March  15, 
1866.  Daniel  Butterfield  of  New  York  was  the  first  lieutenant-colonel. 
He  never  joined,  having  been  made  brigadier-general  of  volunteers  to 
date  September  7th,  and  major-general  November  29,  1862.  He  was  pro- 
moted to  colonel  5th  Infantry  July  i,  1863.  The  majors  were  Henry  B. 
Clitz,  Richard  S.  Smith,  and  Luther  B.  Bruen.  Major  Clitz  was  promoted 
from  captain  3d  Infantry.  Major  Smith  had  been  ist  lieutenant  4th  Artil- 
lery, resigning  in  1856.     Major  Bruen  had  had  no  previous  service. 

The  organization  was  commenced  in  August,  Major  Clitz  in  charge  of 
recruiting,  headquarters  at  Fort  Hamilton,  New  York  Harbor.  The  com- 
pany officers  were  ordered  on  recruiting  service  to  various  places  as  soon  as 
they  joined.  The  first  adjutant  was  Bernard  P.  Mimmack  who  was  ap- 
pointed 2d  lieutenant  from  sergeant-major  to  date  September  20th.  First 
Lieutenant  Walter  S.  Franklin,  a  brother  of  the  colonel,  was  appointed 
quartermaster  on  September  30th.  On  October  20th  the  ist  battalion  was 
organized,  and  the  return  of  that  month  shows  an  aggregate  of  520, 
the  companies  averaging  each  about  60  men.  Each  company  had  a  small 
nucleus  of  old  soldiers  who  had  served  one  or  more  enlistments.  The 
officers  were  as  a  rule  young  men  from  twenty  to  twenty-five,  most  of  them 
perfectly  green  in  the  profession  of  arms.  A  school  was  established,  and 
the  strictest  discipline  enforced.  There  was  much  enthusiasm,  and  rapid 
progress  was  made. 

Fort  Hamilton  during  the  latter  part  of  1861  and  through  the  whole  of 
555 


5  56  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

1862,  was  the  principal  depot  for  prisoners  of  state  who  were  confined  in  Fort 
Lafayette,  which  was  included  in  the  post.  Colonel  Martin  Burke,  a  char- 
acter of  the  old  army,  was  commanding  officer,  and  many  amusing  incidents 
occurred,  m  connection  with  the  care  and  safe-keeping  of  his  distin- 
guished captives,  which  served  to  while  away  the  tedium  of  constant  drills 
and  recitations  through  the  long  winter.  There  was  much  anxiety  lest  the 
war  should  be  over  before  the  regiment  had  a  chance  to  show  its  prowess, 
and  when  spring  brought  marching  orders  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac there  was  much  enthusiasm  and  rejoicing.  The  first  order  directed  a 
move  to  Perryville  only,  but  it  was  changed  en  route. 

On  March  5th  the  ist  battalion,  739  strong,  left  New  York,  and  reached 
Washington  the  next  day.  The  Long  Bridge  was  crossed  on  the  loth,  and 
a  bivouac  made  on  the  sacred  soil  of  Virginia.  Went  into  camp  on  nth 
near  Alexandria.  Embarked  on  transport  Georgia,  26th,  for  Fortress  Mon- 
roe, arriving  on  28th,  and  going  into  camp  at  Hampton.  The  first  enemy 
was  encountered  on  this  voyage.  He  was  small  in  size,  but  in  point  of  num- 
bers and  persistency  proved  himself  a  terror. 

About  April  5th  the  battalion  was  at  Yorktown,  where  the  regular  brig- 
ade under  Brigadier-General  George  Sykes,  the  senior  major  of  the  14th 
Infantry,  was  formed.  It  consisted  of  the  2d,  3d,  4th,  6th,  loth,  nth,  12th, 
14th  and  17th,  and  the  5th  New  York,  the  latter  being  Zouaves  commanded 
by  Colonel  Gouverneur  K.  Warren,  who  was  then  captain  of  Topographical 
Engineers.  General  Sykes  immediately  began  the  work  of  perfecting  his 
command  in  drill  and  discipline.  How  well  he  succeeded  is  attested  by  its 
splendid  record  throughout  all  the  trying  campaigns  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  It  was  always  in  condition  for  immediate  service.  Transporta- 
tion and  supplies  were  on  hand.  As  a  result  extra  work  was  often  required 
of  it. 

In  the  fall  of  1864  it  had  become  so  depleted  in  numbers,  owing  to  hard 
service  and  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  recruits  for  the  regulars,  when  volun- 
teers received  such  high  bounties,  that  it  was  withdrawn  from  the  field. 
The  war  history  of  the  ist  battalion  12th  Infantry,  indeed  of  the  2d  also,  is 
inseparable  from  that  of  "  Sykes's  Regulars,"  for  the  2d  joined  the  ist  in 
September,  1862.  They  remained  together  until  so  reduced  in  numbers 
that  the  2d  was  merged  into  the  ist.  Wherever  that  splendid  command  was 
engaged  the  12th  Infantry  did  its  full  share.  The  brigade  organization  hav- 
ing been  effected  the  regulars  took  part  in  the  investment  of  Yorktown. 
Building  corduroy  roads  by  day,  and  digging  by  night,  kept  their  hands  fully 
employed.  It  was  generally  understood  that  they  would  form  the  advance 
in  the  assault,  so  their  minds  were  filled  as  well  by  the  cheerful  prospect  be- 
fore them.  Yorktown  was  evacuated  by  the  Confederates  on  May  8th.  A 
slow  pursuit  was  made  up  the  peninsula  to  the  banks  of  the  Chickahominy. 

There  was  much  sickness,  owing  to  malarial  influences  and  a  lack  of 
knowledge  on  the  part  of  both  officers  and  men  concerning  the  proper  way 
to  take  care  of  themselves  and  prepare  their  food.  About  the  middle  of 
May  the  loth  New  York  was  added  to  General  Sykes'  command,  and  it 
became  a  division,  consisting  of  three  brigades.  The  ist,  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Robert  C.  Buchanan,  4th  Infantry,  was  made  up  of  the  3d  and  4th, 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  NTRY.      SS7 

ist  Battalion  12th,  and  part  of  the  14th.  The  2d,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Chapman,  consisted  of  all  the  other  regular  regiments  or  parts  thereof  before 
mentioned.  The  3d  was  composed  of  the  volunteer  regiments  under  Colonel 
Warren.  The  division  formed  part  of  the  5th  Provisional  Corps  under 
Major-General  Fitz  John  Porter.  The  battles  of  Williamsburg.  Fair  Oaks, 
and  Seven  Pines  were  listened  to  from  afar. 

On  June  26th  at  Mechanicsville  the  regulars  acted  as  a  support.  It  was 
a  day  of  great  anxiety.  The  feeling  was  strong  that  a  crisis  was  imminent. 
That  night  they  slept  on  their  arms.  On  the  27th  at  Gaines'  Mills  was  ex- 
perienced the  first  touch  of  real  war.  In  the  early  morning  preparations 
for  an  important  movement  were  made  all  around.  Everything  that  could 
not  be  readily  carried  on  the  wagons,  or  on  the  persons  of  the  men  was 
burned.  Sutler's  stores  that  were  high  priced  the  day  before,  were  given 
away.  In  the  action  the  division  lost  heavily.  The  12th  Infantry  went  into 
battle  470  strong.  Its  total  loss  was  212.  of  which  54  were  killed,  102 
wounded,  and  56  missing.  Lieutenant  Charles  F.  Van  Duzer  was  killed, 
the  first  casualty  among  the  officers.  Lieutenants  Stacey  and  Coster  were 
included  in  the  wounded.  The  most  serious  loss  was  that  of  Major  Clitz 
and  Captain  Stanhope  missing.  The  former  was  reported  killed,  and  a 
corporal  of  engineers  gave  full  particulars  of  his  death  and  burial,  claiming 
to  have  put  a  board  at  the  head  of  the  grave.  Although  severely  shot 
through  both  legs  Major  Clitz  survived,  but  was  captured  and  sent  to  Libby 
Prison.  He  was  exchanged,  and  on  July  i8th  was  reported  on  parole.  He 
never  rejoined,  and  thus  closed  the  active  career,  during  the  war,  of  the  first 
virtual  commander  of  the  regiment.  To  him  whom  the  brigade  comman- 
der called  the  "  gallant  and  dashing  Clitz  "  was  due,  more  than  to  any  one 
else,  the  high  standard  of  efliciency  which  was  displayed  by  the  regiment  in 
this  its  first  battle.  General  Sykes  in  his  report  writes  concerning  a  position 
taken  by  the  12th  and  14th,  "  while  holding  it  they  were  attacked  in  over- 
whelming numbers,  the  1 2th  decimated,  and  Major  Clitz  severely,  if  not 
fatally  wounded.  Around  his  fate,  still  shrouded  in  mystery,  hangs  the  pain- 
ful apprehension  that  a  career  so  noble,  so  soldierly,  so  brave  has  termina- 
ted on  that  field,  whose  honor  he  so  gallantly  upheld."  The  first  clause  of 
those  thrilling  words  seems  prophetic.  In  1887,  when  the  regiment  was  ev 
route  via  the  lakes  from  the  Department  of  the  East  to  Dakota.  General 
Clitz,  then  retired  and  living  in  Detroit,  visited  and  expressed  the  greatest 
interest  in hisold  command.  In  October  1888  he  disappeared,  his  "career 
so  noble,  so  soldierly,  so  brave,"  ended,  and  his  fate  is  "  still  shrouded  in 
mystery." 

From  May  28th  to  30th,  the  retreat  to  the  James  was  continued.  At 
Turkey  Bend  the  regiment  supported  batteries.  At  Malvern  Hill  the  whole 
division  was  engaged  with  unbroken  success.  The  losses  were  slight,  and 
many  prisoners  were  taken.  The  ist  Brigade,  with  a  portion  of  Averell's 
cavalry,  the  whole  under  General  Averell,  was  formed  into  a  rear  guard  on 
the  morning  of  the  2d.  So  skilfully  was  this  force  handled  that  its  object 
was  fully  carried  out,  almost  without  loss,  and  Harrison's  Landing  reached 
in  safety.  Here  the  division  remained  until  about  the  middle  of  Au- 
gust. 


558  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

In  a  marvellously  short  time  the  morale  of  the  army,  which  had  suffered 
much  during  the  seven  days'  fighting,  was  restored,  and  the  gain  in  experi- 
ence fully  compensated  for  the  losses  in  numbers.  During  the  retreat  the 
regiment  lost  all  its  records.  This  experience  seems  to  have  been  the  rule 
throughout  all  the  active  service  in  the  field,  for  the  retained  returns,  etc., 
now  in  the  regimental  archives,  are  all  copies  made  from  the  originals  on 
file  in  the  Adjutant-General's  ofhce,  when  the  regiment  was  stationed  in 
Washington  after  the  war  was  over.  In  August  Regimental  Headquarters 
was  transferred  from  the  ist  Battalion  to  Fort  Hamilton.  A  move  from 
Harrison's  Landing  to  Newport  News  was  commenced  on  the  14th,  the 
latter  being  reached  on  the  i8th.  Embarked,  20th,  on  steamer  Hero,  and 
arrived  at  Acquia  Creek,  21st.  Marched  same  day  to  vicinity  of  Freder- 
icksburg, Left,  23d,  and  reached  Manassas  Junction,  29th.  The  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run  was  fought  on  the  30th.  Position  was  taken  in  the  fore- 
noon, and  held  for  two  hours  under  artillery  fire.  Then  a  movement  to 
the  right  was  made,  and  the  battalion  was  posted  on  the  outskirtsof  a  wood, 
where  it  was  also  exposed  to  artillery  fire.  When  ordered  to  retire  from 
this  position  a  march  to  the  rear  was  made  in  line  of  battle  by  battalion. 
This  was  accomplished  in  perfect  order.  Assistance  being  then  required 
on  the  left  the  battalion  with  the  14th  was  sent  in  that  direction.  Here  a 
very  severe  and  unequal  engagement  was  maintained  for  nearly  an  hour, 
when,  being  almost  out  of  ammunition  and  greatly  outnumbered,  it  became 
necessary  to  retire.  This  last  movement  was  after  sunset,  and  it  was  dark 
before  the  battalion  left  the  field.  An  officer  present  on  this  day  writes 
concerning  the  support  given  by  the  regulars,  that  they  stood  like  a  stone 
wall,  while  the  rest  of  the  army  was  in  full  retreat.  No  other  troops  could 
have  been  led  to  the  hill  where  they  were  ordered,  amid  the  confusion 
that  then  reigned.  On  reaching  the  top,  firing  was  done  by  regiment  and 
file  with  great  execution.  When  they  finally  left  the  field,  after  heavy 
loss,  they  retired  as  steadily  as  though  on  parade.  The  retreat  ended  at 
Centreville,  but  the  work  of  the  regulars  was  not  over.  Many  of  the  troops 
were  so  demoralized  that  when  placed  on  picket  duty  they  would  stampede 
as  soon  as  posted.  Others  refused  utterly,  thus  entailing  extra  duty  upon 
the  faithful. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  defeated  army  moved  towards  Washington 
and  thirty-three  miles  were  accomplished.  General  McClellan  met  the 
troops  near  Chain  Bridge,  and  was  greeted  with  prolonged  cheers.  His 
reassignment  to  command  soon  after,  was  received  with  great  enthusiasm. 
Reorganization  was  rapidly  effected,  and  the  7norale  of  the  army  restored. 
In  this  fight  the  battalion  was  commanded  by  Captain  Matthew  M.  Blunt, 
and  lost  5  killed,  including  Captain  J.  G.  Read,  32  wounded,  and  5  missing. 
September  5th  the  2d  Battalion,  consisting  of  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  Eand 
G  joined  the  ist,  and  became  part  of  the  ist  Brigade.  Their  movements  up 
to  this  time  were  as  follows:  Early  in  1862  recruiting  was  going  on  under 
the  superintendence  of  Major  Bruen  at  Fort  Hamilton.  On  May  20th  Com- 
panies A,  B,  E  and  G  were  organized,  and  left  on  the  24th  for  Washington, 
but  their  destination  was  changed  eti  route  to  Harper's  Ferry,  which  was 
reached  on  the  26th.    Here  they  were  joined  to  four  companies  of  the  8th 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.     559 

Infantry,  forming  a  provisional  battalion,  under  Captain  Thomas  G.  Pitcher 
of  the  latter. 

The  month  of  June  was  spent  in  movements  about  Winchester  and 
Middletown.  On  July  5th,  with  Banks'  Corps,  a  march  was  commenced 
from  Middletown  to  Springville.  On  the  third  day  the  brigade  to  which 
the  battalion  belonged  (Cooper's)  was  lost  in  the  mountains,  and  wandered 
about  from  2  a.  m.  until  9  i*.  M.,  when  but  fifty  men  out  of  four  hundred 
were  present  with  the  colors,  many  having  been  overcome  by  heat  and  ex- 
haustion. The  records  were  either  lost  or  destroyed.  From  Springville  a 
move  was  made  to  the  vicinity  of  Warrington,  where  the  battalion  did 
picket  duty.  Left  Warrington  on  August  2d,  and  reached  Culpeper,  6th. 
On  the  9th  at  Cedar  Mountain  the  2d  Battalion  received  its  baptism  of 
fire.  It  was  deployed  as  skirmishers  "  to  cover  the  front  of  the  division,  to 
advance  continuously,  discover  the  enemy's  position,  and  annoy  him  as 
much  as  possible."  General  Prince,  the  brigade  commander,  while  in  cap- 
tivity at  Richmond,  wrote  the  following  concerning  the  manner  in  which 
this  duty  was  performed.  "  Their  part,  I  have  occasion  to  know,  excited 
the  admiration  of  the  enemy,  who  inquired  if  they  were  not  regulars,  as 
they  had  never  seen  such  skirmishing.  They  were  out  during  the  whole 
battle,  and  penetrated  even  to  the  enemy's  position,  and  annoyed  him  so 
as  to  turn  the  attention  of  his  guns  away  from  more  distant  firing  with  shot 
and  shell,  and  caused  him  to  waste  canister  upon  the  ground  of  the  skir- 
mishers." The  loss  of  the  whole  battalion  was  8  killed,  37  wounded,  in- 
cluding 6  officers,  among  whom  was  Captain  Pitcher;  and  i  officer,  14  men 
missing  ;  in  all  60,  showing  that  the  praise  of  the  brigade  commander  was 
dearly  bought. 

After  this  battle  a  gradual  movement  was  made  in  the  direction  of  Man- 
assas, which  was  reached  on  the  22d.  There  Company  D  joined,  26th.  On 
September  ist  Company  C  arrived  and  the  battalion  was  ordered  on  picket 
near  Bull  Run.  Fell  back,  2d,  towards  Fairfax,  and  were  near  General 
Kearney  in  his  action  at  Chantilly,  but  were  not  ordered  into  the  fight. 
Retreated  with  Banks'  Corps  to  Alexandria,  crossing  the  Potomac  and 
camping  near  Tenallytown,  Maryland,  4th.  On  5th,  recrossed  the  river, 
and  as  before  stated,  joined  the  ist  Battalion.  Captain  Thomas  M.  Ander- 
son succeeded  Captain  Pitcher  when  the  latter  was  wounded  at  Cedar 
Mountain,  and  was  in  command  when  the  battalions  joined.  Company  F 
was  organized  on  the  loth,  and  performed  garrison  duty  at  Fort  Hamilton. 
Camp  at  Tenallytown  was  broken  on  the  9th,  and  the  battalions,  com- 
manded respectively  by  Captcins  Blunt  and  Anderson,  advanced  through 
Rockville  to  Frederick,  thence  to  Middletown,  where  bivouac  was  made  on 
the  14th.  Crossed  South  Mountain,  15th,  to  Porterstown,  forming  part  of 
the  advance.  There  was  some  harmless  artillery  fire  in  the  evening.  Dur- 
ing the  first  part  of  the  i6th  the  enemy's  artillery  was  somewhat  annoying. 
At  5  p.  isi.  the  1st  Battalion  was  ordered  to  relieve  the  4th  Infantry  in  guard- 
ing the  Antietam  Creek  bridge.  This  position  was  held  until  about  noon 
of  the  17th,  when  a  force  of  cavalry  and  horse  artillery  was  crossed.  This 
drew  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy's  artillery.  The  fire  of  sharpshooters 
being  annoying  to  Tidball's  battery,  a  skirmish  line  was  thrown  out  undei 


56o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Captain  Frederick  Winthrop,  which  soon  drove  them  back.  Shortly  after 
the  battalion  was  advanced  in  support  of  the  battery.  About  7  P.  m.  orders 
were  received  to  join  the  brigade.  The  loss  was  i  killed,  and  3  wounded. 
The  2d  Battalion  was  held  in  reserve  during  the  entire  action,  and  suffered 
no  loss.  General  Alfred  Pleasanton,  commanding  the  cavalry  division, 
spoke  in  high  terms  of  the  services  rendered  by  the  regular  battalions  in 
supporting  his  horse  artillery.  Camp  was  made  near  Sharpsburg,  23d. 
For  the  rest  of  the  month  and  during  October,  guard  duty  was  performed 
at  the  fords  crossing  the  Potomac.  Left  Sharpsburg,  30th,  for  Harper's 
Ferry.  During  November  a  move  was  made  by  slow  degrees  to  the  vicinity 
of  Falmouth,  which  was  reached  on  the  22d.  The  only  incident  worthy  of 
mention  was  a  review  by  General  McClellan  on  the  loth,  preparatory  to  his 
relinquishing  command  of  the  army. 

Remained  in  camp  near  Falmouth  until  December  nth,  when  a  move 
was  made  neart  i  the  town,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  13th  the  river  was 
crossed,  and  position  in  reserve  taken  on  the  outskirts  of  Fredericksburg. 
From  this  time  until  the  morning  of  the  i6th  the  battalions  occupied 
various  positions  in  and  about  the  city.  All  day  long  on  the  14th  they  lay 
under  a  galling  fire,  unable  to  return  it,  a  most  trying  test  of  discipline  and 
courage.  On  the  15th  they  built  barricades,  and  dug  rifle  pits.  The  next 
day  they  formed  part  of  the  rear  guard,  covering  the  crossing  of  the  army. 
The  skirmishers  of  the  ist  Battalion,  together  with  those  of  the  3d  In- 
fantry, all  under  Captain  Winthrop,  brought  up  the  extreme  rear,  and  were 
the  last  to  cross.  The  total  loss  in  both  battalions  was  13.  Returned  to 
old  camp  17th,  and  remained  during  the  rest  of  the  month,  and  until 
January  19,  1863,  when  camp  was  broken.  The  next  five  days  were  spent 
on  the  "  mud  march,"  Burnside's  unfortunate  and  fruitless  attempt  to 
cross  the  Rappahannock  River,  and  advance,  to  retrieve  the  disaster  at 
Fredericksburg,  Again  the  old  camp  was  sought,  and  preparations 
made  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  winter.  Regimental  Headquarters  joined 
February  13th. 

On  March  9th,  pursuant  to  orders  from  the  War  Department,  Companies 
E,  F  and  H,  ist,  and  B,  E  and  G,  2d  Battalion,  were  broken  up,  and  the 
men  distributed  among  the  other  organizations.  There  were  left  in  the 
ist  Battalion  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D  and  G;  aggregate  present  and  absent 
480,  Captain  Blunt  commanding.  The  2d  consisted  of  Companies  A,  C  and 
D  in  the  field,  F  and  H  at  Fort  Hamilton  ,  aggregate.  524,  Captain  Ander- 
son m  command.  The  two  companies  at  Hamilton  aggregated  185,  leaving 
eight,  about  820  strong,  in  the  field.  There  were  actually  present,  however, 
only  about  600  officers  and  men,  so  large  was  the  list  of  absentees,  sick  or 
on  detached  service.  Major  Smith  commanded  the  regiment.  Lieutenant 
Mimmack  was  still  adjutant.  The  position  of  quartermaster  was  filled 
April  9th  by  the  appointment  of  ist  Lieutenant  Robert  L.  Burnett,  Lieu- 
tenant Franklin  having  resigned  the  same  on  February  9th.  The  time  dur- 
ing this  winter  camp  was  spent  both  profitably  and  pleasantly.  Picket  duty, 
guard  and  fatigue,  interspersed  with  drills,  recitations  and  paper  work,  were 
done  carefully  and  diligently,  for  Colonel  Buchanan  was  somewhat  of  a 
martinet,  and  had  very  decided  ideas  of   what  regulars  should  be.     On  the 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      561 

other  hand  there  was  much  jovial  good  fellowship,  and  the  opportunities  to 
become  well  acquainted  were  improved  to  the  utmost. 

The  active  campaigning  of  the  year  commenced  in  the  latter  part  of 
April.  General  Hooker  was  in  command  of  the  army,  and  General  Romeyn 
B.  Ayres  had  relieved  Colonel  Buchanan  as  brigade  commander.  The 
operations  about  Chancellorsville  lasted  ten  days,  from  April  27th  to  May 
6th.  There  were  many  wearisome  and  harassing  marches,  taxing  the  ener- 
gies of  the  troops  to  the  utmost.  The  regulars  had  but  little  chance, 
although  willing  and  eager  to  fight. 

On  May  ist  there  was  an  encounter  on  the  Fredericksburg  Pike.  The 
regiment  was  in  line  of  battle  on  one  side  of  the  road.  Skirmishers  from 
the  2d  Brigade  were  in  advance.  The  enemy,  when  met,  was  driven  about 
a  mile.  On  the  3d  some  good  work  was  done  in  covering  the  nth  Corps. 
On  the  evening  preceding  the  retreat  a  division  picket  was  formed  of  offi- 
cers and  men,  specially  selected,  without  regard  to  roster,  for  the  purpose 
of  covering  the  retiring  troops.  A  captain  of  the  regiment  was  placed  in 
command.  An  eye  witness  wrote  as  follows  :  "  The  woods  were  on  fire 
throughout  the  length  of  the  picket  line,  and  when  night  fell,  soon  after  the 
sentinels  were  posted,  the  burning  branches  and  falling  limbs  made  the 
scene  almost  appalling ;  at  intervals  the  enemy  would  approach  our  line 
and  fire  at  random  ;  nobody  was  hurt,  but  a  more  agreeable  way  of  passing 
the  night  can  easily  be  imagined.  Before  dawn  the  picket  was  quietly 
withdrawn,  and  followed  the  remainder  of  the  army  across  the  river."  The 
regiment  lost  23  men  during  these  operations.  Camp  near  Falmouth  was 
resumed,  and  retained  about  a  month,  when  the  regiment  moved  to  Banks' 
Ford,  and  did  picket  duty  until  June  14th. 

The  march  to  Gettysburg  was  made  via  Manassas,  Aldie  Gap,  Mono- 
cacy,  Frederick  and  Union  Mills,  which  was  reached  on  the  30th.  July  ist, 
left  Union  Mills  and  passed  through  Hanover,  Pa.,  to  the  vicinity  of  Get- 
tysburg. About  five  P.  M.,  2d,  the  division  went  into  action,  and  remained 
under  fire  for  nearly  three  hours.  The  battalions  were  engaged  a  good 
part  of  the  time  in  changing  positions,  all  of  which  was  done  in  perfect 
order,  although  suffering  heavy  loss.  General  Ayres  commends  the  gal- 
lantry of  the  division  on  that  occasion,  stating  that  although  the  casualties 
were  terrible  (fifty  per  cent.)  no  one  thought  of  retiring  until  the  order  was 
given.  The  position  taken  on  the  evening  of  the  2d,  was  held  until  the 
morning  of  the  4th,  when  the  brigade  made  a  reconnaissance.  Company  B, 
Captain  Winthrop,  was  sent  skirmishing,  and  performed  this  duty  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  win  the  praise  of  the  brigade  commander.  The  entire  loss 
in  these  operations  was  92,  one  officer,  Lieut.  Silas  A.  Miller,  being  killed, 
and  four  wounded.  Captain  Thomas  S.  Dunn  was  in  command.  Major 
Smith  having  resigned.  May  30th,  Major  Dickinson  Woodruflf  succeeded 
him  in  the  2d  Battalion,  but  did  not  join  until  October  5th,  when  he  as- 
sumed charge  of  the  regimental  recruiting.  Lieut.-Col.  Butterfield  was 
promoted  colonel  5th  Infantry  on  July  ist,  and  was  succeeded  by  Lieut.- 
Col.  Christopher  C.  Augur.  Col.  Augur  had  been  appointed  brigadier- 
general  of  volunteers  in  1861,  and  major-general  the  ne.xt  year,  and  his 
service  during  the  entire  war  was  with  the  volunteers. 


562  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

July  5th  the  pursuit  of  Lee  began.  The  march  was  through  Emmitts- 
burg,  over  South  Mountain  and  Antietam  Creek  to  Williamsport.  Here 
four  days,  nth  to  14th,  were  spent  in  manoeuvring,  when  the  enemy  es- 
caped across  the  Potomac.  He  was  followed  on  the  17th,  and  the  advance 
was  continued  nearly  every  day  until  on  the  last  of  the  month  camp  was 
made  at  Beverly  Ford,  Va.  During  this  month  the  companies  at  head- 
quarters, F  and  H,  2d  Battalion,  saw  their  first  actual  service,  being  engaged 
from  13th  to  20th  in  suppressing  the  draft  riots  in  New  York  City.  General 
Wool  reports  that  on  the  i6th.  Company  F,  Captain  Putnam,  was  ordered 
to  Gramercy  Park  to  support  some  cavalry.  Upon  arriving  there  the  mob 
opened  fire,  whereupon  the  adjacent  buildings  were  entered,  and  the  riot- 
ers killed,  arrested  or  driven  out.  They  were  pursued  in  all  directions  and 
dispersed.     After  this  spirited  action  they  did  not  again  assemble. 

From  Beverly  Ford  the  battalions  moved  to  Bealton  Station,  thence  to 
Alexandria,  where  they  were  embarked  August  i6th,  on  transport  Planet  iox 
New  York,  to  which  place  the  brigade  was  sent  to  prevent  a  recurrence  of  the 
draft  troubles.  Arrived  19th,  and  camped  at  Tompkins  Square,  remaining 
until  September  17th,  doing  guard  duty  at  the  provost-marshal's  ofhce,  Police 
headquarters.  Major  Bruen  was  relieved  as  superintendent  of  the  regi- 
mental recruiting  service,  and  assumed  command  August  23d.  Sailed 
September  1 9th,  on  transport  B  at  tie,  for  Alexandria,  arriving  on  2 1  st.  Took 
cars  to  Culpeper  next  day,  and  remained  in  camp  there  until  October  loth. 
Companies  F  and  H,  2d  Battalion,  sailed  from  New  York  on  steamer  At- 
lantic, 18th,  escorting  deserters  and  conscripts  to  Alexandria.  Left  there 
for  Culpeper  and  joined  regiment  on  22d.  From  this  time  until  late  in 
December  the  battalions  marched  back  and  forth  with  the  corps  along  the 
line  of  the  Alexandria  and  Orange  railroad  during  all  the  operations  which 
resulted  in  actions  at  Bristow  and  Rappahannock  stations,  and  Mine  Run. 
In  the  former,  October  14th,  they  supported  the  2d,  and  at  Rappahannock 
Station,  November  14th,  the  6th  Corps,  losing  on  that  occasion  four  men 
missing.  At  Mine  Run.  November  27th,  they  were  in  line  of  battle  under 
artillery  fire,  and  one  ofliicer  and  six  men  were  missing.  On  December  27th 
camp  was  made  at  Kettle  Run,  and  the  end  of  the  year  found  them  guard- 
ing the  railroad.  In  the  meantime  Company  H,  ist  Battalion,  was  reor- 
ganized, and  remained  in  garrison  at  Fort  Hamilton.  Major  Clitz  was  pro- 
moted lieutenant-colonel  4th  Infantry,  November  4th.  Major  Henry  E. 
Maynadier  succeeded  him,  but  did  not  join,  being  on  detached  service  as 
a  member  of  the  Hospital  Inspection  Board  of  Michigan.  Lieut.  Burnett 
resigned  as  quartermaster  on  November  19th,  and  was  succeeded  by  ist 
Lieut.  Evan  Miles. 

The  monotony  of  the  winter  camp  was  enlivened  by  numerous  small  af- 
fairs with  guerrillas,  whose  constant  aim  was  to  cripple  the  railroad  by  burn- 
ing bridges  or  tearing  up  the  tracks.  Major  Bruen  was  brigade  commander 
until  early  in  spring,  and  Captains  Stanhope  and  Alexander  J.  Dallas  com- 
manded the  regiment  at  different  times.  Camp  was  broken  on  April  30th, 
the  band  having  left  on  26th  to  join  Company  H,  ist,  at  Fort  Hamilton.  The 
total  number  present  was  about  450,  officers  and  men.  Major  Bruen  com- 
manding. The  regiment  was  in  the  ist  Brigade  (Ayres'),  ist  Division  (Grif- 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.     563 

fin's),  5th  Corps  (Warren's).  The  forward  movement  was  through  Bealton 
Station,  across  the  Rappahannock  and  Rapidan,  thence  along  the  Orange 
and  Alexandria  turnpike,  until  the  morning  of  May  5th,  when  the  skirmish- 
ers of  Ewell's  Corps  were  engaged  near  the  old  Wilderness  tavern.  About 
noon  an  advance  was  made  in  line  of  battle,  the  regiment  being  in  the  front 
on  the  extreme  right,  through  a  dense  undergrowth  in  a  forest  of  large 
trees,  until  the  enemy's  main  line  was  sighted,  when  fire  was  opened.  As 
the  6th  Corps  was  supposed  to  be  on  the  right  within  supporting  distance, 
the  presence  of  troops  in  that  direction  excited  no  remark  until  it  was  dis- 
covered that  a  division  of  the  enemy,  Johnson's  of  Ewell's  Corps,  had  com- 
pletely enveloped  that  flank.  Retreat  was  made  in  confusion,  only  one  com- 
pany, C,  2d  Battalion,  Captain  C.  L.  King,  preserving  good  order,  but  all  were 
soon  rallied.  The  enemy  made  no  further  advance  that  day.  The  official 
loss,  killed,  wounded  and  missing,  was  no,  but  it  is  believed  to  have  been 
greater.  Lieutenant  Jean  P.  Wagner  was  mortally  wounded,  and  Captain 
Henry  C.  Morgan  lost  a  leg.  On  the  6th,  log  breastworks  were  thrown  up,  and 
some  skirmishers  advanced,  who  engaged  those  of  the  enemy.  On  the  7th,  in 
company  with  the  2d  and  14th  Infantry,  a  reconnaissance  was  made.  The  ene- 
my's main  line  was  discovered  in  an  entrenched  position.  Earthworks  were 
thrown  up  in  front,  and  skirmishers  sent  forward.  An  advance  by  the  ene- 
my necessitated  an  extension  of  the  works  on  the  flanks,  but  when  night 
came  the  whole  force  was  withdrawn,  and  at  midnight  a  strong  position 
taken  near  a  battery.  The  next  day  it  was  found  that  the  army  had  moved 
towards  Spottsylvania,  whereupon  an  advance  was  made  in  that  direction, 
and  that  evening  the  brigade  went  out  on  picket. 

The  next  three  days  were  spent  behind  breastworks,  more  or  less  under  fire. 
On  the  1 2th,  the  division  moved  forward  to  attack  the  enemy's  works.  When 
200  yards  distant,  the  troops  on  both  flanks  gave  way,  leaving  the  regiment 
in  a  small  wood,  which  it  held  for  two  hours  under  heavy  fire,  when  it  was 
withdrawn  to  the  main  line.  The  loss  was  not  very  great  owing  to  the  pro- 
tection afforded  by  the  trees.  The  next  day  was  spent  in  moving  from  place 
to  place,  acting  as  a  support,  rejoining  the  brigade  and  marching  with  it  to 
Spottsylvania  Court  House  in  the  evening.  The  brigade  was  ordered  on  the 
14th  to  make  a  charge  and  retake  a  hill  from  which  a  brigade  of  the  6th  Corps 
had  been  driven.  This  was  done  successfully  through  a  dense  wood,  the 
line  being  maintained  in  remarkable  order.  On  the  15th  the  regiment  went 
out  by  companies  on  the  division  skirmish  line,  and  was  under  a  hot  fire, 
causing  much  loss.  Rejoined  the  brigade,  i6th.  and  began  building  log 
breastworks,  under  a  heavy  cannonade  by  which  Major  Bruen  was  mortally 
wounded.  Captain  Winthrop,  who  had  been  acting  as  inspector-general  of 
the  brigade,  then  took  command.  The  next  four  days  were  spent  behind 
the  breastworks,  most  of  the  time  under  fire.  The  losses  from  theSthto  20th 
were  65  killed,  wounded  and  missing.  Crossed  the  Po  River  on  the  21st,  and 
advanced  towards  the  North  Anna,  which  was  forded  about  3  P.  M..  23d.  Later 
in  the  afternoon  a  vigorous  attack  was  made  by  Hill's  Corps.  The  regiment 
at  the  beginning  was  in  the  second  line,  but  as  the  loss  began  to  be  heavy. 
Captain  Winthrop  asked  to  be  allowed  to  move  forward,  which  was  permit- 
ted, and  a  very  rapid  fire  opened.     In  half  an  hour  Hill  was  repulsed  with 


564  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

severe  loss.  The  next  day  was  spent  in  burying  the  enemy's  dead  and 
breaking  up  the  Virginia  Central  railroad.  25th,  moved  down  the  river  and 
skirmished  with  Hill's  Corps,  remainmg  in  this  position  until  evening  of 
the  26th,  when  a  crossing  was  made,  followed  by  an  all-night  march  in  a 
heavy  rain. 

This  march  was  continued  south  over  the  Pamunky  and  Tolopotomoy, 
with  frequent  skirmishing,  until  the  31st,  when  Bethesda  Church  was 
reached,  and  the  division  threw  up  two  lines  of  entrenchments,  the  regiment 
being  posted  in  the  first.  There  was  more  or  less  skirmishing  that  day  and 
June  1st.  The  losses  from  May  22d  to  this  time  were  15  killed,  wounded^ 
and  missing.  On  June  2d  the  regiment  occupied  the  extreme  right  of  the 
corps  which,  with  the  9th,  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  left.  The  9th  Corps 
moved  away,  thus  leaving  the  right  uncovered,  whereupon  the  enemy 
attacked  with  his  skirmishers,  followed  by  long  lines  of  battle,  extending 
far  beyond  the  exposed  flank.  There  was  some  firing  when  the  regiment 
was  faced  about  and  moved  to  the  rear,  with  the  intention  of  occupying  the 
second  line.  By  the  time  that  line  was  reached  the  enemy  was  close  behind  in 
overwhelming  numbers.  The  next  three-quarters  of  a  mile  was  passed  over 
at  a  remarkable  rate,  until  a  clearing  was  reached,  and  a  rally  made,  when  the 
enemy  was  repulsed.  The  next  forenoon  the  corps  acted  as  support  of  an  at- 
tack by  the  2d,  6th,  and  loth  Corps,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  brigade  repulsed 
a  forward  movement  of  the  enemy,  north  of  the  Mechanicsville  road.  Position 
in  the  trenches  was  occupied  the  next  three  days.  6th,  Company  H,  ist, 
about  80  strong,  joined  from  Fort  Hamilton,  having  left  there  May  loth, 
and  been  detained  at  Belle  Plains.  The  losses  since  the  ist  were  53  killed, 
wounded  and  missing.  7th,  moved  to  a  fortified  position  at  Sumner's 
Bridge  on  the  Chickahominy,  and  remained  until  the  nth,  when  a  move- 
ment began  towards  Petersburg.  The  Chickahominy  and  James  were 
crossed,  and  on  the  i8th,  near  Jerusalem  plank  road,  the  regiment  was  engaged 
in  an  attack  on  General  Beauregard's  lines  in  front  of  the  city.  A  mile  was 
advanced  in  the  face  of  heavy  cannonading,  and  entrenchments  thrown  up, 
which  were  occupied  until  the  28th  under  constant  fire  from  artillery  and 
sharpshooters. 

Major  Bruen  died  at  Washington  on  the  21st,  from  the  wound  received 
at  Laurel  Hill.  The  end  of  the  month  saw  the  regiment  in  camp  before 
Petersburg,  where  it  remained  until  July  30th,  when  the  corps  was  ordered 
out  to  assist  the  9th  in  the  attack  after  the  mine  explosion.  This  being  a 
failure,  the  camp  was  resumed,  and  retained  until  August  i8th.  On  August 
6th,  Companies  A,  C,  D,  F  and  H,  2d  Battalion,  were  disbanded  and  the  men 
transferred  to  the  ist,  in  which  Companies  E  and  F  were  reorganized.  On 
the  i8th  the  regiment.  Captain  Stanhope  in  command,  moved  with  the  divi- 
sion to  Globe  Tavern  near  the  Weldon  railroad,  and  assisted  in  repulsing 
Heth's  Division  of  Hill's  Corps.  The  next  morning  the  enemy  attacked, 
broke  through  and  almost  enveloped  the  right,  capturing  a  large  part  of 
the  division,  and  causing  severe  loss  in  killed  and  wounded.  Captain  S.  S. 
Newberry  was  among  the  killed.  That  afternoon  the  ground  lost  in  the 
morning  was  retaken,  reinforcements  having  been  received  from  the  9th 
Corps.     20th,  were  withdrawn  to  a  strong  position  with  artillery,  and  the 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 


S^>S 


next  day  repulsed  an  attack.  The  regiment  had  48  men  present.  Lieutenant 
Miles  being  the  senior  officer.  This  position  was  held  until  September  30th. 
A  movement  about  two  miles  to  the  left  on  the  Squirrel  Level  road  then 
took  place,  camp  was  made,  and  retained  until  October  ist,  when  there  was 
a  spirited  engagement  in  which  the  enemy  was  repulsed,  and  ist  Lieutenant 
T.  D.  Urmston  killed.  2d,  camped  at  Poplar  Grove  Church,  and  remained 
until  the  27th,  when  a  reconnaissance  was  made.  Returned  to  camp  next 
day.  On  November  2d  left  for  City  Point,  and  embarked  3d  for  Fort  Mon- 
roe, thence  to  New  York,  via  Norfolk,  arriving  6th. 

Thus  ended  the  active  service  ol  the  regiment  during  the  war.  The  statis- 
tics of  losses  during  that  period  show  that  of  all  the  regular  regiments  the  1 2th 
stands  fourth  in  the  total  of  deaths  including  killed,  died  of  wounds,  disease, 
or  in  prison.  The  number  that  died  in  prison,  77,  exceeds  that  in  any  other 
regular  regiment,  and  indeed  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  entire  army.  The 
greatest  loss  in  anyone  battle  was  at  Gaines'  Mills,  the  first  important  en- 
gagement. In  the  number  of  killed  the  regiment  stands  three  in  that 
action,  and  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  six.  It  is  believed,  however, 
that  it  was  smaller  in  point  of  numbers  than  any  regiment  whose  loss  was 
greater,  all  the  others  being  volunteers. 

On  arriving  at  New  York,  regimental  and  2d  Battalion  headquarters  were 
established  at  Fort  Hamilton,  Major  Woodruff  commanding,  ist  Battalion 
took  cars  for  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  arriving  there  November  7th.  The  duty  to  be 
performed  at  Elmira  was  guarding  prisoners  of  war.  The  battalion  num- 
bered about  230  officers  and  men,  and  was  commanded  by  Major  Maynadier. 
Lieutenant  Mimmack  resigned  as  regimental  adjutant  on  January  30,  1S65, 
and  1st  Lieutenant  James  E.  Putnam  was  appointed  in  his  stead.  Lieuten- 
ant Miles  resigned  the  position  of  regimental  quartermaster  February  5th 
and  was  succeeded  by  ist  Lieutenant  Emerson  H.  Discum.  Major  Mayna- 
dier left  Elmira  on  detached  service  in  January,  and  from  that  time  on, 
several  of  the  captains  were  successively  in  command. 

The  battalion  was  gradually  increased  by  the  arrival  of  recruits,  and  in 
July,  numbered  400,  when  orders  came  for  a  transfer  to  Camp  Winder,  near 
Richmond,  Va.  In  September  a  change  was  made  to  Camp  Winthrop. 
The  reorganization  of  the  2d  Battalion  commenced  the  same  month  at  Fort 
Hamilton.  Lieutenant  Discum  was  relieved  as  R.  O.  M.  October  14th,  by 
ist  Lieutenant  Edgar  C.  Bowen.  As  soon  as  the  companies  of  the  2d  Battal- 
ion were  filled,  they  were  sent  to  join  the  ist,  and  the  end  of  1865  saw  the 
2d  at  Winthrop,  fully  reorganized,  numbering  over  500,  Captain  Anderson 
in  command.  The  ist  was  smaller.  Five  companies  were  at  Winthrop 
under  Captain  Richard  C.  Parker,  two  at  Yorktown,  and  one  at  Fort 
Magruder.  A  beginning  had  been  made  of  the  3d  Battalion  at  headquar- 
ters, and  two  companies  had  a  few  men  to  account  for. 

In  January  1866,  the  companies  of  the  ist  at  Winthrop  were  sent  to  Fort 
Monroe,  where  they  were  joined  by  those  at  Yorktown.  Thence  battalion 
headquarters  and  Companies  B  and  D  went  to  Williamsburg,  C  to  Camp 
Hamilton,  and  H  to  Norfolk.  The  latter  was  joined  by  F  from  Camp  Ma- 
gruder. The  ist  Battalion  remained  in  this  vicinity  until  August,  when  all 
the  companies  were  collected  at  Camp  Augur,  Washington. 


566  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Companies  B,  D,  E,  F,  G  and  H,  2d,  were  changed  in  January  from 
Winthrop  to  Petersburg.  The  2d  Battalion  continued  about  Petersburg 
until  the  consolidation  in  December,  Major  Woodruff  joining  in  November. 
Companies  A  and  B,  3d,  joined  at  Richmond  in  January,  leaving  C  and  D 
organizing  at  headquarters.  In  March,  companies  A,  B,  C  and  D  under 
Captain  Morgan  changed  from  Richmond  to  Washington,  and  were  there 
joined  by  F  company,  E  being  in  process  of  organization  at  Hamilton.  By 
July  the  entire  battalion,  numbering  over  570,  was  in  Washington  at  Russell 
Barracks,  where  regimental  headquarters  had  been  moved  in  June,  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Wallace  in  command. 

In  February  fourteen  second  lieutenants  were  appointed  to  fill  vacancies. 
Almost  all  had  held  commissions  in  various  grades  in  the  volunteers.  In 
March,  General  Franklin's  resignation  promoted  General  Augur  to  be 
colonel,  and  Major  George  W.  Wallace  succeeded  the  latter  as  lieuten- 
ant-colonel. The  return  for  April  shows  aggregate  in  the  regiment,  1723. 
On  August  4th,  Lieutenant  Bowen  resigned  as  R.  O.  M.,  and  was  succeeded 
by  1st  Lieutenant  Edward  Hunter,  to  date  nth.  Lieutenant  Putnam  re- 
signed the  adjutancy  on  the  i8th,  and  it  remained  vacant.  Early  in  Novem- 
ber Companies  I  and  K  ist,  2d,  and  3d  Battalion  joined  at  regimental  head- 
quarters from  Davids'  Island,  via  Fort  McHenry,  Baltimore,  at  which  place 
they  were  supplied  with  arms  and  accoutrements.  Companies  I  and  K  2d,  left 
on  the  2oth  for  Petersburg.  The  return  for  that  month  shows  the  highest 
aggregate,  1883. 

On  December  7th,  pursuant  to  G.  O.  No.  92,  A.  G.  O.,  dated  Novem- 
ber 23d,  the  regiment  was  divided  into  three,  as  follows:  ist  Battalion  re- 
mained the  1 2th,  2d  became  21st,  and  3d  the  30th  Infantry.  Headquarters 
were  then  moved  from  Russell  Barracks  to  Camp  Augur,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Wallace  in  command.  Majors  Woodruff  and  Dodge  were  assigned  to  the  21st. 
and  30th  respectively,  dating  from  September  21st.  2d  Lieutenant  David  J. 
Craigie  was  appointed  adjutant  to  date  December  ist.  The  aggregate  for 
that  month  was  586.  The  company  officers  remaining  were  as  follows  : 
Captains  H.  R.  Rathbone,  P.  W.  Stanhope,  W.  J.  L.  Nicodemus,  B.  R. 
Perkins,  R.  C.  Parker,  M.  H.  Stacey,  H.  C.  Egbert,  R.  H.  Pond  and  A.  G. 
Tassin ;  ist  Lieutenants  A.  Thiemann,  J.  E.  Putnam,  J.  H.  May,  J.  L.  Rath- 
bone,  E.  Hunter,  C.  S.  Luipler,  A.  B.  Mac  Gowan,  and  J.  L.  Viven ;  2d 
Lieutenants  W.  E.  Dove,  A.  M.  Trolinger,  D.  W.  Applegate,  S.  L.  Hammon, 
L.  Nolen,  D.  J.  Craigie,  W.  A.  Coulter,  W.  W.  Deane  and  R.  C.  Breyfogle. 
During  the  whole  of  1867  the  regiment  remained  in  and  about  Washington 
doing  garrison  duty.  Company  A  went  to  Phillippi.  West  Va.,  in  October, 
returning  in  November. 

On  January  18,  1868,  Companies  B,  C,  F  and  K,  under  Major  Maynadier, 
proceeded  by  rail  to  South  Carolina  where  stations  were  taken  at  Darling- 
ton, Georgetown  and  Beaufort.  Afterwards  Charleston  and  Summer- 
ville,  S.  C,  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and  Fort  Pulaski  and  Savannah,  Ga.,  were 
occupied,  and  at  the  latter  place  on  December  3d  Major  Maynadier  died. 
The  duties  performed  in  this  locality  during  the  reconstruction  period  were 
of  a  very  trying  and  delicate  nature,  requiring  as  they  did  a  combination  of 
good  sense,  courage  and  forbearance.     In  the  meantime  various  outposts 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY,     so; 

about  Washington  were  occupied  from  time  to  time  by  companies  or 
detachments,  and  Company  H  went  to  Fairmount,  W.  Va.,  in  October, 
returning  in  November.  Headquarters  were  changed  that  month  from 
Russell  to  Lincoln  Barracks.  There  were  some  changes  of  station  among 
the  companies  in  the  South  during  the  early  part  of  1869.  and  in  March  all 
were  collected  in  Washington.  Lieutenant  Hunter  resigned  as  R.  i).  M. 
March  ist  and  his  place  was  filled  by  ist  Lieutenant  Viven.  Colonel  Augur 
was  promoted  to  brigadier-general  to  date  March  4th,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Colonel  Orlando  B.  Wilcox,  15th,  while  Major  Henry  R.  Mizner  was 
assigned  t/cc  Maynadier,  same  date.  The  regiment  was  not  affected  by  the 
reorganization  made  that  year. 

On  April  Sth  Headquarters  and  Companies  A,  E,  G  and  I  left  Washing- 
ton by  rail  for  Omaha,  and  proceeded  thence  by  the  Union  Pacific  railroad 
to  the  end  of  its  track.  A  march  of  45  miles  was  made  to  the  terminus  of 
the  Central  Pacific  railroad,  where  cars  were  taken  to  San  Francisco,  Com- 
pany I  being  detached  at  Humboldt  Wells  to  take  station  at  Camp  Halleck, 
Nev.  The  other  three  companies  arrived  at  Angel  Island,  via  San  Fran- 
cisco, on  the  29th.  Companies  B,  C.  D,  F,  H  and  K,  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Wallace,  left  Washington,  loth,  and  proceeded  west  by  the  same 
route  as  that  taken  by  the  first  detachment.  Company  C  disembarked  at 
Reno,  and  H  at  Wadsworth,  to  take  station  at  Camp  Bidwell,  and  Churchill 
Barracks,  Nev.,  respectively.  The  other  four  companies  reached  Angel 
Island  May  6th.  Headquarters  and  Company  G  remained  there.  The  other 
companies  proceeded  to  posts  as  follows  :  A,  Camp  Wright ;  B,  Camp 
Independence  ;  D,  Fort  Yuma  ;  E  and  K,  Camp  Gaston,  Cal.,  and  F,  Fort 
Whipple,  Ariz.  H  changed  from  its  first  location  at  Churchill  Barracks  to 
Fort  Mohave,  Ariz.,  leaving  a  detachment  at  Camp  Cody,  Cal.,  and  G  was 
soon  moved  from  headquarters  to  Camp  Colorado,  Ariz. 

The  regiment  was  thus  scattered  over  three  states  or  territories,  occupy- 
ing eleven  different  posts.  The  two  most  remote  stations  were  nearly  700 
miles  apart,  as  the  crow  flies,  and  owing  to  the  meagre  facilities  for  trans- 
portation it  took  at  least  six  weeks  to  go  from  one  to  the  other.  Lieutenant 
Craigie  resigned  as  adjutant  October  31st,  and  was  succeeded  by  Lieutenant 
Hunter,  November  ist.  The  latter  was  transfered  to  the  ist  Cavalry  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1870,  leaving  the  adjutancy  vacant  until  May  13th,  when  ist  Lieu- 
tenant Thomas  F.  Wright  was  appointed.  He  was  placed  upon  the  unas- 
signed  list  June  9th,  again  leaving  a  vacancy  until  February  7,  1871,  when 
ist  Lieutenant  John  M.  Norvell  succeeded  to  the  position.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Anderson  D.  Nelson,  6th  Infantry,  was  transferred,  v/cc  Wallace 
retired,  December  15,  1870.  Lieutenant  Viven  resigned  as  R.  Q.  M.  Febru- 
ary 28,  1871,  and  Lieutenant  Craigie  succeeded  him,  to  date  March  ist. 

Various  changes  of  station  occurred  among  the  companies  during  the 
years  1870,  1871  and  1872.  Camp  Hall.  Idaho,  was  the  most  northern  point 
occupied.  Company  C  moving  there  from  Bidwell  in  April,  1S70.  Company 
F  was  posted  in  various  places  in  Arizona,  such  as  Camps  Aqua  Frea,  Ben 
Richards,  and  Beale  Springs.  The  isolated  posts  were  almost  all  at  or  near 
Indian  agencies,  which  involved  more  or  less  work  inspecting  supplies,  etc. 
The  routine  of  drill,  signalling,  and  a  primitive  sort  of  target  practice  was 


568  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

relieved  by  occasional  scouts,  and  hunting  trips.  Headquarters  was  a  re- 
ceiving station  for  recruits,  who  were  held  there  until  transportation  could 
be  furnished  to  their  posts,  and  for  months  at  a  time  the  garrison  consisted 
only  of  the  band,  a  few  men  on  detached  service  from  their  companies  and 
the  aforesaid  recruits.  Its  proximity  to  San  Francisco  made  its  social  at- 
tractions very  great.  Lieutenant  Norvell  resigned  as  adjutant,  January 
17,  1873.  Later  in  the  same  month,  Company  E,  with  Lieutenants  Wright 
and  George  W.  Kingsbury,  was  sent  to  operate  against  the  Modocs  in  the 
Lava  Bed  country.  Company  G,  Lieutenant  Charles  P.  Eagan,  joined  it  in 
February.  Both  companies  were  ordered  out  after  the  massacre  of  General 
E.  R.  S.  Canby  and  the  Peace  Commissioners  on  April  nth.  On  the  15th, 
i6th  and  17th  there  was  a  general  engagement  with  severe  fighting  in 
which  Lieutenant  Eagan  and  2  privates  were  wounded,  and  a  corporal 
killed,  all  of  Company  G.  26th,  Company  E  with  two  batteries  of  the  4th 
Artillery  was  engaged  with  terrible  loss,  4  officers  and  18  men  being  killed, 
2  officers  and  16  men  wounded.  Lieutenant  Wright  and  three  men  were 
among  the  former,  and  4  men,  the  latter. 

From  this  time  the  companies  were  continually  scouting  until  late  in 
May,  when  the  Modocs  surrendered  and  were  escorted  to  Fort  Klamath, 
Oregon,  arriving  there  June  loth.  Lieutenant  Kingsbury  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  prisoners,  and  afterwards  detailed  as  a  member  of  the  mili- 
tary commission  which  met  to  try  them  on  July  ist.  Captain  Jack,  the 
chief,  and  three  others  were  sentenced  to  be  hung,  and  the  execution  took 
place  October  3d,  Companies  E  and  G  being  present.  The  latter  formed 
part  of  the  guard  which  took  the  remainder  of  the  prisoners  east,  immedi- 
ately after,  while  the  former  returned  to  Camp  Gaston  on  the  28th.  Second 
Lieutenant  George  S.  Wilson  was  appointed  adjutant  June  12,  1873,  and 
resigned  the  position  February  20.  1875,  being  succeeded  by  2d  Lieutenant 
William  D.  Geary.  In  September,  1875,  Companies  C,  G,  F  and  I  were 
ordered  from  Angel  Island  to  southeastern  Nevada  to  operate  against  hos- 
tile Indians.  There  was  nothing  but  a  little  marching,  and  the  next  month 
all  returned  to  their  stations,  C  to  Yuma,  G,  Bidwell,  F  and  I,  Angel  Island. 
Lieutenant  Craigie  resigned  as  R.Q.M.  January  31,  1876,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Lieutenant  Kingsbury,  February  ist.  On  May  14,  1877,  a  mutual  trans- 
fer was  made  by  which  Major  Mizner  went  to  the  8th  Infantry  and  Major 
Thomas  S.  Dunn,  who  had  been  one  of  the  war  captains,  returned  to  the 
regiment. 

In  the  summer  of  this  year  the  Nez  Perce  Indian  outbreak  occurred, 
and  Companies  B,  C,  D,  F  and  I  were  ordered  from  their  respective  sta- 
tions to  the  scene  of  hostilities,  northern  and  central  Idaho.  Companies  D 
and  I  went  to  and  remained  at  Lewiston,  Idaho,  and  Camp  McDermit,  Nev., 
respectively.  B  and  F.  together  with  A,  21st  Infantry,  all  under  Captain 
Egbert,  having  arrived  at  Boise,  Idaho,  in  July,  were  there  designated  as 
part  of  the  reserve  column  under  Major  John  Green,  ist  Cavalry.  The  bat- 
talion left  Boise  on  the  14th,  joining  Major  Green  at  Little  Salmon  Mead- 
ows, ten  days  later,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  month  marching,  reach-| 
ing  Crossdale's  Ranch  on  the  31st.  Thence  Company  B  went  to  Kamai 
Agency,  and  F  to  camp  at  Mount  Idaho.     Late  in  September  the  two  com- 


THE   TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      569 

panics  joined,  and  returned  to  Angel  Island.  Company  C,  Captain  Viven, 
with  H,  8th  Infantry,  left  Fort  Yuma,  July  8th,  and  proceeded  via  Los  An- 
geles, San  Francisco,  and  Portland  to  Lewiston,  arriving  17th.  It  num- 
bered 13  men,  but  was  reinforced  at  San  Francisco  by  a  number  of  cavalry 
recruits,  who  continued  with  it  during  the  entire  campaign.  From  Lewis- 
ton  the  company  marched  to  Lawyer's  Canon,  arrived  22d,  joined  General 
O.  O.  Howard's  command,  and  remained  with  it  during  the  long  pursuit  of 
the  Nez  Perces  from  the  Clearwater,  across  the  Yellowstone,  where  there 
was  a  skirmish  in  which  the  cavalry  only  were  engaged,  to  the  Missouri, 
arriving  October  ist.  Thence  on  the  14th  with  H,  8th,  and  four  batteries  of 
the  4th  Artillery,  went  from  Little  Rocky  Creek  to  Little  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  towards  Bear  Paw,  but  were  stopped  en  route,  for  the  hostiles 
were  defeated  at  that  place  by  the  troops  under  Colonel  N.  A.  Miles,  5th 
Infantry.  Returned  to  Little  Rocky  Creek,  and  thence  on  Steamer  Benton 
proceeded  to  Omaha.  Left  there  by  rail,  and  arrived  at  Angel  Island, 
November  8th.  The  company  marched  and  travelled  during  this  cam- 
paign 7194  miles. 

In  March  of  1878  headquarters  moved  from  Angel  Island  to  Whipple 
Barracks,  General  Willcox  having  been  placed  in  command  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Arizona.  The  next  month  Company  A  joined  at  Whipple  from 
Mohave.  Major  Dunn  was  retired  June  29th.  The  Bannock  outbreak 
took  place  this  summer,  and  called  into  the  field  Companies  B  and  K  from 
Benicia  Barracks,  Cal.,  and  C,  D  and  F  from  Angel  Island,  all  under  Cap- 
tain Egbert,  and  numbering  13  officers,  180  men.  The  battalion  proceeded 
by  the  Central  Pacific  railroad  to  Carlin,  Nev.,  and  there  debarked  June 
nth,  thence  to  divide  of  Humboldt  Mountains,  where  orders  were  received 
from  General  Howard  to  move  with  care  as  he  expected  to  drive  the  hos- 
tiles in  that  direction.  14th,  in  compliance  with  instructions  the  officers 
were  mounted,  and  wagons  hired  for  the  men,  in  order  that  movements 
might  be  as  rapid  as  possible.  As  a  result  many  of  the  marches  were  from 
30  to  40  miles  a  day,  thus  showing  the  capabilities  of  infantry  mounted  on 
wheels  in  a  country  where  the  roads  were  suitable.  17th,  crossed  into 
Idaho,  and  at  the  end  of  the  month  the  battalion  was  at  old  Camp  Lyon, 
where  instructions  were  received  to  be  in  readiness  to  move  rapidly  in  any 
direction.  Thence  ordered  to  Boise,  arriving  July  2d  and  leaving  5th.  The 
hostiles  having  been  driven  toward  Powder  River  Valley,  which  was  well 
settled,  it  became  imperative  to  move  there  and  make  dispositions,  which 
was  done  so  well  that  the  valley  was  saved  from  devastation.  Company  C 
under  Captain  Viven  was  sent  to  the  head  waters  of  Clover  Creek  on  a 
scout,  and  at  Ladd's  Canon  on  the  12th  prevented  a  party  from  crossing, 
capturing  21.  The  battalion  was  then  sent  to  head  off  the  hostiles  should 
they  reach  Snake  River.  Crossed  the  river  i6th,  and  moved  towards  head 
of  Main  Weiser  River,  thence  over  Little  Salmon  River  to  camp  on  Goose 
Creek,  being  obliged  to  build  roads  in  many  places,  through  forests,  over 
hills  and  down  canons.  From  there  detachments  were  sent  out  to  watch 
all  the  trails. 

Word  having  been  received  that  the  hostiles  had  abandoned  all  attempts 
in  that  direction,  the  command  was  ordered   back,  and  gradually  made  its 


570  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

way  to  the  Snake  River,  where  it  was  divided,  Companies  F  and  K  remain- 
ing at  Rhinhart's  crossing,  the  others  patrolling  up  the  west  bank  to  Hen- 
derson's Crossing  on  the  Owyhee,  arriving  29th.  There  on  August  ist  a 
concentration  was  made,  reports  having  been  received  that  the  hostiles 
were  in  the  vicinity.  Scouting  along  the  river  was  continued  until  the 
9th,  when  it  was  reported  that  the  hostiles  were  trying  to  cross.  Three  de- 
tachments were  made,  two  mounted,  one  in  wagons,  crossed  at  Glenn's 
Ferry,  and  sent  down  the  river.  One,  under  Captain  Dove,  found  a  strong 
party  entrenched  at  Bennett's  Creek.  A  spirited  attack  was  made  and  re- 
turned, and  one  man  was  wounded.  Night  came  on  and  stopped  the  fight- 
ing. A  courier  was  sent  to  Captain  Egbert,  who  hastened  to  the  scene  with 
all  the  available  men.  The  hostiles  escaped  in  the  darkness,  and  were  fol- 
lowed the  next  morning,  but  as  orders  had  been  received  to  proceed  to 
Cold  Spring  depot  the  pursuit  was  abandoned.  The  detachments  were 
called  in,  and  the  march  began  to  Cold  Spring.  Left  there  i8th  for  Kelton 
on  the  Central  Pacific,  arriving  25th,  thence  to  Angel  Island. 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  battalion  from  the  field  a  general  move- 
ment towards  Arizona  commenced,  and  by  October  the  companies  were 
distributed  as  follows:  B  and  K,  Camp  Verde;  C  and  D,  Camp  Apache  ; 
E,  Camp  Supply;  F,  Whipple  Barracks;  G,  Camp  McDowell;  H,  Camp 
Thomas,  and  I,  Camp  Grant.  Then  followed  almost  four  years'  service  of 
nearly  the  same  nature  as  that  at  the  preceding  station.  During  the  entire 
period  the  companies  were  quite  as  much  scattered  about,  although  the  dis- 
tances separating  them  were  not  as  great.  There  was  considerable  post 
constructing  and  road  building.  The  restless  Apaches  required  constant 
watching.  For  this  purpose  four  Indian  companies  were  maintained,  and 
much  scouting  done.  These  companies  were  commanded  by  young  offi- 
cers, the  regiment  being  represented  in  this  capacity  at  various  times 
by  Lieutenants  Wilson,  F.  Von  Schrader,  Guy  Howard,  S.  C.  Mills 
and  F.  J.  A.  Darr.  Lieutenant  Geary  resigned  the  adjutancy  Novem- 
ber 17,  1878,  and  was  succeeded  by  ist  Lieutenant  F.  A.  Smith.  Major 
M.  A.  Cochran  was  assigned  to  tht  regiment  March  4,  1879.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Nelson  retired  June  7th  same  year.  Major  R.'  S.  La  Motte 
being  promoted  to  his  vacancy.  Lieutenant  Kingsbury's  resignation  as 
R.  Q.  M.  July  1st,  resulted  in  the  appointment  of  ist  Lieutenant  W.  W. 
Wotherspoon  to  that  position. 

The  first  serious  outbreak  of  Indians  occurred  August  30,  1881,  at 
Cibicu  Creek,  near  Fort  Apache,  where  the  Indian  scouts  turned  upon  Col. 
E.  A.  Carr's  command  of  the  6th  Cavalry,  which  had  gone  out  to  suppress 
trouble  caused  by  a  medicine  man.  Company  D  formed  part  of  the  garri- 
son, and  a  detachment  was  engaged  next  day  at  a  ferry  near  the  post.  On 
September  i  the  whole  company  took  part  in  the  defense  of  the  post. 
This  led  to  a  general  concentration  in  the  vicinity  of  the  San  Carlos  Agency 
and  along  the  Gila  River.  Company  H  went  into  the  field  from  Yuma,  C, 
from  Thomas,  F,  partially  mounted  from  Whipple,  and  K,  under  ist  Lieut. 
J.  H.  Hurst  made  a  wonderful  march  from  Fort  Huachuca  to  Grant,  the 
details  of  which  are  as  follows:  At  10  A.  M.  September  4  orders  were 
received  to  take  the  field,  and  at  12.30  p.  m.  the  company  left  the  post,  31 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.     571 

strong,  having  for  transportation  one  old  cavalry  horse,  four  broken  down 
mules,  one  very  lame,  and  a  wagon  the  wheels  of  which  did  not  track.  At 
7  P.  M.  went  into  bivouac  22  miles  out.  At  this  place  such  alarming  news 
was  received  that  it  was  deemed  best  to  push  on.  and  at  9  P.  M.,  in  the 
midst  of  a  terrific  storm  that  lasted  twenty  hours,  the  company  started  on 
a  march  that  continued  until  2  A.  M.  of  the  6th,  when  a  point  known  as  the 
Horse  Ranch,  nine  miles  from  Grant,  was  reached.  Nearly  all  the  first 
night  the  route  lay  along  a  canon,  which,  ordinarily  dry,  had  been  turned  by 
the  storm  into  a  raging  torrent  up  to  the  men's  knees.  At  three  difTerent 
times  it  seemed  necessary  to  abandon  the  wagon,  but  it  was  finally  pulled 
through.  After  a  four  hours'  rest  at  the  ranch  the  march  was  resumed  to 
Grant,  which  was  reached  a  little  after  9  A.  M.  Every  man  was  present,  and 
on  his  feet.  The  distance  was  100  miles,  time  44>^  hours,  certainly  a  won- 
derful exhibition  of  pluck  and  endurance. 

None  of  the  companies  in  the  field  were  engaged  in  any  action,  and  by 
December  all  had  returned  to  their  posts.  During  the  spring  and  summer 
of  18S2  there  was  more  trouble,  which  called  at  various  times  Company  E 
from  Grant,  G  from  McDowell,  H  from  Fort  Lowell,  K  from  Huachuca,  D 
from  Apache,  and  F  from  Whipple.  With  the  exception  of  Company  E, 
which  continued  at  Camp  Price,  at  the  southern  c:id  of  the  San  Simon 
valley  until  August,  none  remained  long  in  the  field,  nor  were  there  any 
encounters  with  the  hostiles. 

In  September  came  the  welcome  order  for  a  new  station,  first  to  Fort 
D.  A.  Russell,  Wyoming,  but  almost  at  the  last  moment  it  was  changed  to 
the  Department  of  the  East.  The  companies  were  concentrated  at  various 
places  on  the  railroad,  and  went  east  in  two  detachments,  Headquarters, 
and  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  F  and  G  taking  station  at  Madison  Barracks, 
E  and  K,  Fort  Niagara,  and  H  and  I,  Plattsburgh  Barracks,  all  in  New 
York.  This  change,  after  so  many  years  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  in  the 
southwest,  was  very  agreeable.  Greater  concentration  and  better  facilities 
for  travel  allowed  more  intercourse.  The  older  members  of  the  regiment 
thus  had  the  opportunity  to  recall  old  times,  and  the  younger  to  become 
acquainted.  Such  military  exercises  as  parade  and  battalion  drill,  which 
had  been  almost  unknown  since  the  regiment  left  Washington,  were  taken 
up  with  zeal,  and  had  almost  the  charm  of  novelty.  Five  years  were  thus 
spent  very  pleasantly  with  but  few  changes,  the  most  important  being  as 
follows  :  Major  Cochran  was  promoted  to  lieutenant-colonel  5th  Infantry. 
May  31,  1883.  and  Captain  W.  H.  Penrose,  3d  Infantry,  took  his  place,  with 
station  at  Fort  Niagara.  In  May,  1884.  Fort  Ontario  at  Oswego  was  regar- 
risoned  by  Company  H.  which  was  replaced  at  Plattsburgh  by  Company  C. 
In  November  Company  I  moved  from  Plattsburgh  to  Madison  Barracks. 
In  July,  1885,  Company  E  was  sent  from  Niagara  to  Mt.  Gregor,  N.  Y.,  as 
guard  for  General  Grant,  then  lying  sick  at  that  place.  Upon  his  death  the 
company  formed  part  of  the  funeral  escort  from  Mt.  Gregor  to  Albany, 
thence  to  New  York,  taking  part  in  the  ceremonies  at  each  place,  and  re- 
turning in  August  to  its  post. 

On  October  13,  18S6,  Col.  Willcox  received  the  reward  of  his  distin- 
guished services  by  promotion  to  brigadier-general,  and  left  the  regiment, 


S72  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

after  being  over  seventeen  years  at  its  head.  Lieut.-Col.  Edwin  F.  Town- 
send,  nth  Infantry,  became  colonel,  and  joined  soon  after.  Lieut.-Col. 
La  Motte  was  promoted  colonel  13th  Infantry,  December  8,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Lieut.-Col.  W.  F.  Drum,  who  had  been  major  14th  Infantry.  In 
March,  1887,  the  law  limiting  the  tenure  of  regimental  staff  positions  to 
four  years  resulted  in  the  displacement  of  Lieuts.  Smith  and  Wotherspoon, 
who  had  held  their  offices  more  than  eight  and  seven  years  respectively, 
ist  Lieut.  Von  Schrader  was  appointed  R.  Q.  M.,and  ist  Lieut.  R.  K.  Evans 
adjutant,  to  date  April  ist.  In  May  Company  A  was  sent  to  Fort  Wood 
on  Bedloe's  Island,  New  York  Harbor,  to  guard  the  Statue  of  Liberty. 

Late  in  June  came  an  order  for  a  move  to  Dakota,  exchanging  with  the 
nth  Infantry,  which  was  not  received  with  as  much  pleasure  as  had  been 
the  one  five  years  before.  On  July  26th  a  concentration  was  made  at  Buf- 
falo, and  the  regiment  was  together  for  the  first  time  since  1869.  The  com- 
panies embarked  on  the  steamer  Vanderbilt,  the  officers  with  families  tak- 
ing passage  on  the  India.  The  trip  through  the  lakes  was  delightful,  Duluth 
being  reached  on  the  31st,  From  Duluth,  Headquarters  and  Companies  E, 
F,  G,  H  and  I  proceeded  by  rail  to  Bismarck,  N.  D.,  thence  by  boat  down 
the  Missouri  River  to  Fort  Yates,  F  being  left  at  Fort  Abraham  Lincoln. 
Companies  A,  B,  C,  D  and  K  moved  by  rail  to  Pierre,  S.  D..  thence  up  the 
river  to  Fort  Sully,  K  going  to  Fort  Bennett.  Thus  commenced  another 
tour  of  duty  with  the  noble  red  man.  It  had  an  element  of  diversion,  how- 
ever, in  the  fact  that  the  Dakotas  were  the  superiors  of  any  Indians,  with 
which  the  regiment  had  ever  been  thrown,  and  having  made  a  start  towards 
civilization  their  development  could  be  watched  with  interest.  Lieutenant 
Evans  resigned  as  adjutant  July  ist,  1888,  and  was  succeeded  by  Lieutenant 
Howard.  Major  Penrose  became  lieutenant-colonel  i6th  Infantry  August 
2ist,  promoting  Captain  J.  A.  P.  Hampson  loth  Infantry.  Lieutenant  How- 
ard's resignation  as  adjutant  May  13,  1889,  resulted  in  the  appointment  of 
ist  Lieutenant  C.  W.  Abbot,  Jr.,  to  that  position.  In  July,  Companies  G 
and  H,  with  Troop  G,  8th  Cavalry,  went  to  Bismarck  to  take  part  in  the  cel- 
ebration of  the  admission  of  North  Dakota  to  statehood  on  the  4th.  In 
September,  Companies  E,  G,  and  I,  with  Troop  F,  8th  Cavalry,  from  Yates, 
and  F  with  I,  22d  Infantry,  from  Lincoln,  all  under  Colonel  Townsend, 
camped  for  nearly  three  weeks  on  the  Cannonball  River,  and  spent  the  time 
in  working  out  practical  problems  in  minor  tactics.  Companies  A,  B  and 
C  from  Sully  and  K  from  Bennett  were  similarly  engaged  at  points  near 
their  respective  posts.  Every  summer  or  fall  since,  there  has  been  more  or 
less  field  work  of  this  nature,  an  instructive  and  pleasant  change  from  gar- 
rison duty. 

In  January,  1890,  Company  A  was  sent  from  Sully  to  Fort  Pierre  to  pre- 
vent the  intrusion  of  settlers  upon  the  Sioux  reservation.  On  February  12th 
it  was  opened  for  settlement  and  the  company  remamed  as  a  guard.  In 
April  Company  C  went  from  Sully  to  the  Lower  Brule  Agency  for  the  same 
purpose.  Captain  Egbert,  the  last  officer  still  in  the  regiment  who  had 
served  in  it  during  the  war,  was  promoted  to  major  17th  Infantry  on  April 
23d.  Companies  A  and  B  exchanged  in  May.  On  August  26th  Companies 
I   and  K  were   "  skeletonized,"  the  men  of  the  former  being  distributed 


THE  TWELFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.     573 

among  F,  G  and  H,  and  the  latter  among  A,  B,  C  and  D.  The  letter  of  the 
company  at  Bennett  then  became  A.  About  this  time  the  regiment  was 
honored  by  the  selection  of  its  colonel  as  commandant  of  the  Infantry  and 
Cavalry  School  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  and  Headquarters  and  Company 
E  moved  to  that  post,  arriving  in  September.  Later  on  Companies  B  and 
C  returned  to  Sully,  and  in  November  B  went  into  camp  at  Bennett,  to  fur- 
nish additional  security  to  the  agency  there  in  view  of  expected  trouble 
leading  out  of  the  Ghost  dances,  which  the  Indians  had  begun,  in  anticipa- 
tion of  the  coming  of  their  Messiah. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Drum  m  command  at  Yates  received  orders  on  De- 
cember 1 2th  to  arrest  Sitting  Bull,  who  was,  as  of  yore,  one  of  the  leading 
malcontents  on  the  Sioux  reservation.  To  accomplish  this  the  cavalry  at  the 
post.  Troops  F  and  G,  8th,  under  Captain  E.  G.  Fechet,  were  sent  out  on  the 
evening  of  the  14th  and  proceeded  to  his  camp  on  Grand  River,  whither  they 
had  been  preceded  by  the  Indian  police  from  Standing  Rock  Agency.  The 
next  morning  a  lively  fight  took  place,  Sitting  Bull  was  killed  by  the  police, 
and  his  band  dispersed.  News  of  this  having  reached  the  post  about  noon  that 
day,  Companies  G  and  H  were  ordered  out,  and  under  Colonel  Drum  started 
to  reinforce  the  troops,  which  were  met  on  their  return  about  23  miles 
out.  The  next  day  the  command  returned  to  the  post.  The  remnant  of 
Sitting  Bull's  band  made  its  way  south  to  Cherry  Creek,  and  there  joined  a 
camp  of  dancers,  which  2d  Lieutenant  H.  C.  Hale  had  been  sent  from  Ben- 
nett to  watch.  He.  at  great  personal  risk,  persuaded  them  to  remain  there 
until  he  could  bring  Captain  Hurst,  then  in  command  at  Bennett,  for  a  fur- 
ther parley.  They  returned  next  day  to  the  camp,  attended  only  by  one  en- 
listed man  and  two  Indian  scouts,  and  induced  both  bands,  consisting  of  221 
men,  women,  and  children,  to  go  peaceably  to  the  post.  This  wise  and 
plucky  action  received  the  commendation  it  deserved. 

Company  G,  increased  to  60  men  by  a  detachment  from  H,  left  Yates 
for  the  field  late  in  December,  and  returned  in  January,  1891,  doing  con- 
siderable marching,  but  having  no  opportunity  for  an  encounter  with 
the  hostiles.  In  February,  Headquarters  and  Company  E  formed  part  of 
a  command  from  Fort  Leavenworth  which  attended  the  funeral  of  General 
Sherman  in  St.  Louis.  The  next  month  Company  G  moved  from  Yates  to 
Fort  Leavenworth.  Lieutenant  Von  Schrader's  tour  as  R.  Q.  M.  expired 
March  31st,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  ist  Lieutenant  P.  G.  Wood.  Com- 
pany B  returned  to  Sully  in  May,  and  in  the  same  month  I  was  reorganized 
at  Mt.  Vernon  Barracks,  Ala.,  by  the  enlistment  of  47  of  Geronimo'sband  of 
Apaches  then  at  that  place  under  charge  of  Lieutenant  Wotherspoon.  who 
was  put  in  command  of  the  company.  30  more  were  enlisted  at  San  Carlos, 
and  I  at  Washington,  which  with  four  white  sergeants,  made  a  total  enlisted 
of  82,  the  largest  company  in  the  army.  The  discipline  and  drill  of  these 
Indians  has  been  reported  as  excellent,  being  superior  in  the  latter,  in  some 
particulars,  to  the  white  soldiers  with  whom  they  are  associated. 

The  abandonment  of  Lincoln  and  Bennett,  in  July  and  October  respec- 
tively, sent  Companies  F  and  A  to  Yates.  On  July  4.  1892,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Drum  died  suddenly,  promoting  Major  Hampson  whose  place  w?s 
filled  by  Captain  J.  H,  Gageby.  3d  Infantry.     Lieutenant-Colonel  Hampson 


574  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

died  October  14th,  and  Major  E.  W.  Whittemore,  loth  Infantry,  succeeded 
to  his  vacancy.  The  same  month  Headquarters  and  Company  E,  the  latter 
increased  to  60  men  by  a  detachment  from  G,  constituted  a  portion  of  a 
command  from  Fort  Leavenworth,  which  took  part  in  the  dedicatory  exer- 
cises of  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago,  on  the  21st.  While  there,  a  gentleman 
seeing  the  regimental  colors,  introduced  himself  to  the  adjutant  as  an  ex- 
sergeant,  who  had  served  in  the  regiment  during  the  '64  campaign,  and 
told  many  interesting  reminiscences.  Finally  he  produced  a  small  pack- 
age, which  he  carefully  undid,  showing  a  much  defaced  gilt  star  and  saying 
— "  You  may  look  at,  but  not  touch  that.  It  is  one  of  the  two  last  stars 
remaining  on  the  battle  flag.  In  front  of  Petersburg  another  sergeant  and 
myself  cut  them  off,  and  each  took  one.  I  think  everything  of  it."  This 
incident  indicates  a  lesson  of  devotion  to  the  principles  of  duty  of  which  the 
flag  is  emblematic,  that  may  well  be  taken  to  heart  by  all  who  now,  or  may 
hereafter,  serve  under  the  colors  of  the  12th  Infantry,  They  will  have  the 
proud  consciousness  of  the  fact  that  the  regiment  has  done  its  duty  in  the 
past.     It  only  remains  for  them  to  sustain  that  reputation  in  the  future. 


Note  : — The  following  names  and  dates  appear  upon  a  battle  flag  now  at 
regimental  headquarters. 

Siege  of  Yorktown,  April,  1862.  Bristoe  Station,  October  14. 

Gaines'  Mills,  June  27,  Rappahannock  Station,  November  7. 

Malvern  Hill,  July  12.  Mine  Run,  November  27. 

Cedar  Mountain,  August  9.  Wilderness,  May  5,  1864, 

Bristoe,  August  27,  Spottsylvania,  May  8  to  19. 

Bull  Run  2d,  August  29  and  30.  North  Anna  River,  May  23. 

Chantilly,  September  i.  Tolopotomy  Creek,  May  30. 

South  Mountain,  September  14,  Bethesda  Church,  June  i  and  5. 

Antietam,  September  17.  Cold  Harbor,  June  2  and  3. 

Fredericksburg,  December  13.  Petersburg,  June  iS  to  30. 

Fredericksburg,  April  30,  1863,  Weldon  Railroad,  August  18,  19  and  21. 

Chancellorsville,  May  i  to  5,  Peeble's  Farm,  September  30. 

Gettysburg,  July  2  and  3.  Chapel  House,  October  i. 

This  flag  was  purchased  by  subscription  of  the  officers  of  the  regiment 
after  its  return  from  the  field.  It  was  kept  at  regimental  headquarters  and 
used  for  several  years,  until  it  became  worn  and  torn,  when  it  was  put  away, 
and  so  remained  until  shortly  after  Colonel  Townsend  joined  in  1886.  It 
was  then  sent  to  the  Quartermaster-General's  office  and  restored,  by  having 
the  eagle  and  scroll,  which  are  very  heavily  and  beautifully  embroidered, 
transferred  to  a  new  field,  upon  which  the  battle  names  and  dates  were 
worked.  It  is  a  very  beautiful  object,  and  one  highly  cherished  in  the  regi- 
ment. It  is  not  known  that  another  such  flag  exists  in  the  service,  except 
the  battered  relics  now  stored  at  the  War  Department. 


General 
PHILIP     HENRY    SHERIDAN 
Commanding  the  Army,  1883-1888. 


Philip H..-  . 
the  Fourtl 
mber  lo,  ib'-y<    -h 
artermaster  to  i 


I 


THE  THIR  TEEN  Til  REG' T  OF  INFANTR  V.       S77 

in  support  of  claims,  decided  unanimously  the  following  commands  entitled  to  the  in- 
scriptions appended  to  their  respective  titles  ;     *     ♦     * 

"  1st  Battalion,  13th  Infantry,  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post,  Champion  Hills, 
First  at  Vicksburg,  Jackson. 

********* 

"  The  Board  find  the  13th  U.  S.  Infantry  entitled  to  *  First  Honor  at  Vicksburg,' 
having  in  a  body  planted  and  maintained  its  colors  on  the  parapet  with  a  loss  of  43.3 
per  cent.,  including  its  gallant  commander,— Washington,— who  died  on  the  parapet. 
Its  conduct  and  loss  the  Board,  after  a  careful  examination,  believes  unequalled  in  the 
army,  and  respectfully  ask  the  General  Commanding  the  Department  to  allow  it  the 
inscription  awarded." 

The  battalion  left  Camp  Sherman  September  27,  1863,  for  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  where  it  arrived  October  3.  When  the  train  bearing  the  battalion 
arrived  at  Collierville,  Tenn.  (being  en  route  from  Memphis  to  Chattanooga), 
the  battalion  commander.  Captain  C.  G.  Smith,  was  informed  that  an  attack 
was  about  to  be  made  on  the  forces  stationed  there  (66th  Indiana  Volun- 
teers). He  immediately  ordered  the  battalion  off  the  cars  and  formed  in 
line  of  battle  on  the  road,  with  two  companies  deployed  on  the  right  and 
left  as  skirmishers.  When  scarcely  in  position  the  battalion  was  attacked 
by  a  force  of  3150  men  commanded  by  the  rebel  General  Chalmers.  A 
battery  of  five  pieces  of  artillery  opened  upon  them  with  grape  and  solid 
shot,  and  the  battalion,  having  no  support  against  artillery  at  such  long 
range,  withdrew  to  the  railroad  cut,  except  the  skirmishers,  who  fell  back 
gradually,  having  maintained  their  position  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half. 
The  enemy  opened  a  flank  fire  on  the  left,  and  the  battalion  had  therefore 
to  retreat  to  the  rifle  pits  where  the  66th  Indiana  had  been  driven,  the 
enemy  pursued  with  overpowering  numbers. 

Seeing  the  enemy  taking  possession  of  the  train  and  setting  fire  to  it, 
Lieutenant  Griffin  with  about  forty  men  was  ordered  if  possible  to  drive  the 
enemy  off,  put  out  the  fire,  and  push  the  train  up  under  cover  of  the  fort. 
This  duty  was  accomplished  in  the  most  brave  and  gallant  manner,  whereby 
the  battalion  sustained  the  reputation  it  had  already  gained  in  former  en- 
gagements. The  casualties  attending  this  fight  were  15  men  killed  and  27 
wounded. 

This  battle  was  fought  under  the  eye  of  General  Sherman  who  compli- 
mented the  battalion  for  its  bravery. 

After  this  engagement  the  battalion  proceeded  to  Corinth,  Miss.,  thence 
to  Chattanooga,  November  21. 

On  July  4,  1863,  Colonel  Sherman  was  promoted  brigadier  general,  U.  S. 
Army,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  P.  Sanderson  15th  Infantry,  was  promoted 
colonel  of  the  regiment. 

The  following  extracts  from  General  Sherman's  memoirs,  in  which  is 
given  his  touching  letter  on  the  death  of  his  boy  Willie,  are  of  special  in- 
terest to  members  of  the  Thirteenth. 

"  There  was  a  short  railroad  in  operation  from  Vicksburg  to  the  bridge  across  the 
Big  Black,  whence  supplies  in  abundance  were  hauled  to  our  respective  camps.  With 
a  knowledge  of  this  fact  Mrs.  Sherman  came  down  from  Ohio  with  Minnie,  Lizzie, 
Willie,  and  Tom,  to  pay  us  a  visit  in  our  camp  at  Parson  Fox's.     Willie  was  then  nine 


5;8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

years  old  and  well  advanced  for  his  years,  and  took  the  most  intense  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  army.  He  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  soldiers,  and  used  to  ride  with 
me  on  horseback  in  the  numerous  drills  and  reviews  of  the  time.  He  then  had  the 
promise  of  as  long  life  as  any  of  my  children,  and  displayed  more  interest  in  the  war 
than  any  of  them.  He  was  called  a  "  sergeant"  in  the  regular  battalion,  learned  the 
manual  of  arms,  and  regularly  attended  the  parade  and  guard-mounting  of  the  Thir- 
teenth, back  of  my  camp. 

****** 

"  I  took  passage  for  myself  and  family  in  the  steamer  .,4 //a«/2V,  Captain  Henry 
McDougall.  When  the  boat  was  ready  to  start  Willie  was  missing.  Mrs.  Sherman 
supposed  him  to  have  been  with  me,  whereas  I  supposed  he  was  with  her.  An  officer 
of  the  Thirteenth  went  up  to  General  McPherson's  house  for  him,  and  soon  returned, 
with  Captain  Clift  leading  him,  carrying  in  his  hands  a  small  double-barrelled  shot- 
gun ;  and  I  joked  him  about  carrying  away  captured  property.  In  a  short  time  we  got 
off.  As  we  all  stood  on  the  guards  to  look  at  our  old  camps  at  Young's  Point,  I  remarked 
that  Willie  was  not  well,  and  he  admitted  that  he  was  sick.  His  mother  put  him  to 
bed,  and  consulted  Dr.  Roler,  of  the  Fifty- fifth  Illinois,  who  found  symptoms  of 
typhoid  fever.  The  river  was  low  ;  we  made  slow  progress  till  above  Helena  ;  and, 
as  we  approached  Memphis,  Dr.  Roler  told  me  that  Willie's  life  was  in  danger,  and 
he  was  extremely  anxious  to  reach  Memphis  for  certain  medicines  and  for  consultation. 
We  arrived  at  Memphis  on  the  2d  of  October,  carried  Willie  up  to  the  Gayoso  Hotel, 
and  got  the  most  experienced  physician  there,  who  acted  with  Dr.  Roler,  but  he  sank 
rapidly,  and  died  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  October.  The  blow  was  a  terrible  one  to 
us  all ;  so  sudden  and  so  unexpected,  that  I  could  not  help  reproaching  myself  for  hav- 
ing consented  to  his  visit  in  that  sickly  region  in  the  summer  time.  Of  all  my  chil- 
dren, he  seemed  the  most  precious.  Born  in  San  Francisco,  I  had  watched  with 
intense  interest  his  development,  and  he  seemed  more  than  any  of  the  children  to  take 
an  interest  in  my  special  profession." 

"  Gayoso  House,  Memphis,  Tennessee, 

"  October  4,  1863— Midnight. 
"  Captain  C.  C.  Smith,  commanding  Battalion  Thirteenth  United  States  Regulars. 

"  My  Dear  Friend  :  I  cannot  sleep  to-night  until  I  record  an  expression  of  the 
deep  feelings  of  my  heart  to  you,  and  to  all  the  ofificers  and  soldiers  of  the  battalion  for 
their  kind  behavior  to  my  poor  child.  I  realize  that  you  all  feel  for  my  family  the  at- 
tachment of  kindred,  and  I  assure  you  of  full  reciprocity. 

"  Consistent  with  a  sense  of  duty  to  my  profession  and  office,  I  could  not  leave  my 
post,  and  sent  for  the  family  to  come  to  me  in  that  fatal  climate,  and  in  that  sickly 
period  of  the  year,  and  behold  the  result  ;  the  child  that  bore  my  name,  and  in  whose 
future  I  reposed  with  more  confidence  than  I  did  in  my  own  plan  of  life,  now  floats  a 
mere  corpse,  seeking  a  grave  in  a  distant  land,  with  a  weeping  mother,  brother,  and 
sisters,  clustered  about  him.  For  myself  I  ask  no  sympathy.  On,  on  I  must  go  to 
meet  a  soldier's  fate,  or  live  to  see  our  country  rise  superior  to  all  factions,  till  its  flag 
is  adored  and  respected  by  ourselves  and  by  all  the  powers  of  the  earth. 

"  But  Willie  was,  or  thought  he  was,  a  sergeant  in  the  Thirteenth.  I  have  seen 
his  eye  brighten,  his  heart  beat,  as  he  beheld  the  battalion  under  arms,  and  asked  me  if 
they  were  not  real  soldiers.  Child  as  he  was,  he  had  the  enthusiasm,  the  pure  love  of 
truth,  honor  and  love  of  country,  which  should  animate  all  soldiers. 

"  God  only  knows  why  he  should  die  thus  young.  He  is  dead,  but  will  not  be  for- 
gotten till  those  who  knew  him  in  life  have  followed  him  to  that  same  mysterious  end. 

"  Please  convey  to  the  battalion  my  heartfelt  thanks,  and  assure  each  and  all 
that  if  in  after  years  they  call  on  me  or  mine,  and  mention  that  they  were  of  the  Thir- 


THE  THIRTEENTH  REG'T  OF  INFANTRY.       579 

teenth  Regulars  when  Willie  was  a  sergeant,  they  will  have  a  key  to  the  affections  of 
my  family  that  will  open  all  it  has  ;  that  we  will  share  with  them  our  last  blanket,  our 
last  crust  ! 

"  Your  friend, 

(Signed)  "  W.  T.  Sherman, 

"  Major  General,'''' 

Over  Willie's  grave  in  Calvary  Cemetery,  near  St.  Louis,  is  erected  a  beau- 
tiful marble  monument,  designed  and  executed  by  the  officers  and  soldiers 
of  the  1st  Battalion,  13th  Infantry,  which  claimed  him  as  a  sergeant  and 
comrade. 

The  battalion  was  in  reserve  at  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge.  November 
24,  and  on  the  26th  marched  to  Graysville,  Ga.,  in  pursuit  of  Bragg.  Con- 
tinuing the  march  on  the  27th  the  battalion  reached  Maysville,  December  6. 
The  return  march  began  December  7,  reaching  Chattanooga,  December  17 
Bellefonte,  Ala.,  December  31,  and  Huntsville,  Ala.,  January  5,  1864.  On 
April  4  the  battalion  was  transferred  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where  it  was 
detailed  as  special  guard  to  General  Sherman's  headquarters,  which  duty  it 
continued  to  perform  until  the  close  of  the  year,  being  encamped  at  Edge- 
field, about  two  miles  from  Nashville,  Tenn.  It  remained  at  this  point  until 
July  13,  1865.  On  October  14,  1S64,  Colonel  Sanderson  died  at  St.  Louis, 
while  on  detached  service  as  provost  marshal  of  Missouri,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Colonel  I.  V.  D.  Reeve. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  moved  from  Newport  Barracks,  May 
10,  1865,  to  Camp  Dennison,  Ohio,  where  Companies  A  and  B,  2d  Battalion, 
were  organized  during  that  month,  and  Companies  C,  D,  E,  F,  G  and  H,  in 
July.  On  July  13  the  ist  Battalion  left  Nashville  for  St.  Louis,  arriving  on 
the  20th  ;  thence  August  24,  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  it  arrived  August 
31.  Companies  A,  B,  D,  E  and  G  went  on  to  Fort  Riley,  September  5,  arriv- 
ing on  the  1 8th. 

During  November,  1865,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  moved 
to  Fort  Leavenworth.  The  2d  Battalion  left  Camp  Dennison  in  August  for 
Jefferson  Barracks,  where  it  arrived  September  5,  but  left  for  Fort  Larned, 
Kansas,  via  Fort  Leavenworth,  in  November,  reaching  that  post  in  Decem- 
ber. While  en  route,  Company  D  was  detached  for  duty  at  Fort  Ellsworth, 
and  Companies  B  and  E  ordered  to  take  post  at  Fort  Zarah,  Kansas.  Com- 
panies A,  B  and  C,  3d  Battalion,  were  organized  at  Jefferson  Barracks  dur- 
ing January,  1866,  and  Companies  F,  G  and  H,  in  March. 

The  companies  of  the  ist  Battalion  at  Fort  Riley  left  that  post  April 
II  for  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  they  were  joined  by  the  remaining  compa- 
nies and  proceeded  up  the  Missouri  River  to  establish  a  military  post  north 
of  the  Black  Hills,  D.  T. ;  but  on  arriving  at  Fort  Sully  on  the  27th,  they 
reembarked  under  orders  to  establish  a  new  post  at  or  near  Fort  Benton. 
M.  T.,  arriving  at  and  establishing  Camp  Cooke,  M.  T.,  May  19. 

The  2d  and  3d  Battalions  concentrated  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  during 
May  proceeded  to  the  District  of  the  Upper  Missouri.  The  headquarters 
of  the  regiment  left  Fort  Leavenworth,  May  i,  and  arrived  at  Fort  Rice, 
D.  T.,  May  16.  The  2d  Battalion  was  distributed  as  follows:  Headquarters 
and  Companies  A  and  B  at  Fort  Randall ;  C.  E  and  H,  at  Fort  Sully ;  G  at 


58o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U,  S.  ARMY. 

Fort  Thompson ;  F  at  Fort  James,  and  D  at  Fort  Dakota,  all  these  stations 
being  in  Dakota.  The  headquarters  of  the  3d  Battalion  were  established  at 
Fort  Rice  with  Companies  B,  E,  F,  G  and  H.  A  was  at  Fort  Sully,  C  at 
Buford,  and  D  at  Berthold. 

Company  F,  ist  Battalion,  was  detached  from  Camp  Cooke  during  Sep- 
tember for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  mail  route  between  Helena,  Mon- 
tana, and  that  post. 

Pursuant  to  General  Order  92,  A,  G.  O.,  received  December  28,  the  2d 
and  3d  Battalions,  13th  Infantry,  were  transferred  respectively  to  the  22d 
and  31st  Regiments  of  Infantry.  Companies  I  and  K  of  the  regiment  were 
organized  at  Governor's  Island,  N.  Y.  H.,  during  October,  1866. 

The  regimental  return  for  January,  1867,  shows  the  following  roster  of 
commissioned  officers :  Colonel  I.  V.  D.  Reeve  ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  G.  L. 
Andrews,  and  Major  William  Clinton. 

Captains  R.  S.  LaMotte,  N.  W.  Osborne,  Robert  Nugent,  A.  B.  Carey, 
Wm.  C.  Ide,  E.  W.Clift.F.  E.  DeCourcy,  R.  A.Torrey,and  Robert  Chandler, 

First  Lieutenants  Patrick  Meagher,  J.  L.  Horr,  T.  J.  Lloyd,  Wm.  H. 
Keeling,  J.  D.  Graham,  J.  M.  Green,  J.  T.  McGinnis,  A.  N.  Canfield,  and 
J.  S.  Stafford. 

Second  Lieutenants  M.  O.  Codding,  O.  A.  Thompson,  E.  H.  Townsend, 
H.  C.  Pratt,  Wm,  Auman,  W.  I,  Sanborn,  J,  B,  Guthrie,  and  Thomas 
Newman. 

Regimental  Headquarters  were  at  Fort  Rice  till  June,  1867,  then  at  Camp 
Cooke  till  August  11,  then  at  Fort  Shaw  until  sent  to  Camp  Douglas,  Utah 
Ten,  June  11,  1870, 

At  Camp  Cooke.  May  17,  1868,  hostile  Indians  (Sioux  and  Crows),  num- 
bering about  2500,  surrounded  and  attacked  the  post  at  about  one  o'clock 
P.  -M.,  the  attack  being  continued  without  intermission  until  7  o'clock,  when 
the  Indians  were  driven  oti,  carrying  with  them  their  dead  and  wounded. 
The  garrison  at  this  time  consisted  of  Companies  B  and  H,  13th  Infantry, 
under  the  command  of  Major  Clinton.  The  troops  during  the  engagement 
were  commanded  by  Captain  DeCourcy.  Fearing  that  the  garrison  might 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  the  wives  of  the  officers  requested  that 
they  be  placed  in  the  magazine  and  that  the  magazine  be  fired  in  the  event 
of  the  capture  of  the  post,  in  order  that  they  might  be  saved  from  falling 
into  the  hands  of  the  savages. 

Captain  Wm.  Auman  (then  a  ist  lieutenant),  in  addition  to  being  in  com- 
mand of  B  Company  was  the  post  quartermaster,  and  when  the  Indians  ap- 
peared his  first  thought  was  to  secure  the  government  animals  which  were 
gracing  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  post.  Armed  with  a  rifle  he  proceeded 
to  the  corral,  mounted  a  horse,  and  accompanied  by  one  of  the  teamsters 
rode  out  and  secured  the  animals  while  the  hostile  Indians  were  within  two 
hundred  yards  of  the  herd.  After  the  animals  had  been  put  in  the  corral  he 
went  where  one  of  the  field  pieces  had  opened  fire,  and  finding  that  the 
piece  was  loaded  with  shell  the  fuse  of  which  was  uncut,  he  cut  one  fuse  with 
his  pocket  knife  and  started  for  the  magazine  for  a  fuse  knife.  At  this 
juncture  he  received  a  bullet  wound  in  the  left  foot,  the  ball  passing  through 
the  instep  and  causing  a  most  painful  and  serious  wound. 


THE  THIR  TEENTH  REG  T  OF  INFANTR  V.       5  S  i 

On  May  19,  1868,  a  command  made  up  of  detachments  from  Companies 
B,  E  and  H,  under  Captain  Nugent,  was  engaged  with  Indians  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Muscleshell  River,  Dakota  ;  and  on  the  24th  a  portion  of  this  com- 
mand under  Lieutenant  Canfield  met  and  had  a  skirmish  with  the  hostiles 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Muscleshell. 

At  Fort  Buford  during  the  years  1869  and  1870,  the  garrison  consisted  of 
Companies  C,  E  and  H,  13th  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  H.  A.  Morrow,  and  during  the  period  referred  to,  attacks  by  and 
skirmishes  with  hostile  Sioux  Indians  were  of  daily  occurrence,  so  much  so, 
in  fact,  that  General  Sheridan  in  1869  reported  that  Fort  Buford  was  in  a 
state  of  siege.  About  July  24,  1869,  four  citizens  were  killed  by  Indians 
near  the  post,  and  in  June,  1870,  two  more  citizens  were  killed  and  six 
wounded.  As  the  Indians  always  carried  off  their  killed  and  wounded,  it 
was  impossible  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  injury  inflicted  upon  them,  but 
they  must  have  lost  several,  both  in  killed  and  wounded,  during  their  almost 
daily  attacks.  Sitting  Bull  was  the  greatest  enemy  during  this  time  and  at- 
tempted several  attacks,  but  was  always  frustrated  by  information  received 
from  his  camp  through  one  of  the  Indian  scouts  named  Bloody  Knife  (Ta- 
Me-Na-Way-Way),  who  was  afterwards  killed  in  the  Custer  massacre. 

In  the  reduction  and  consolidation  of  1869  all  the  field  officers  of  the 
regiment  were  changed.  Colonel  Reeve  was  replaced  by  Colonel  P.  R.  De- 
Trobriand,  recently  of  the  31st;  Lieutenant  Colonel  Andrews  by  Lieutenant 
Colonel  H.  A.  Morrow,  recently  of  the  36th;  and  Major  Clinton  by  Major 
R.  S.  LaMotte,  recently  of  the  12th. 

On  the  1 2th  of  March,  1869,  Captain  Clift  left  Fort  Ellis  in  command  of 
a  party  consisting  of  Lieutenant  W.  L.  Wann,  34  enlisted  men  of  the  Thir- 
teenth, and  10  volunteer  citizens  in  pursuit  of  hostile  Indians.  On  the  13th 
the  bodies  of  two  men  were  found,  stripped  and  mutilated  in  the  most  hor- 
rible manner.  A  small  party  was  sent  up  the  river  in  search  of  the  cattle 
which  the  unfortunate  men  had  been  herding,  and  the  following  is  an 
extract  from  Captain  Clift's  report  of  the  subsequent  operations  of  his 
command  : 

"  Before  the  detachment  sent  up  the  river  had  returned,  I  discovered  a  party  of 
Indians  coming  from  the  south  side  of  Sheep  Mountain,  and  others  between  Sheep  and 
Crazy  mountains.  I  then  took  a  position  on  rising  ground  to  the  west  of  the  river  to 
await  the  return  of  the  detachment  sent  above,  and  also  to  ascertain  something  of  the 
strength  of  the  Indians.  I  could  see  them  in  large  numbers  on  all  sides  of  Sheep 
Mountain.  Those  in  advance  came  down  to  the  river  (the  water  was  very  shallow) 
and  endeavored  by  every  means  to  induce  me  to  cross.  Seeing  that  they  were  in  force 
and  far  better  mounted  than  ourselves  I  declined  their  invitation.  Out  of  the  35  horses 
in  my  command,  only  four  or  five  could  be  of  the  slightest  use  in  following  them. 

"  The  Indians  lost  no  time  in  crossing  and  the  fight  commenced  at  once.  The 
ground  was  broken  into  ravines,  ledges  and  small  knolls  on  all  sides  which  afforded 
them  cover,  consequently  I  changed  my  position  several  times  and  thus  obliged  them 
to  expose  themselves  in  moving  from  point  to  point.  The  fight  was  kept  up  in  this 
manner  for  four  hours,  when  the  Indians  withdrew.  Most  of  my  horses  were  now  so 
broken  down  that  I  was  unable  to  follow. 

"  In  the  engagement  the  Indians  had  four  men  and  two  horses  killed.  Our  loss 
was  only  one  horse.     The  Indians  were  mounted  on  fine  American  horses  and  in  their 


582  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

dress  and  actions  resembled  the  Sioux  or  Nez  Perces  more  than  other  tribes  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.     I  know  of  no  others  who  are  so  brave  and  well  mounted." 

Captain  Clift  went  out  again  in  less  than  a  month,  and,  under  date  of 
April  ID,  1869,  reports  as  follows: — 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that,  pursuant  to  your  instructions  of  the  5th  inst.,  I 
left  the  post  that  evening  with  a  detachment  consisting  of  one  lieutenant,  one  surgeon, 
one  sergeant,  two  corporals  and  40  men,  *  *  *  and  proceeded  to  the  residence 
of  Judge  Sheels  where  I  was  joined  by  several  citizens  from  the  valley.  I  learned  that 
on  the  night  of  the  4th  inst.  seven  head  of  cattle  and  one  horse  had  been  driven  off. 
"We  found  their  trail  and  followed  it  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains  about  two  miles  north 
of  the  Flathead  Pass.  *  *  *  From  this  point  I  took  the  trail  of  the  Indians  and 
followed  it  over  an  almost  impassable  country  until  about  noon  on  the  7th  inst.  Those 
in  advance  came  in  sight  of  the  Indians  near  a  mountain  on  the  north  fork  of  Sixteen- 
mile  Creek  and  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Muscleshell  River.  The  party  consisted  of 
13  Indians,  two  of  whom  made  their  escape  with  the  horse  they  had  taken.  *  *  * 
The  eleven  remaining  took  to  a  mountain  about  1500  feet  between  them  and  the  creek. 
The  mountain  was  a  narrow  ridge  and  could  only  be  ascended  at  two  ends.  On  the 
north  side  the  comb  of  rock  was  at  least  100  feet  in  height  perpendicularly ;  on  the 
south  side  it  was  not  so  abrupt. 

*'  I  immediately  divided  the  party,  leaving  a  few  below  on  the  north  side,  and  they 
ascended  both  from  the  east  and  west  ends.  The  Indians  could  be  plainly  seen  on  the 
peak  of  rocks,  defying  us  in  the  most  insulting  manner.  The  position  chosen  by  the 
Indians  afforded  them  complete  shelter  and  at  the  same  time  commanded  the  mountain 
on  all  sides.  There  were  three  holes  on  the  summit  around  which  they  built  up  walls, 
leaving  port-holes  through  which  they  kept  up  an  incessant  fire.  We  got  to  within 
150  yards  on  each  end  and  worked  for  two  hours  to  dislodge  them  but  with  no  effect. 
Finding  that  there  was  no  resource  left  except  by  assault,  I  directed  Lieutenant 
Thompson  to  lead  the  men  on  the  east,  while  I  would  direct  on  the  west  end.  As 
soon  as  Lieutenant  Thompson  could  get  around  to  his  position  the  assault  was  made 
from  both  sides,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  putting  an  end  to  the 
affair.  *  *  *  We  killed  nine  Indians  on  the  spot.  They  were  all  armed  with  rifles 
and  revolvers,  and  had  an  abundant  supply  of  ammunition. 

"  The  casualties  on  our  side  were  one  private  killed  and  two  badly  wounded.  Two 
citizens  were  wounded. 

"  When  all  did  so  well  it  is  difificult  to  particularize.  Lieutenant  Thompson  con- 
ducted his  part  of  the  action  in  a  manner  highly  satisfactory.  Surgeon  C.  Ewen 
attended  to  the  wounded  in  the  best  possible  manner.  Sergeant  J.  P.  Sullivan,  Com- 
pany G  ;  Corporal  B.  Sheridan,  Company  D  ;  Private  C.  Thompson,  Company  F  ; 
Citizen  T.  King  and  two  others,  names  unknown,  were  conspicuous  for  daring  and 
bravery.  Private  Conry,  who  died  so  nobly  at  the  same  instant  with  his  antagonist, 
should  be  remembered.  I  suggest  therefore  that  the  mountain  upon  which  the  en- 
gagement took  place  be  named  after  him." 

The  modesty  of  this  report  is  characteristic  of  that  gallant  and  capable 
officer.  As  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  personally  engaged  in  hand-to-hand 
conflict  with  the  Indians,  and  when  his  revolver  ammunition  was  exhausted, 
he  began  using  rocks  for  offensive  purposes.  Captain  Clift  continued  to 
serve  in  the  13th  Infantry  till  October,  1884,  when  he  was  retired  on  account 
of  disability,  dying  of  paralysis  two  years  later  at  his  home  in  Detroit. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  January,  1870,  Captain  R.  A.  Torrey,  with 
all  the  available  men  of  his  company  (A)  and  ten  men  each  from  Com- 


THE 

panics  F,  I  and  K,  left  Fort  Shaw  en  route  to  the  Marias  River,  as  j:;uard  to 
the  wagon  train  of  a  battalion  of  the  2d  Cavalry  under  the  command  of 
Major  E.  M.  Baker.  2d  Cavalry.  In  addition  to  Company  A  as  strength- 
ened, Captain  G.  H.  Higbee  with  a  mounted  detachment  of  the  13th  In- 
fantry also  accompanied  this  expedition  against  the  Piegan  Indians.  When 
the  command  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  hostiles,  Lieutenant  Watcrbury, 
13th  Infantry,  who  was  with  Captain  Higbee's  mounted  force,  was  ordered 
to  proceed  with  a  detachment  and  capture  a  herd  of  ponies  near  the  Indian 
camp.  He  promptly  executed  this  order,  securing  all  the  animals,  and  re- 
joined the  column  to  take  part  in  the  encounter  with  the  Indians.  In  this 
engagement  the  percentage  of  loss  sustained  by  the  Piegans  was  heavy. 
The  troops  returned  to  Fort  Shaw  January  28.  Captain  Torrey's  command 
remained  as  guard  to  the  wagon  train  during  the  fight. 

October  24,  1871,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  changed  from 
Camp  Douglas  to  Fort  Fred  Steele,  Wyo.,  returning  to  Camp  Douglas 
November  25,  1873. 

August  17,  1872,  Companies  C,  F  and  I,  comprising  part  of  an  expedi- 
tion against  hostile  Indians  in  southern  Utah,  proceeded  from  Camp  Doug- 
las to  the  scene  of  hostilities.  The  battalion  returned  to  the  post  Septem- 
ber 7.     No  casualties. 

The  13th  Infantry  was  relieved  from  duty  in  the  Department  of  the 
Platte,  October  10,  1874,  and  ordered  to  New  Orleans,  taking  station  at 
Jackson  Barracks,  the  entire  regiment,  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  H.  A. 
Morrow,  arriving  during  the  month  of  October, 

Headquarters  and  Companies  D,  E,  H,  I  and  K,  while  en  route  to  New 
Orleans,  met  with  a  railroad  accident  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  R.  R.,  be- 
tween Dyer  and  Trenton,  Tenn.,  the  train  going  off  the  track.  Four  freight 
cars  were  smashed  and  four  passenger  cars  disabled.  One  corporal  and  one 
private  of  Company  K  were  killed  ;  two  privates  of  Company  I  and  two  of 
Company  K  injured.  The  records  of  Company  I  and  a  large  amount  of  offi- 
cers' baggage  were  destroyed. 

The  regiment  moved  into  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  November  i,  1874, 
where  it  was  employed  preserving  the  peace  during  the  McEnery-Kellogg 
election  riots  of  that  year. 

The  regiment  continued  to  serve  in  the  Department  of  the  South  for 
six  years,  portions  of  it  being  stationed  at  difTerent  times  at  New  Orleans, 
Baton  Rouge,  Vicksburg,  Holly  Springs,  Little  Rock,  Atlanta,  Mt.  Vernon 
Barracks,  Chattanooga,  Lake  Charles,  Mississippi  City,  and  other  points  in 
the  Department  of  the  South. 

During  the  railroad  strikes  and  labor  riots  of  the  summer  of  1877  all  the 
companies  of  the  regiment,  except  D  and  G  in  Calcasieu  Parish,  La.,  were  on 
duty  at  Pittsburg,  Scranton,  Wilkesbarre,  and  other  points  in  Pennsylvania. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1878  the  South  was  scourged  by  the  most 
terrible  epidemic  of  yellow  fever  that  has  occurred  for  years.  Thousands 
had  perished  from  the  disease.  The  suffering  and  destitution  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  lower  Mississippi  valley,  especially  between  Memphis  and  Vicks- 
burg, was  so  great  that  the  National  Relief  Commissioners  determined  to 
send  relief.     By  the  cooperation  of  various  cities  of  the  North  a  fund  of 


584  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

$20,000  was  raised  and  large  quantities  of  merchandise  were  secured.  The 
funds  thus  raised  were  expended  in  the  purchase  of  an  assorted  cargo  of 
provisions,  clothing,  bedding,  medicines  and  ice,  and  the  steamery^/^w  M. 
Chambers  was  chartered  to  leave  St.  Louis  early  in  October  to  carry  these 
supplies  for  distribution  to  the  yellow  fever  sufferers  along  the  Mississippi 
River.  But  who  was  to  assume  charge  of  the  expedition  and  undertake  the 
great  responsibility  and  personal  danger  attending  the  execution  of  this  mis- 
sion ?  Who  were  to  officer  this  boat  and,  taking  their  lives  in  their  hands, 
deliberately  face  almost  certain  death  in  order  to  give  aid  to  the  destitute  ? 
For  it  meant  death  to  the  unacclimated. 

The  Secretary  of  War  telegraphed  General  Augur,  commanding  Depart- 
ment of  the  South,  to  know  if  any  officers  of  his  command  would  volunteer 
for  this  perilous  duty.  Quickly  came  the  response  that  Lieutenant  H.  H. 
Benner,  i8th  Infantry,  and  Lieutenant  C.  S.  Hall,  13th  Infantry,  had  volun- 
teered to  go  with  the  relief  boat.  Lieutenant  Hall  had  left  his  camp  and 
started  to  go  to  his  home  on  a  three  months  leave  of  absence,  but  he  re- 
linquished that  and  offered  his  services.  The  history  of  the  army  does  not 
contain  the  record  of  any  more  heroic  and  truly  unselfish  act  than  that  of 
of  these  two  officers.     It  cost  Lieutenant  Benner  his  life. 

Regimental  General  Order  No.  8,  of  date  February  i,  1879,  shows  the 
estimation  in  which  Lieutenant  Hall's  gallant  conduct  was  held  by  his  com- 
manding officer,  and  it  may  truly  be  said  that  this  order  also  voiced  the 
sentiments  of  the  whole  nation  : 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  S.  Hall,  13th  Infantry,  having  reported  for  duty  with 
his  company  on  his  return  from  detached  service,  it  affords  great  pleasure  to  the  Colo- 
nel Commanding  to  welcome  him  back  and  to  congratulate  him  upon  his  noble  conduct 
and  important  services  last  summer,  during  the  disastrous  epidemic  which  carried  death 
and  desolation  along  the  Mississippi  River.  After  tendering  voluntarily  his  coopera- 
tion to  the  dangerous  undertaking  of  carrying  supplies  of  all  sorts  on  a  steamboat  char- 
tered especially  for  that  purpose,  and  of  distributing  them  at  the  points  where  the  yel- 
low fever  was  most  fatal  and  causing  the  greatest  destitution  and  suffering,  Lieutenant 
Hall,  by  the  death  of  Lieutenant  Hiram  H.  Benner,  i8th  Infantry,  found  himself  in 
command  of  the  expedition  with  all  its  dangers  and  responsibilities.  He  faced  both 
with  a  brave  heart  and  an  intelligent  determination,  and  fulfilled  his  perilous  position 
in  a  manner  worthy  of  praise  and  admiration. 

Such  a  noble  achievement  does  great  honor  to  this  young  officer  and  reflects  credit 
upon  the  regiment  to  which  he  belongs.  It  deserves  special  acknowledgment,  which 
the  Colonel  Commanding  is  happy  to  tender  to  Second  Lieutenant  Charles  S.  Hall,  with 
his  thanks  and  those  of  all  the  officers  of  the  13th  United  States  Infantry. 

March  25,  1879,  Colonel  DeTrobriand  was  retired.  This  promoted  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  J.  R.  Brooke,  who  transferred  with  Colonel  Luther  P.  Brad- 
ley, the  latter  becoming  the  colonel  of  the  Thirteenth. 

In  June,  1880,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  New  Mexico,  Headquarters 
and  Companies  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  taking  station  at  Fort  Wingate.  The 
remaining  five  companies,  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  R.  E.  A.  Crofton, 
marched  from  Santa  Fe  to  southern  Colorado  for  the  purpose  of  building 
a  new  post  on  the  Mancos  River.  The  location  for  this  was  changed  by  the 
Department  commander,  and  the  new  post  of  Fort  Lewis,  Col.,  was  built  on 
the  La  Plata  River  during  the  ensuing  eighteen  months. 


THE  THIRTEENTH  REGT  OF  INFANTRY.       5 '"^5 

During  the  years  i8So  and  1881,  Captain  B.  H.  Rogers'  company  of 
mounted  infantry  (Company  C  of  the  13th.  stationed  at  Fort  Lewis),  did  a 
large  amount  of  scouting  in  southwestern  Colorado  and  southeastern  Utah. 
At  this  time  the  renegade  Pah-Utes  were  committing  all  sorts  of  depreda- 
tions in  that  section.  Captain  Rogers  rendered  most  efficient  service  in 
his  operations  against  these  Indians,  succeeded  in  putting  an  end  to  their  in- 
cursions, and  reestablished  the  settlers  on  their  lands. 

In  18S2,  Captain  J.  B.  Guthrie,  commanding  Company  A,  took  part  in  a 
scout  after  Apaches  from  Fort  Cummings.  On  April  22  the  company  took 
part  in  an  engagement  with  the  Indians  in  which  several  men  of  the  4lh 
Cavalry  were  killed  and  wounded. 

The  Thirteenth  spent  eight  years  of  varied  and  arduous  duty  in  New 
Mexico,  participating  in  numerous  operations  against  Indians,  especially  in 
the  campaign  against  Geronimo. 

Since  June,  1888,  the  regiment  has  served  in  the  Indian  Territory. 
Headquarters  were  at  Fort  Supply  until  January  4,  1893,  since  which 
time  they  have  been  at    Fort  Sill,  Oklahoma. 

Companies  I  and  K  were  skeletonized  in  August,  1S90. 

Colonel  Luther  P.  Bradley  was  retired  December  8,  1886,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  Robert  S.  LaMotte,  promoted  from  the  Twelfth. 

Colonel  LaMotte  died  at  Fort  Supply,  December  16,  1888,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  Montgomery  Bryant,  promoted  from  the  Eighth,  whose 
service  as  captain  and  major  had  all  been  with  the  Thirteenth.  Colonel 
Bryant  was  retired  at  his  own  request,  March  i,  1894,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  Alfred  T.  Smith,  promoted  from  the  Eighth. 

In  a  paper  of  this  kind  relating  as  it  does  exclusively  to  the  historical 
record  of  the  regiment  as  a  distinct  organization,  and  written  partly  with 
the  object  of  affording  information  to  the  younger  officers  of  the  regiment,  it 
is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  the  splendid  services  of  those  officers  now  in  the 
regmient  who  served  in  the  volunteers  during  the  war  cannot  be  fully  set 
forth  here.  This  state  of  affairs  is  due  of  course  to  the  fact  that  the  old 
officers  of  the  13th,  as  it  was  during  the  Rebellion,  having  passed  from  the 
scene  of  action,  their  places  are  filled  by  those  whose  war  records  were  made 
with  other  organizations. 

The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  from  Lieutenant  General  Sherman, 
published  in  General  Order  No.  6,  dated  Headquarters  13th  Infantry.  May 
27.  1875:— 

"  I  have  always  felt  the  warmest  friendship  and  the  keenest  pride  in  the 
records  and  high  military  standard  of  the  13th  Infantry,  and  I  know  that 
wherever  it  may  be  called  upon  to  pitch  its  tents,  the  officers  and  men  will 
be  governed  by  such  a  high  sense  of  professional  duty  as  will  make  it  a  dis- 
tinguished honor  to  the  General  of  the  Army  to  have  been  its  colonel,  and 
to  the  Lieutenant  General  to  have  been  one  of  its  captains." 


Note.— The  writer  is  under  obligations  to  Major  F.  E.  DeCourcy,  U.  S.  A.,  Captains  Wil- 
liam M.  Waterbury,  William  Auman,  Benjamin  H.  Rogers,  and  Jesse  C.  Chance,  13th  Infantry, 
for  much  useful  information  relating  to  the  history  of  the  regiment  ;  and  to  Private  Frank 
Cooper,  Company  E,  13th  Infantry,  for  valuable  assistance  in  obtaining  necessary  data  from  the 

regimental  records. 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  colonel  THOMAS  M.  ANDERSON,   U.  S.  A., 
Fourteenth  Infantry. 

WHEN  one  of  the  newly  organized  battalions  of  the  Regular  Brigade 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  reported  to  Colonel  Buchanan,  he 
said  to  its  commander:  "  Sir,  your  men  look  like  volunteers!" 
The  reply  was :    "  That  is  just  what  they  are."    The  veteran 
martinet  rejoined,  "  I  will  make  them  Regulars  " — and  that  is  what  he  did. 

This  little  dialogue  gives  the  history,  in  brief,  of  the  nine  infantry  regi- 
ments added  to  the  Army  in  1861.  Nearly  all  the  officers  were  appointed 
from  civil  life;  the  men  were  specially  enlisted  for  their  regiments  and, gen- 
erally, for  designated  companies  by  their  company  officers. 

The  War  Department  tried  to  assign  as  many  experienced  officers  and 
as  many  old  soldiers  as  possible  to  the  new  organizations,  with  the  intent 
that  they  should  act  as  organizers  and  instructors.  It  was  hoped  that 
enough  could  be  assigned  to  leaven  the  mass  and  thus  make  the  new  regi- 
ments reasonably  efficient  in  a  short  time.  But  out  of  eight  West  Point 
graduates  sent  to  the  14th  Infantry,  only  three  went  with  the  regiment  to 
the  field  ;  the  others  were  assigned  to  other  duties  ;  four  as  brigadier-gen- 
erals of  volunteers. 

All  the  new  organizations  had  about  the  same  experience.  The  volun- 
teer element  was  predominant,  but  by  precept,  example  and  environment 
they  soon  acquired  the  traditions  and  spirit  of  the  old  Army  without  losing 
the  zeal,  enthusiasm  and  resource  of  the  volunteer  soldier. 

In  one  of  the  first  battles  of  the  Rebellion,  an  old  officer  watched  one  of 
the  new  regiments  as  it  went  forward,  under  a  withering  fire,.with  a  cheer. 
The  veteran  smiled  grimly,  and  said,  "  They  act  like  mustangs,  but  they 
fight  like  men." 

The  14th  Infantry  was  organized  under  the  President's  proclamation  of 
May  4,  1 861,  which  was  confirmed  by  an  act  of  Congress  of  July  29th  of  the 
same  year.  Twice  before  a  regiment  designated  as  14th  Infantry  had  been 
organized  in  our  Service.  The  first  in  the  War  of  1812.  Besides  its  field 
officers,  it  had  its  full  complement  of  captains,  first,  second  and  third  lieu- 
tenants, its  ensigns,  surgeons  and  surgeon's  mates ;  most  of  these  officers 
were  commissioned  from  Maryland. 

Its  first  colonel  was  Wm.  H.  Winder,  who  having  been  appointed  a 
brigadier-general  in  March,  181 3,  was  succeeded  by  Col.  Charles  G.  Boerstler, 
who  had  been  the  first  lieutenant-colonel. 

The  regiment  in  whole  or  in  part  was  in  the  engagements  at  Fort 
Niagara,  Frenchman  Creek,  the  capture  of  Fort  George,  at  Beaver  Dams, 
Chrystler's  Fields,  De  Cole  Mill,  Chippewa  and  Cook's  Mills. 

586 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  J  .      5.S7 

The  roster  of  this  original  I4lh  Infantry  will  be  f,nven  in  an  arldcnda.  but 
there  was  one  ofl[icer  who  fought  under  its  banner,  who  deserves  more  than 
passing  notice.  Among  the  young  ensigns  of  the  regiment  was  one  John 
A.  Dix.  He  fought  gallantly  through  the  second  war  with  Great  Hritam 
and  did  not  resign  from  the  Army  until  1S28.  While  the  Mexican  War  was 
being  carried  on,  he  was  a  United  States  Senator  from  the  State  of  New 
York.  An  attempt  was  made  to  have  the  grade  of  lieutenant-general  estab- 
lished so  that  President  Polk  could  appoint  a  political  favorite  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Army  over  General  Winfield  Scott.  It  was  by  the  exertions 
of  General  Dix,  that  this  partisan  scheme  was  frustrated  and  that  the  hero 
of  Lundy's  Lane  and  Chippewa  received  the  command  of  the  Army  which 
invaded  Mexico  from  Vera  Cruz.  Fifteen  years  later  the  ex-ensign  of  the 
14th  Infantry  was  a  member  of  the  reconstructed  cabinet  of  James  Bucha- 
nan as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Just  before  the  secession  of  Louisiana, 
information  came  to  the  Capitol,  that  the  fire-eaters  of  New  Orleans  were 
threatening  to  pull  down  the  National  flag  from  over  the  Custom  House. 
An  answer  was  flashed  back  which  thrilled  the  country  like  a  bugle  call. 
"  If  any  man  attempts  to  haul  down  the  American  flag,  shoot  him  on  the 
spot,"  (signed)  John  A.  Dix.  The  lessons  learned  by  the  young  subaltern  of 
1812  were  not  forgotten  by  the  grey  haired  statesman  of  1861.* 

The  14th  Infantry  was  again  organized  in  April,  1847,  under  an  act  of 
Congress,  passed  and  approved  the  preceding  February. 

The  colonel  was  Wm.  Trousdale  of  Tennessee.  The  lieutenant-colonel, 
Paul  O.  Hebert  of  Louisiana,  a  graduate  of  the  Military'  Academy  and  a 
lieutenant  in  the  Corps  of  Engineers.  The  major  of  the  regiment,  was 
Charles  WicklifT. 

With  three  exceptions  the  ofhcers  of  the  regiment  were  appointed  from 
Louisiana  and  Tennessee. 

As  the  organization  of  the  regiment  was  not  completed  until  the  9th 
of  April,  it  did  not  join  General  Scott's  column  in  time  to  take  part  in  the 
siege  of  Vera  Cruz  or  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  but  joined  the  main  army 
at  Puebla  early  in  June,  1847.  It  was  assigned  to  Cadwallader's  Brigade  of 
Pillow's  Division.  Their  brigade  consisted  of  the  Voltigeurs,  the  nth  and 
14th   Infantry. 

They  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  battle  of  Contreras  on  the  19th  and 
20th  of  August.  On  the  19th  with  their  brigade  they  held  the  village  of  Con- 
treras from  daylight  until  dark  under  the  fire  of  Valencia's  entire  division,  the 
most  thorough  baptism  of  fire  new  troops  ever  received.  That  night  they 
marched  through  a  break  in  the  Mexican  line  and  up  a  ravine  that  led  them 
directly  in  rear  of  the  Mexican  position.  When  the  charge  was  made  in 
the  morning  the  battle  lasted  seventeen  minutes  and  the  pursuit  four  hours. 
A  pleasant  little  episode  for  the  14th  was  the  repulse  of  a  charge  of  lancers. 
From  Contreras,  Pillow's  division  hastened  over  to  support  Worth  in  his 
attack  on  Churubusco.  The  14th  participated  in  no  less  than  four  attacks 
that  day.   It  fought  also  at  Molino  del  Rey,  at  Chapultepec,  and  the  storm- 


*  It  is  interesting  to  note,  that  his  father,  Timothy  Dix,  was  tnade  the  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
14th  Infantry  in  1S13,  and  that  his  son,  Chas.  T.  Dix,  was  commissioned  as  a  lieutenant  of  the  new 
14th  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 


588  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ing  of  the  San  Cosmo  gate.  The  engineer  officer  who  indicated  to  the  14th 
its  line  of  attack  at  Contreras  was  Lieutenant  Beauregard  ;  a  battery  they 
supported  for  a  time  at  Chapultepec  was  commanded  by  Lieut.  Thomas  J. 
Jackson  ;  the  engineer  officer  who  led  the  way  over  the  San  Cosmo  cause- 
way was  Capt.  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  the  officer  who  marched  with  them  in 
command  of  a  platoon  of  sappers  and  miners  to  the  San  Cosmo  gate  was 
Lt.  Geo.  B.  McClellan. 

"  There's  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough  hew  them  how  we  will." 

The  colonel,  lieutenant-colonel  and  five  other  officers  of  the  Fourteenth 
•were  breveted  for  conspicuous  gallantry  in  the  battles  in  the  valley  of 
Mexico. 

On  the  29th  of  July,  1848,  this  splendid  regiment  was  disbanded,  and  its 
battle-stained  banners  laid  away  in  dust  and  darkness.  After  the  call  for 
75,000  volunteers  in  1861,  the  Chief  Magistrate  deemed  it  expedient  also  to 
increase  the  strength  of  the  Regular  Army.  To  meet  the  question  of  re- 
organization, a  board  was  appointed  by  the  President,  consisting  of  the 
Hon.  S.  P.  Chase,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury;  Maj.  Irvin  McDowell,  Assist- 
ant Adjutant-General ;  and  Capt.  William  B.  Franklin  of  the  Engineers. 
The  military  members  proposed  a  three-battalion  organization  of  eight  com- 
panies each  for  the  infantry  regiments.  They  recommended  an  addition  of 
one  regiment  of  artillery,  one  of  cavalry  and  nine  of  infantry.  This  would 
have  given  57  battalions  for  the  last  named  branch  of  the  Service. 

Mr.  Chase  concurred,  but  Congress,  in  passing  the  act  of  July  29,  only 
made  the  three-battalion  scheme  to  apply  to  the  nine  new  regiments. 
It  must  be  understood  that  as  to  the  general  war  policy  of  his  administra- 
tion, Mr.  Lincoln  of  course  consulted  his  Cabinet,  but  advised  freely  with 
General  Scott,  Adjutant-General  Thomas,  and  as  Mr.  Welles  has  it  in  his 
memoirs,  "a  young  man  named  Meigs." 

The  organization  of  the  14th  Infantry  followed  promptly  the  Presi- 
dent's proclamation.  The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  was  fixed  at  Fort 
Trumbull,  Conn.,  and  the  firstorder,temporarily  assigning  officers  appointed 
to  date  May  14th  to  companies,  was  issued  on  the  8th  of  July,  1861.  This 
order  was  signed  by  Lieut.-Col.  John  F.  Reynolds,  who  organized  the  new 
regiment  and  was  its  first  commander. 

The  colonel,  Chas.  P.  Stone,  had  already  been  made  a  brigadier  general 
of  volunteers,  and  was  serving  at  the  time  in  General  Patterson's  army. 
He  never  joined  the  regiment  until  the  fall  of  1864.  and  then  only  for  one 
day. 

General  Stone  had  served  as  a  lieutenant  of  o'rdnance  in  the  Mexican 
War.  He  resigned  in  1856.  In  the  trying  period  preceding  the  inaugura- 
tion of  Mr.  Lincoln,  he  was  very  active  and  zealous  in  organizing  an 
improved  command  for  the  defense  of  Washington.  He  was  a  refined, 
scholarly  gentleman  and  an  accomplished  officer.  But  he  was  "  too  full  of 
the  milk  of  human  kindness  to  catch  the  nearest  way;"  so  it  happened 
that  he  was  probably  more  harshly  dealt  with  than  any  officer  who  ever 
held  a  commission  in  our  Army. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Reynolds  was  a  veteran  who  had  been  in  the  Service 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       589 

since  1S41.  lie  had  served  in  the  Florida  and  Mexican  wars,  and  was 
destined  to  a  soldier's  death,  commanding  an  army  corps  on  the  field  of 
Gettysburg.  No  better  man  could  have  been  found  to  bind  together  the 
heterogeneous  elements  of  which  a  new  regiment  was  compounded. 

He  selected  for  his  adjutant  Lieut.  Edwin  F.  Townsend  (now 
colonel  of  the  12th  Infantry)  a  West  Point  graduate  who  had  resigned  and 
gone  into  civil  pursuits,  but  who  had  again  accepted  a  lieutenant's  com- 
mission when  the  War  broke  out ;  a  position  by  no  means  commensurate 
with  his  merits,  but  which  he  accepted  from  purely  patriotic  impulses. 

General  George  Sykes,  the  senior  major,  did  not  report,  but  Major 
G.  R.  Giddings  and  Major  William  Williams  reported  promptly  and  were 
assigned  to  the  2d  and  3d  battalions  respectively. 

As  fast  as  the  captains  and  lieutenants  came  they  were  assigned  to  re- 
cruiting stations,  generally  in  the  New  England  Stales  and  New  York. 

The  first  recruiting  order  was  issued  at  Fort  Trumbull,  July  10,  1861. 

The  first  company  was  organized  and  put  into  camp  on  the  17th  of 
August.  It  was  under  the  command  of  Captain  Samuel  Ross,  a  veteran, 
who  had  joined  the  Army  as  a  private  in  1837.  A  second  company  was 
soon  organized  and  assigned  to  Captain  Jonathan  Hager.  A  battalion  was 
organized,  mustered  and  inspected  on  August  31st,  and  Lieut.  W.  R. 
Smedberg  announced  as  adjutant. 

So  far  the  organization  had  run  smoothly,  but  the  regiment  now  met 
its  first  serious  loss.  Its  lieutenant-colonel  was  made  a  brigadier-general 
of  volunteers,  and  its  adjutant  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy  in  the  i6th 
Infantry. 

Major  Giddings,  who  assumed  command,  was  a  son  of  the  Hon.  Joshua 
R.  Giddings,  the  abolition  leader  of  Ohio.  Captains  J.  D.  O'Connell  and 
David  B.  McKibbin,  officers  of  experience,  reported  m  time  to  take  up  the 
good  work.  Of  the  civil  appointees  one,  Coppinger,  had  seen  service 
abroad,  having  been  an  officer  of  Papal  Chasseurs.  The  other  officers  had 
little  or  no  antecedent  military  training,  but  they  were,  with  few  exceptions, 
men  of  such  quick  apprehension,  zeal  and  untiring  application,  that  they 
learned  their  duties  within  a  short  time. 

Among  the  men  who  first  enlisted  there  were  a  number  of  well-trained 
soldiers ;  some  of  them  had  served  in  the  old  regiments  of  our  Army  and 
others  in  some  of  the  European  armies.  Many  of  these  men  won  com- 
missions, and  they  all  did  much  by  precept  and  example  to  encourage  the 
raw  recruits.  Indeed  their  influence  was  invaluable,  as  they  not  only 
taught  the  new  men  how  to  take  care  of  themselves,  but  to  make  light  of 
hardships. 

Some  educated  gentlemen  enlisted  for  commissions  and  won  them  soon. 
The  men  who  won  advancement  in  this  honorable  way  were  Lieutenants 
Perry,  Peck,  Choisy,  C.  G.  Smedberg,  J.  K.  Clay,  Vernon  and  Browning. 

So  rapidly  was  the  regiment  recruited  that  eight  companies  and  the 
band  were  organized  and  sent  by  the  middle  of  October  to  Perryviiic,  Md., 
where  they  went  into  Camp  Stone,  so-called,  after  their  first  colonel. 

The  battalion  first  organized  was  designated  the  Second,  as  General 
Sykes,  the  senior  major,  had  been  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  ist  Bat- 


590  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

talion,  but  had  not  reported.  As  Major  Giddings,  the  proper  commandant 
of  the  2d  Battalion,  was  kept  back  at  Fort  Trumbull  in  command  of 
the  regiment,  the  command  of  the  battalion  sent  to  Perryville  devolved 
on  the  senior  captain,  J.  D.  O'Connell  —  universally  known  in  the 
Army  as  "Paddy."  He  had  served  in  the  old  2d  Infantry  from  1852 
to  1861. 

The  14th  Infantry  owes  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  to  this  noble  man. 
He  did  more  than  any  other  officer  to  instruct  it  and  to  instill  into  it  prin- 
ciples of  patriotism,  self-sacrifice  and  devotion.  Captain  O'Connell  was 
not  "  brilliant,"  he  was  better  than  that,  for  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word 
he  was  a  good  man.  He  was  single-minded  and  artless,  diligent,  faithful 
and  self-denying.  With  him  the  interests  of  the  men  came  first,  the  offi- 
cers second  and  /iz's  oivn  last. 

The  health  of  the  command  was  not  good  at  Camp  Stone.  This  was 
attributed  to  bad  water  and  a  lack  of  fresh  vegetables. 

Sergeants  Henton.  Bellows  and  Loosley  were  promoted  to  lieutenants. 
Their  advancement  was  a  stimulus  to  others.  On  Dec.  i8th  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  regiment  was  established  at  Camp  Stone,  Major  Giddings  in 
command,  bringing  Lieutenant  Schuyler  and  King  as  adjutant  and  quarter- 
master. One  company  of  the  3d  Battalion  joined  soon  after.  The  rest  of 
the  winter  was  devoted  to  drills  and  instruction. 

On  March  7th,  1862,  Camp  Stone  was  abandoned  and  the  regiment  pro- 
ceeded under  orders,  first  to  Washington  and  thence  to  Fairfax,  Va.,  where 
they  joined  the  Regular  Brigade  under  General  Sykes,  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  on  March  13th.  Two  days  before  the  Confederate  army  had  fallen 
back  to  the  south  of  the  Rappahannock  and  on  the  day  the  14th  re- 
ported for  duty  in  the  field,  the  President  authorized  the  Peninsula  Cam- 
paign. Thus  it  happened  that  in  a  few  days  the  Regulars  marched  back  to 
Alexandria,  Va.,  and  made  their  preparations  to  embark  on  transports  for 
Newport  News.  Major  Giddings,  with  headquarters,  went  back  to  Fort 
Trumbull.  On  March  27th  nine  companies  under  the  command  of  Captain 
O'Connell  embarked  on  a  steamer  at  Alexandria  and  on  the  29th  debarked 
at  Hampton,  Va.  From  thence  they  marched  with  the  rest  of  the  brigade 
and  went  into  a  camp  near  Yorktown,  Va.,  April  4th. 

The  regiment  then  formed  a  part  of  what  was  called  the  "  Infantry 
Reserve  Brigade,"  which  was  made  up  of  the  2d,  3d,  4th,  6th,  and  parts  of 
the  loth,  17th,  the  i  ith,  12th,  14th  Infantry,  and  the  5th  New  York — Colonel 
Warren's  regiment,  whose  warriors  were  known  from  their  Zouave  dress  as 
the  "  Red-legged  Devils."  The  history  of  the  brigade  for  the  next  month 
was  that  they  worked  in  the  trenches  at  Yorktown. 

The  14th  had  now  fallen  under  their  senior  major,  but  in  his  capacity  of 
brigade  commander.  It  would  have  been  hard  to  find  a  better  officer  in 
the  Army  than  General  Sykes;  a  Southerner  by  birth,  he  was  so  thoroughly 
and  simply  a  soldier,  that  he  knew  little  of  politics  and  cared  less.  His  in- 
difference to  all  civil  matters  was  a  subject  of  surprise  to  the  civilian  ap- 
pointees who  served  with  him. 

He  was  unsympathetic  and  methodical,  a  man  of  details,  diligent  and 
untiring,  but  never  hurried,  never  flurried  ;  one  of  the  coolest  men  in  dan- 


FO  UR  TEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  NTR  Y.       591 

ger  or  confusion  that  we  had  in  the  whole  Army.     He  enforced  discipline 
like  a  machine  and  had  apparently  no  more  sentiment  than  a  gun-stock. 

On  the  30th  of  April,  in  compliance  with  an  order  from  the  War  De- 
partment, Cos.  "  A,"  "  B,"  "  C,"  "  D,"  "  F  "  and  "  H,"  2d  Battalion,  and  Cos. 
"  E  "  and  "  H  "  of  the  3d  Battalion,  were  transferred  to  and  designated  as 
the  1st  Battalion  ;  all  retaining  their  letter  designations  except  "G,"  of  the 
3d,  which  became  "G"of  the  ist;  "C'of  the  3d  became  "  C  "  of  the  2d, 
and  was  attached  as  a  supernumerarj'  company. 

On  May  the  8th  the  Confederates  evacuated  Yorktown.  and  for  the  next 
six  weeks  the  history  of  the  regiment  was  as  uneventful  as  if  it  had  remained 
at  Perryville.  It  took  no  part  in  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  but  marched 
slowly  up  the  Peninsula  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

About  the  17th  of  May,  when  the  command  was  in  camp  at  Cumber- 
land, the  Reserv'e  Brigade,  with  the  addition  of  the  loth  N.  Y.  Vols.,  was 
formed  into  a  division  under  Sykes,  which  with  a  division  of  volunteer  in- 
fantry under  Morell,  constituted  the  5th  Provisional  Corps  under  Maj.-Gen. 
Fitz  John  Porter. 

The  1st  Brigade  of  the  Regular  Division  was  under  Lieut.-Col.  Robert  C. 
Buchanan,  4th  Infantry,  with  Capt.  Robert  N.  Scott  as  A.  A.  General,  and 
Lieutenants  Van  Rensselaer  and  Powell  as  aides-de-camp. 

The  brigade  was  made  up  of  the  3d  Infantry,  Captain  Wilkins,  the  4th 
Infantry,  Captain  Collins,  the  ist  Battalion,  12th  Infantry,  Major  H.  B.  Clitz, 
and  the  nine  companies  of  the  14th  Infantry,  Captain  O'Connell. 

The  2d  Brigade  was  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Chap- 
man, and  was  made  up  of  the  2d,  6th,  loth,  17th  and  nth  Infantry  and 
Warren's  Brigade  of  his  own,  the  5th  New  York,  and  Colonel  Bendix's 
loth  New  York. 

Sykes'  Division  took  no  part  in  General  Porter's  fight  at  Hanover, 
against  Branch,  or  in  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  but  remained  quietly  in  camp, 
26th  May  until  the  26th  of  June.  For  two  years  the  history  of  the  regiment 
will  correspond  closely  with  that  of  the  brigade. 

No  better  account  of  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill  can  be  given  than  is  given 
m  the  Official  Report  No.  146,  War  of  the  Rebellion  Records,  S.  i.  Vol. 
xi.,  p.  2,  p.  369. 

He.\dquarters  ist  Batt.  14TH  Inft.  i 

Camp  Near  Tames  River,  Va..         \ 

July  4.   1862.  \ 

Sir  : — In  compliance  with  instructions,  headquarters  of  the  brigade,  I  have  the 
honor  to  submit  the  following  report  ;***** 

June  ^7.— Ordered  across  the  creek  near  Gaines'  Mill,  and  engaged  the  enemy  about 
eleven  o'clock,  A.  M. ,  which  continued  till  dark.  The  greater  part  of  the  day  the  battal- 
ion occupied  the  right  of  the  I2th  Infantry.  I  was  directed  to  throw  back  the  two 
right  companies  to  protect  the  right  flank. 

With  this  formation  I  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy  clear  from  the  field,  following 
them  up  to  the  woods  where  they  suffered  severely. 

I  then  retired  to  the  crest  of  the  hill,  about  200  yards  from  the  woods  in  front,  and 
saw  that  the  3d  Infantry  was  posted  on  the  edge  of  the  woods  on  my  right  flank,  leaving 
some  distance  between  its  left  and  my  right.  Here  a  severe  fire  was  poured  in  on  my 
right  flank  from  the  woods,  which  caused  me  to  change  front  and  drive  them  from 


592  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

that  position.  Again  the  enemy  renewed  their  fire  in  my  front,  when  I  changed  front 
and  completely  routed  them,  clearing  them  from  the  pine  shrubbery  in  front  of  my 
position.  I  then  returned  to  the  crest  of  the  hill,  and  finding  the  I2th  and  3d  Infantry 
had  retired,  that  the  enemy's  infantry  could  not  be  seen,  and  that  their  artillery  had  a 
true  range  of  the  battalion  with  their  shells,  I  retired  also  and  took  my  position  on  the 
right  of  the  12th  Infantry  near  the  woods,  just  below  the  house  near  Edwards'  battery. 
From  this  point  the  battalion  received  a  severe  fire  from  the  woods,  which  was 
vigorously  returned  by  the  battalion,  slowly  retiring  in  good  order  to  the  lane  near  the 
house  referred  to,  where  it  took  up  and  held  a  position  until  the  troops  were  drawn 
from  the  field.  During  this  engagement  five  officers, — Captain  Mcintosh,  Lieutenants 
Sinclair.  McElhone,  Lyon  and  Hoover — were  wounded,  the  last  three  badly.  Eighteen 
enlisted  men  were  killed,  113  wounded,  and  12  missing.  The  list  of  killed  is  probably 
greater  than  here  stated.  The  officers  and  men  behaved  well.  At  night  crossed  the 
Chickahominy  and  encamped  on  the  ground  that  had  been  occupied  by  the  general 
headquarters  near  Savage  Station. 

*  *  *  *  * 

July  I. — Participated  in  the  battle  fought  near  that  camp  (Malvern   Hill)  having  i 
man  killed,  11  wounded  and  i  missing.     At  night  the  ist  Brigade,  which  was  in  ad- 
vance, formed  the  rear  guard,  and  held  the  position  while  the  troops  were  withdrawn, 
and  covered  the  movement  oi  the  army  to  the  rear. 
July  J. — Moved  to  this  camp. 

At  the  battle  of  the  ist  the  battalion  arrived  just  in  time  to  engage  a  regiment  of 
the  enemy,  which  was  completely  routed.  The  officers  and  men  behaved  well.  Captain 
McKibbin,  the  second  in  command,  was  everywhere  his  presence  was  required.  The 
conduct  on  both  the  above  occasions  is  much  to  be  admired.     The  company  officers  in 

their  places  behaved  in  like  manner.     Lieutenant  W absented  himself  from  the 

battalion  on  the  evening  of  the  ist  and  did  not  join  until  near  the  present  camp  and 
could  not  satisfactorily  account  to  me  for  his  absence  from  the  battalion. 
I  am  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  J.  D.  O'Connell, 
Captain  14th  Infantry,  Commanding  Battalion. 
Lieutenant  Powell, 

Adjutant  4th  Infantry,  A.  A.  A.  G.,  First  Brigade  Sykes'  Division. 
P.  S. — At  the  battle  of  July  i,  the  battalion  took  11  prisoners,  who  were  disposed 
of  as  directed  by  the  division  commander. 

Colonel  Buchanan  in  his  report  of  the  seven  days  says  :  "  The  two  old 
regiments,  the  3d  and  4th,  maintained  their  previous  reputation,  and  the  new 
battalions,  the  12th  and  14th,  earned  one  for  themselves."  He  complimented 
by  name  Captains  O'Connell  and  McKibbin,  as  did  also  General  Sykes. 

In  his  report  of  the  battle  of  Malvern,  Sykes  speaks  with  especial  com- 
mendation of  three  well  directed  vollies  which  the  14th  Infantry  poured  into 
a  Confederate  brigade,  charging  near  the  close  of  the  battle,  from  the  ex- 
treme right.  This  brigade  is  believed  to  have  been  Wright's  of  Huger's 
Division,  and  the  regiment  which  suffered  most  from  the  fire  was  the 
"  Louisiana  Tigers." 

The  amended  returns  as  we  now  have  them,  show  that  the  loss  of  the 
regiment  for  the  seven  days  was,  killed,  wounded  and  missing  255,  includ- 
ing Lieutenant  Hoover,  who  died  of  wounds  received  at  Gaines'  Mill.  This 
was  the  heaviest  loss  in  the  division. 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.      593 

The  loss  of  the  brigade  was  567.  But  for  this  a  bloody  retribution  was 
exacted.  The  brigades  of  G.  B.  Anderson  and  Garland  are  known  to  have 
been  the  opponents  of  Buchanan's  Brigade  at  Gaines'  Mill.  Their  official 
loss  is  reported  for  the  first  named,  863,  for  the  second.  844.  About  half  of 
this  loss  was  sustained  at  Gaines'  Mill,  and  the  remaintler  at  Malvern. 

Wright's  Brigade  lost  666  men  at  Malvern,  and  the  "Tigers  "  alone  lost 
167  men.  The  12th  and  14th  had  a  little  side  issue  the  evening  before 
Malvern,  which  is  known  officially  as  Turkey  Bend,  Company  C.  2d  Bat- 
talion, taking  12  prisoners.  After  Gaines'  Mill,  Major  Clitz  and  Captain 
Stanhope  were  left  on  the  field  severely  wounded.  After  our  withdrawal 
they  reported  that  they  were  visited  by  a  number  of  old  army  officers  who 
had  gone  South:  Hill,  Anderson,  Whiting,  Stewart,  and  Jackson  himself. 
All  spoke  with  admiration  of  the  firmness  of  the  Regulars,  and  all  expressed 
sympathy  and  offered  assis%nce,  except  Whiting,  who  was  born  in  Maine. 

At  Harrison's  Landing  the  2d  Battalion  joined  July  5th.  The  com- 
panies reporting  were  A,  B,  D,  E,  F,  G  and  H,  under  Captains  Coppinger, 
Thatcher,  Durkee,  O'Beirne,  Lawrence,  Locke  and  Watson.  Company  C, 
under  Lieutenant  Broadhead,  was  already  there. 

The  regiment  left  Harrison's  Landing  August  15th,  and  proceeded  to 
Aquia  Creek,  marching  thence  with  the  5th  Corps  to  Warrenton,  Va., 
where  it  joined  the  Army  of  Northern  Va.,  under  General  Pope,  the  27th  of 
August.  On  the  30th  of  August,  the  two  battalions  of  the  14th,  in  the  ist 
Brigade,  2d  Division  of  the  5th  Corps,  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Manassas — "  Second  Bull  Run."  The  reports  are  too  full  and  the 
description  of  the  battle  too  complicated  to  be  quoted.  General  Sykes, 
speaking  of  the  attack  made  about  four  o'clock,  in  what  was  called  the 
turning  movement  from  the  right,  says  :  "  Butterfield's  attack  was  gallantly 
made  and  gallantly  maintained  until  his  troops  were  torn  to  pieces.  My 
first  brigade,  under  Buchanan,  moved  to  his  aid,  relieved  him.  and  became 
furiously  engaged." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  Colonel  Buchanan's  report : 

"  As  soon  as  notified  that  I  was  unmasked  by  Butterfield,  I  advanced 
the  two  battalions  of  the  14th  into  and  through  the  woods  to  his  support, 
and  held  them  there  until  after  the  brigade  was  entirely  withdrawn,  when 
my  whole  column  was  ordered  to  the  rear.  While  in  the  woods  we  were 
under  a  most  incessant  fire  of  all  arms,  but  my  officers  and  men  behaved 
admirably.  Here  it  was  that  Captain  O'Connell  of  the  14th  Infantry  was 
wounded  in  the  knee  while  commanding  the  ist  Battalion,  and  Capt.  D.  B. 
McKibbin.  14th  Infantry,  in  the  ear,  while  commanding  the  2d  Battalion." 

After  the  failure  of  this  attack  and  the  enemy  had  begun  their  counter- 
attack, the  first  brunt  of  which  fell  upon  Warren's  Brigade,  the  rest  of  the 
division  was  moved  by  the  Henry  House  Hill,  on  which,  a  little  more  than  a 
year  before,  had  raged  the  fiercest  fighting  in  the  First  Bull  Run. 

The  following  is  an  extract  also  from  Colonel  Buchanan's  report  : 

"  About  6  p.  M.  I  was  ordered  to  take  the  battalions  of  the  1 2th  and  14th 
to  the  woods  to  our  left  and  front  to  support  Meade's  Brigade,  then  severely 
pressed  by  the  enemy;  and  almost  immediately  after  placing  these  troops 
in  position,  I  observed  that  the  3d  and  4th  had  also  been  ordered  up. 


594  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

"  I  found  the  enemy  in  very  strong  force  in  the  woods,  and  during  the 
heat  of  a  very  severe  engagement  discovered  that  he  was  flanking  me  with 
large  masses  of  troops.  I  immediately  commenced  to  gain  ground  to  my 
left  so  as  to  meet  his  movements,  and  held  him  in  check  for  nearly  an  hour. 
But  at  length  I  found  the  contest  too  unequal ;  my  command  was  being 
cut  to  pieces  ;  the  ammunition  of  the  men  nearly  expended  and  the  enemy's 
masses  vastly  outnumbering  my  force.  I  was  forced  to  give  the  order  to 
retire. 

"  This  was  done  in  most  excellent  order,  the  men  marching  steadily  and 
slowly  and  I  resumed  my  position  on  the  plateau. 

"  Shortly  after  I  was  ordered  to  retire  with  my  brigade  to  Centreville, 
which  I  did,  and  reached  the  point  at  lo  o'clock  at  night,  having  the 
entire  brigade  with  me  in  good  order  and  having  left  but  few  stragglers 
behind." 

During  this  fight  the  rebels  in  the  woods  displayed  the  National  colors. 
Captain  O'Connell  rode  forward  to  ascertain  whether  they  were  in  the  hands 
of  friends  or  foes,  when  he  was  fired  on,  again  wounded,  and  his  horse 
killed.  The  two  lines  not  even  forty  yards  apart  fired  into  each  other  by 
vollies.  This  desperate  fighting  was  maintained  for  an  hour.  The  front 
attacks  were  constantly  repulsed,  but  as  the  battle  was  hopelessly  lost,  the 
division  was  slowly  withdrawn  to  Centreville. 

The  officers  of  the  14th  present  in  the  battle  were  as  follows : 

FIRST    BATTALION. 

Capt.  J.  D.  O'Connell  (wounded),  Dr.  Forwood,  Captains  Brown,  Ilges, 
Watson,  Smedberg,  King  and  Burbank ;  Lieutenants  Broadhead,  Walker, 
Sinclair,  Collins  and  Henton,  Loosley  (Adjt.),  and  Krause  (Q.  M.). 

SECOND    BATTALION. 

Captain  D.  B.  McKibbin,  Comdg. 

Captains  Coppinger  (wounded),  Thatcher,  Locke  (wounded),  Durkee, 
Douglass,  Lawrence,  Overton  ;  Lieutenants  Wharton  (wounded).  Porter, 
Vanderslice,  (Adjt.),  and  Downey,  (O.  M.) 

The  loss  of  the  ist  Battalion  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing  out  of  482 
present,  was  129,  and  of  the  2d  Battalion  48  out  of  313  for  duty.  One  offi- 
cer of  the  1st  and  four  of  the  2d  were  wounded.  The  officers  of  both 
battalions  were  commended  in  the  highest  terms  for  their  coolness  and 
bravery. 

'O'Connell  and  McKibbin  were  praised  in  all  reports  for  their  efficiency, 
and  Major  C.  S.  Lovell,  who  was  three  years  after  to  become  the  colonel  of 
the  14th  Infantry,  was  particularly  mentioned  in  General  Sykes'  report  for 
his  conduct. 

The  Confederate  brigades  of  Toombs,  G.  T.  Anderson  and  Cadmus 
Wilcox,  are  now  known  to  have  been  engaged  against  Buchanan's  and 
Lovell's;  their  loss  was  heavy. 

From  Centreville  the  Regular  Division  marched  back  to  Hall's  Hill 
near  the  Chain  Bridge,  over  the  Potomac. 

There  the  2d  Battalion  of  the  12th  Infantry,  with  two  companies  of  the 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       595 

8th,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Anderson,  which  had  been  campaign- 
ing with  Banks'  Corps  of  Pope's  army  reported  and  were  assigned  to  the 
1st  Brigade. 

From  Washington  the  Division  marched  slowly  to  Fredericksburg,  Md., 
and  from  thence  to  South  Mountain,  when  it  was  held  in  reserve  and 
was  for  a  time  under  shell  fire. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  15th,  it  marched  over  the  crest  of  the  hill 
covered  with  the  killed  and  wounded  of  the  battle  of  the  preceding  day, 
and  thence  to  the  Stone  Bridge  over  the  Antietam  Creek  near  Sharps- 
burg. 

Richardson's  Division,  which  had  preceded  Sykes',  formed  to  the  right 
of  the  road  and  the  Regular  Division,  after  turning  the  head  of  the  column 
to  the  left,  came  on  right  into  line  under  a  lively  artillery  fire,  thus  forming 
line  of  battle  with  Buchanan's  right  resting  on  the  Sharpsburg  road. 

In  the  battle  of  Antietam  the  battalions  in  the  ist  Brigade  were  com- 
manded by  captains,  as  follows  :  The  3d,  Wilkins  ;  the  4th,  Dryer  ;  the  ist 
battalion  of  the  12th,  Blunt ;  the  battalions  of  the  8th  and  12th,  Anderson  ; 
the  ist  of  the  14th,  Harvey  Brown  ;  and  the  2d  by  D.  B.  McKibbin. 

In  the  great  battle  of  September  17th,  the  Regular  Division  was  held  in 
reserve  and  in  support  of  the  reserve  artillery  until  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  when  Capt.  Hiram  Dryer  was  ordered  to  cross  the  Antietam 
creek  with  the  2d  and  loth,  the  4th,  12th  and  14th  Infantry. 

These  regiments  supported  Tidball's  batteries,  and  about  sundown  ad- 
vanced and  easily  drove  back  the  enemy  into  the  village  of  Sharpsburg. 
Captain  Dryer  did  not  feel  authorized  to  go  further  without  orders,  and 
applied  for  permission  to  press  his  attack.  It  appears  from  official  reports 
that  General  Pleasanton  also  advised  an  advance.  General  Sykes  told  the 
writer  after  the  war  that  it  was  on  this  occasion  that  General  Fitz  John 
Porter  remmded  General  McClellan  that  his  corps  was  the  last  reserve  of 
the  last  Army  of  the  Republic.  It  is  needless  of  course  to  speculate  on 
what  might  have  been,  but  this  can  be  said,  that  the  Regular  Division  was 
that  day  in  its  best  condition. 

Captain  Dryer  rode  into  the  rebel  lines  and  saw  that  there  were  but  two 
regiments  and  a  battery  left  in  the  centre.  That  night  there  was  gnashing 
of  teeth  in  the  Regular  camp.  A  few  days  after  the  battle,  a  division  forded 
the  Potomac  River  and  made  a  demonstration,  which  led  to  a  partial  en- 
gagement, which  was  called  the  action  of  Leetown.  The  14th  was  in  the 
fight  and  had  a  number  of  men  wounded.  For  nearly  six  weeks  after  the 
battle  our  division  remained  in  camp  refitting,  drilling,  and  doing  picket 
duty.  It  marched  with  McClellan's  forward  movement,  and  at  Snicker's 
Gap,  under  Captain  O'Connell,  who  rejoined  a  few  days  before,  had  a  very 
sad  experience.  A  reconnoissance  was  ordered  from  the  Gap  to  a  ford  on 
the  Shenandoah  by  a  force  made  up  of  a  troop  of  Massachusetts  cavalry, 
the  6th,  7th  and  both  battalions  of  the  14th  Infantry.  The  enemy  was  met 
in  small  force  and  easily  driven  across  the  river.  But  on  the  opposite  bank 
there  was  a  strong  force  of  the  three  arms.  It  was  not  the  intention  to  seri- 
ously engage  this  force,  but  only  to  develop  its  strength.  Unfortunately 
Captain  O'Connell  received  an  order  to  advance  even  after  a  heavy  fire  of 


596  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

artillery  had  been  opened.     He  knew,  as  did  all  his  regiment,  that  some- 
body had  blundered,  but  on  they  went  like  the  Light  Brigade. 

Both  battalions  advanced  in  line  of  battle  to  the  banks  of  the  river 
under  a  terrific  fire,  and  when  ordered  to  retire,  they  marched  back  as 
coolly  as  from  a  parade.  Five  enlisted  men  were  killed,  and  Lieutenant 
Perry  and  twenty-six  were  wounded.  Dr.  Forwood,  on  this  as  on  many  other 
occasions,  showed  the  utmost  zeal,  skill  and  devotion.  Poor  Paddy  O'Con- 
nell  said  after  the  fight  was  over,  the  tears  running  down  his  seared  and 
weather  beaten  face  :  "  I  would  take  the  14th  to  the  gates  of  hell,  but  I  would 
like  to  have  a  chance  to  whip  the  devil  when  I  got  there."  From  Snicker's  Gap 
we  marched  to  Warrenton  Junction,  where  McClellan  was  relieved.  The  reg- 
iment marched  with  its  proper  command  to  Falmouth,  opposite  Fredericks- 
burg. In  the  battle  of  December  13th  it  passed  through  a  very  trying  or- 
deal. With  the  rest  of  the  Regular  Division  it  went  to  the  front  in  the  dusk  of 
the  evening,  between  Hanover  Street  and  the  plank  road.  About  midnight 
we  occupied  the  front  line  some  1 50  yards  from  the  crest  of  the  hill  held  by 
the  Confederate  line. 

This  position  was  kept  for  twenty-four  hours  under  a  galling  fire  which 
could  not  be  efifectively  returned.  On  the  morning  of  the  i6th,  Buchanan's 
brigade  covered  the  retreat  of  the  Army  over  the  river.  Captain  O'Connell 
commanding  the  ist  Battalion  ;  Captain  Overton  was  the  ranking  officer  of 
the  2d  Battalion  but  Captain  Thatcher  was  placed  in  command.  The 
officers  present  with  the  regiment  on  this  occasion  were  Captain  O'Connell, 
commanding  regiment.  Captain  Keyes  acting  field  officer,  ist  Battalion  : 
Co.  A,  Lieut.  Henton  ;  Co.  B,  Lieut.  Walker;  Co.  C,  Lieuts.  Collins  and 
Doebler;  Co.  D,  Lieut.  Bellows;  Co.  E,  Capt.  Burbank ;  Co.  F,  Capt. 
Smedberg  and  Lieut.  Sinclair ;  Co.  G,  Lieut.  Broadhead  ;  Co.  H,  Lieut. 
Moroney  ;  adjutant,  Lieut.  Loosley ;  asst.  surgeon.  Dr.  Bacon.  2d  Battalion : 
Capt.  Overton,  A.  F.  O.;  Capt.  Thatcher,  A.  F.  O.,  commanding  battalion  ; 
Cos.  A  and  H,  Lieut.  Bainbridge  ;  Cos.  B  and  C,  Capt.  Watson ;  Co. 
F,  Lieut.  Porter;  Co.  E,  Lieut.  McKibbin;  Co.  G,  Capt.  Locke;  Co.  D, 
Lieut.  Douglas ;  adjutant,  Lieut.  Vanderslice  ;  asst.  surgeon.  Dr.  Jaquett. 
After  Fredericksburg,  the  regiment  remained  in  camp  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  back  of  Falmouth  until  the  following  May,  with  the  exception  of 
the  episode  known  as  the  Mud  March— a  futile  attempt  to  cross  the  Rappa- 
hannock, January  12th,  1863. 

Our  winter  camp  at  Falmouth  was  a  very  memorable  one  to  all  of  the 
Regulars,  for  it  was  there  we  became  best  acquainted  with  each  other.  But 
the  members  of  the  ist  Brigade  became  particularly  well  acquainted  with 
"  Old  Buck,"  as  Colonel  Buchanan  was  playfully  called.  It  was  then  and 
there  that  he  first  had  a  good  chance  at  us.  He  soon  took  us  in  hand  and  we 
began  to  find  out  what  discipline  was,  what  army  papers  were,  and,  as  he 
cheerfully  assured  us,  that  the  regulations  were  not  made  for  brigadier 
generals.  But  alas  for  army  jesting,  the  veteran  discovered  before  the 
end  of  his  career,  that  even  a  hero  of  three  wars  could  be  forced  to  retire 
under  the  regulations  sorely  against  his  will. 

During  the  winter  we  had  no  end  of  fatigue  and  picket  duty,  drills  and 
recitation.     By  way  of  diversion,  there  was  poker-play  at  night  and  horse 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.       597 

racing,  steeple  chasing,  and  shooting  matches  by  day.  Wc  harl  also  sing- 
ing clubs,  and  grotesque  societies.  These  were  the  last  days  of  commi.ssary 
whiskey,  and  the  good  fellows  of  Sykes'  division  are  not  likely  to  forget  one 
celebration  in  Snip  Snyder's  commissary  tent,  which  brought  the  division 
commander  around  about  2  o'clock  one  night  with  the  inquiry:  "Gentle- 
men, what  is  the  occasion  of  this  sudden  outburst  of  inebriety.'" 

But  as  Fighting  Joe  Hooker  had  been  put  in  command,  we  knew  that 
the  "general  "  would  be  sounded  in  our  camp  early  in  the  spring.  It  came 
the  last  week  in  April. 

Before  this,  many  changes  had  been  made.  General  Meade  had 
been  placed  in  command  of  the  5th  Corps,  General  Warren  had  been 
placed  on  the  headquarters  stafT,  Colonel  Buchanan  had  been  relieved  and 
General  Ayres  had  assumed  command  of  our  brigade. 

Captain  O'Connell  had  gone  on  recruiting  service  and  Captain  Hager 
had  assumed  command  of  the  regiment  in  the  field.  On  the  first  of 
March,  1863,  there  was  a  consolidation  of  companies  in  the  Regular  Divi- 
sion, and  two  battalions  of  the  14th  were  reduced  to  one  battalion  of  eight 
companies,  A,  B,  D,  E,  F  and  G  of  the  ist,  and  F  and  G  of  the  2d. 

The  officers  were  Captains  Hager,  Brown,  Thatcher,  Norton,  Ilges, 
Coppinger,  Lawrence,  Clay,  McCall  and  Lieuts.  Downey,  McKibbin,  Weir, 
Tom  Collins,  Sinclair,  Miller,  Foote,  Porter,  Vernon,  McClintock  and 
Douglas  ;  Captain  Joe  Locke  was  on  the  brigade  staff.  Camp  was  broken 
for  the  Chancellorsville  campaign  April  27th  ;  we  crossed  Ely's  Ford  of  the 
Rapidan  on  the  night  of  the  29th,  the  men,  stripping  to  the  buflf,  wading 
through  with  shouts  and  laughter.  On  the  morning  of  the  ist  of  May  the 
Regular  Division  marched  down  the  Fredericksburg  pike,  to  meet  McLaws' 
division  coming  up.  The  second  brigade,  then  much  reduced  in  num- 
bers, was  in  advance  as  skirmishers.  The  12th  and  14th  marched 
after  them  in  line  of  battle  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  road.  We 
soon  met  the  enemy  and  drove  them  before  us  for  more  than  a  mile 
with  a  perfect  rush.  The  men  were  full  of  fight  and  moved  with  alacrity. 
In  the  first  rush  a  whole  company  was  captured.  We  were  halted  in  line 
near  the  cross-roads,  leading  to  Banks' Ford.  But,  alas,  we  were  ordered 
back.  Then  there  was  heard  cursing  and  grumbling  from  the  Regulars, 
not  at  being  ordered  into  danger,  but  at  being  ordered  out.  All  knew  too 
well  that  again  somebody  had  blundered.  In  the  dusk  of  the  evening  we 
were  placed  in  a  new  position  facing  the  woods  beyond  the  plank  road. 
Here  a  brigade  of  the  enemy  ran  on  us,  I  think  by  mere  chance.  The  5th 
New  York  (the  Red  Legs),  had  a  sharp  fight,  but  the  rest  of  us  only  fired  a 
few  volleys  which  sent  our  opponents  to  the  right-about.  While  this  was 
going  on  I  heard  a  chaplain  shouting  out  behind  us  :  "  Give  'em  Hell,  boys  ; 
give  'em  Hell,  and  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  their  souls." 

But,  alas,  how  terribly  is  the  comedy  and  tragedy  of  war  inter- 
mingled. 

With  almost  the  last  volley  of  the  fight  gallant  young  Temple,  the  darling 
of  the  17th,  was  killed.  Then  Jerry  McKibbin,  a  brave  and  generous  man, 
dashed  into  the  line  and  carried  Temple's  body  out  on  his  horse.  It  was 
buried  that  night  at  the  foot  of  a  tall,  solitary  pine,  while  Weed's  Battery, 


598  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

that  stood  near,  sent  shell  after  shell  into  the  enemy's  lines.  The  whole 
scene  reminded  us  all  of  the  funeral  of  Sir  John  Moore. 

When  the  i  ith  Corps  broke,  two  days  after,  we  were  hurried  over  at  the 
double  to  take  the  right  of  the  line,  but  we  had  a  mere  skirmish.  The  regiment 
lost  one  officer  (Overton)  wounded,  five  enlisted  men  killed  and  six  wounded. 
Major  Giddings  arrived  just  after  the  battle  and  assumed  command.  After 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  returned  to  the  north  of  the  Rappahannock,  foiled 
but  not  defeated,  the  Regular  Division  resumed  its  old  camps.  We  had 
sustained  but  little  loss  from  the  enemy,  but  our  ranks  were  severely  de- 
pleted from  other  causes.  The  loss  from  desertion  was  very  great  and 
most  discouraging,  and  we  were  getting  but  few  recruits  to  make  up  for  our 
losses.  The  14th  had  lost  as  many  as  seventy-two  in  a  single  month.  The 
total  in  the  year  was  four  hundred  and  thirty-one. 

Immense  local  bounties  were  being  paid  all  over  the  country  for  men  to 
fill  the  volunteer  regiments,  and  the  Government  bounty  of  $200,  which 
was  all  that  could  be  given  for  enlistment  in  the  Regular  Army,  was  no 
inducement  to  men  who  could  get  from  $1000  to  $2000.  Hundreds  of  men 
left  us  to  go  and  enlist  under  assumed  names  elsewhere.  Then,  of  course, 
many  were  discharged  for  disability.  At  the  same  time  many  officers  were 
sent  away  from  us  on  detached  service.  Here  a  short  description  of  the 
general  method  of  campaigning  followed  in  the  later  operations  of  the  War 
may  not  be  out  of  place. 

Each  regiment  or  full  battalion  had  two  wagons  for  the  companies  and 
one  for  headquarters  and  hospital,  unless  the  command  was  small,  when 
the  third  wagon  was  dispensed  with.  Officers'  messes  generally  had  a 
sumpter  horse  or  mule  of  their  own  that  followed  the  column.  In  the  last 
year  of  the  War,  when  mules  got  scarce  and  darkies  were  plenty,  these  sable 
strikers  often  carried  the  stewpans  and  provender.  In  the  immediate 
presence  of  the  enemy  shelter  tents  were  used  by  all.  Camps  were  gener- 
ally made  by  regiments  in  columns  of  divisions,  winter  cantonments 
were  larger,  cribs  were  put  under  the  tents,  or  small  log  houses  made 
or  "  dug-outs  "  were  substituted  if  the  camp  was  on  a  hill  side.  Some 
of  the  sutlers  were  very  enterprising  and  had  reasonably  good  stock  of 
staple  articles.  If  all  else  failed,  they  generally  had  whiskey  and  gin  cock- 
tails. 

The  camp  ration  was  generally  cofifee  and  hard  tack,  beef  or  bacon, 
beans  and  rice. 

Unless  the  march  was  to  be  a  secret  one  the  "general  "  was  sounded  at 
corps  headquarters  and  repeated  in  rapid  succession  at  division,  brigade 
and  regimental  headquarters,  and  was  succeeded  for  a  few  minutes  by  a 
pandemonium  of  shouts,  yells,  cat  calls,  barkings  and  the  like.  Thiswould 
be  followed  by  a  period  of  well  systematized  activity,  which  caused  the 
most  elaborate  camps  to  disappear  like  a  mist. 

Tours  of  picket  duty  lasted  three  days  when  in  permanent  camp.  As  a 
rule  Mahan's  system  of  outpost  duty  was  pretty  closely  followed. 

The  march  to  Gettysburg  began  June  13th,  the  regiment  marching  with 
the  Division  to  Manassas  Junction  and  Leesburg,  Va.;  crossing  the  Potomac 
near  Edwards'  Ferry,  it  marched  thence  through  Frederick,  Md.,  to  Han- 


FO  UR  TEEN  Til  RE  GIMEN  T  OF  IN  FA  N  TR  Y.      5  99 

over,  Pa.,  arriving  there  on  July  isl,  to  learn  that  the  fighting  had  ijcgun  at 
Gettysburg. 

A  night  march  was  made  and  the  command  bivouacked  within  ten 
miles  of  the  field  of  battle. 

About  noon  of  the  second  day's  battle,  the  5th  Corps  reached  the 
field.  It  was  held  in  reserve  until  the  disaster  to  the  3d  Corps  and  the 
attack  on  the  Round  Top.     Doubleday  gives  this  account  of  the  fight : 

"  Then  Ayres,  who  had  been  at  the  turning  point  of  so  many  battles, 
went  in  with  his  fine  division  of  Regulars,  commanded  by  Day  and  Bur- 
bank,  officers  of  courage  and  long  experience  in  warfare.  He  struck  the 
enemy  in  flank  who  were  pursuing  Caldwell,  and  who  would,  have  renewed 
the  attack  on  Little  Round  Top,  doubled  them  up,  and  drove  them  back  to 
the  position  Caldwell  had  left.  But  his  line,  from  the  nature  of  things,  was 
untenable,  for  a  rebel  brigade  with  ample  supports  had  formed  on  his  right 
rear,  so  that  nothing  remained  but  to  face  about  and  fight  his  way  home 
again.  This  was  accomplished  with  the  tremendous  loss  of  fifty  per  cent, 
of  his  command  in  killed  and  wounded." 

Major  Giddings,  in  command  of  the  14th  Infantry,  reported  a  loss  of  141 
officers  and  men.  The  amended  report  of  casualties  in  the  War  Records 
gives  the  loss  as  18  men  killed,  2  officers  wounded  (Captain  Locke  and 
Lieutenant  Douglas),  and  108  men  wounded  and  4  missing  ;  a  total  of 
132.     There  were  present  in  action  490  men. 

A  great  loss  to  the  regiment  was  their  Lieut-Colonel,  Gen.  John  F. 
Reynolds,  killed  in  action  July  ist.  commanding  his  corps. 

After  Gettysburg  the  regiment  marched  in  the  5th  Corps  to  Williams- 
port,  where  Lee  escaped  across  the  Potomac  ;  then  to  Berlin,  where  the 
Potomac  was  crossed,  and  so  on  to  the  Rappahannock. 

On  August  13,  the  brigade  was  sent  to  New  York  City  to  maintain  order 
and  prevent  a  recurrence  of  the  draft  riots.  All  actual  rioting  and  resistance 
to  the  civil  authorities  had  ceased  before  its  arrival.  After  remaining  a 
month  in  camp  at  Madison  Square,  the  14th  went  to  the  front,  going  into 
camp  near  Culpepper  on  September  24. 

The  regiment  took  part  in  the  so-called  Mine  Run  campaign  ;  during  the 
winter  of  1863-64,  with  the  other  regiments  of  the  Regular  Brigade,  it  was 
engaged  in  guarding  the  line  of  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  R.  R.  In  this 
duty  it  had  many  conflicts  with  rebel  raiders  and  bushwhackers. 

Any  of  the  latter  class  caught  in  an  attempt  to  burn  bridges  or  to  de- 
troy  the  railway,  were,  under  existing  orders,  hung  at  sight. 

Preceding  the  campaign  of  1864,  a  number  of  conscripts  were  received 
and  distributed.  Ours  were  drafted  for  us  in  the  District  of  Columbia. 
Towards  spring  a  number  of  convalescents  returned  from  hospitals,  and  by 
the  end  of  April,  the  14th  had  one  battalion  of  about  550  men  present  for 
duty. 

In  Grant's  Wilderness  campaign,  the  old  Regular  Division  was  melted 
down  into  one  brigade  and  so  weak  had  the  regiments  become  that  three 
volunteer  regiments  were  added.  These  were  the  140th  and  i46ih  New 
York,  and  155th  Pennsylvania.  The  Regular  Army  was  represented  by 
battalions  of  the  2d,  nth.  12th  and  14th  Infantry.  The  battalion  of  the  14th 


6oo  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

under  Captain  E.  McK.  Hudson,  was  made  up  of  A,  C,  D,  G  and  H  of  the 
I  St  and  Cos.  A,  B  and  C,  2d  Battalion.  Captain  Hudson,  a  graduate  of  the 
Military  Academy,  had  served  two  years  in  the  3d  Artillery  before  the  War. 
In  his  old  regiment  he  was  called  cool  and  handsome.  He  proved  a  dash- 
ing and  brave  commander  for  the  regiment,  and  did  much  during  the  winter 
to  bring  it  up  to  a  high  state  of  efficiency. 

When  camp  was  broken  on  the  3d  of  May  the  following  officers  were 
present:  Hudson,  Keyes,  Miller,  Ilges,  Burbank,  Brady,  C.  McKibbin, 
Perry,  Sinclair,  Tom  Collins,  Broadhead,  John  Clay,  Krause  and  Drake 
DeKay;  Coppinger,  Smedberg  and  Choisy  were  with  the  division  on  staff 
duty.  On  the  morning  of  May  5th  there  were  516  enlisted  men  present  to 
fight. 

At  an  early  hour  Griffin's  Division  started  from  the  Lacy  House  up  the 
Orange  plank  road  with  Ayres'  Brigade  in  advance.  We  had  not  far  to  go 
before  we  met  Jones'  Brigade  of  Johnson's  Division  of  Ewell's  Corps.  At 
the  point  of  contact,  the  14th  Infantry  was  drawn  up  across  the  road  in  line 
of  battle.  The  12th  Infantry  was  in  line  on  the  right  in  heavy  timber,  and 
the  volunteer  regiments  forming  a  second  line.  The  6th  Corps  should  have 
been  on  our  right,  but  was  not.  The  regiment  had  a  cleared  field  in  its 
front,  and  the  Confederate  line  was  two  hundred  yards  away  on  the  far  side 
of  the  field.  A  section  of  artillery  was  in  the  road.  Without  waiting  a 
moment  Hudson  ordered  and  led  a  charge  at  the  double.  The  regiments 
to  the  right  and  left  could  not  keep  up  on  account  of  the  tangle  of  brush 
they  were  in.  The  12th  on  the  right  was  soon  attacked  in  front,  flank  and 
rear  and  had  a  hand  to  hand  fight  with  Jones'  Virginians.  The  14th  broke 
the  line  in  their  front  without  firing  a  shot,  but  were  compelled  to  retire 
slowly  by  Stewart's  North  Carolina  men,  who  came  to  reinforce  Jones.  We 
all  had  to  fall  back  until  we  found  a  cross  road  on  which  we  could  reform. 
Then  the  fight  was  kept  up  until  night.  There  was  not  a  more  brilliant 
charge  than  that  made  by  the  14th,  but  it  paid  dearly  for  the  glory  of 
driving  the  Stonewall  division  ;  Hudson,  Smedberg  and  Broadhead  were 
wounded,  and  Captain  Burbank  and  Lieutenant  Tom  Collins  were  killed. 
Lieutenant  Collins'  body  is  believed  to  have  been  burnt  up  in  the  burning 
woods  ;  it  was  never  found. 

The  loss  during  the  month  was  240  enlisted  men,  killed,  wounded  and 
missing.  On  the  6th,  the  fight  was  in  burning  woods  and  suffocating 
smoke.  On  the  8th,  after  the  rest  of  the  5th  Corps  moved  to  Spottsylva- 
nia,  the  12th  and  14th  Infantry  remained  behind  with  Bartlett's  Brigade  of 
our  division  to  hold  the  right  of  the  line.  Patrick's  provost  guard  brought 
up  a  large  detachment  of  cofTee  coolers,  who  were  put  in  our  ranks.  After 
this  we  had  a  little  private  fight  of  our  own  with  one  of  Ewell's  divisions. 

At  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania,  Lieut.  John  K.  Clay  was  killed,  Captain 
Keyes  mortally,  and  Lieutenant  Sinclair  severely  wounded;  twelve  enlisted 
men  were  killed  and  eighty-three  wounded  in  the  battle. 

The  fate  of  Captain  Keyes  was  inexpressibly  sad.  He  received  a  terrible 
gunshot  wound  just  above  the  heart. 

He  was  taken  to  a  field  hospital  and  laid  on  a  bed  of  leaves  with  an  offi- 
cer of  the  1 2th  Infantry  who  had  been  wounded  about  the  same  time.  There 


FO  UR  TRENT  I  I  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.      60 


was  serious  apprehension  that  the  hospital  antl  its  inmates  might  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  So  the  12th  Infantry  olTicer  made  a  masonic  sij^'n 
to  a  sanitary  commission  official,  and  appealed  to  him  to  get  him  back  to 
Fredericksburg.  Keyes,  utterly  helpless,  whispered:  "Vouch  for  me  as  a 
Templar."  The  good  Samaritan  came  and  said,  "  My  poor  brother,  you 
cannot  be  moved."  Then  Keyes  whispered,  "Tell  him  I  have  just  been 
married.  I  know  I  cannot  live,  but  I  must  see  her  again  before  I  die."  The 
Templar  turned  away  weeping,  but  soon  an  ambulance  was  taking  the  two 
officers  to  the  rear.  Captain  Keyes  did  see  his  young  bride  again— his  lov- 
ing young  wife  so  soon  to  be  a  widow. 

On  May  i8th,  Capt.  D.  B.  McKibbin   reported  and  assumed  command. 
The  regiment  did  some  good  service  at  the  battle  of  North  Anna.     The 
brigade  crossed  at  the  Jericho  ford  and  got  in  some  telling  work  on  Cadmus 
Wilcox's  Division,  making  a  return  call  for  their  Henry  House  visit  at  Man- 
assas. 

In  the  fight  at  Bethesda  Church,  the  regiment  lost  six  or  seven  men 
killed,  and  Captain  McKibbin  was  taken  prisoner,  but  the  regiment  gave  as 
good  as  it  got. 

On  June  2d  an  attempt  was  made  to  withdraw  the  9th  Corps  from  the 
right  of  line  and  to  march  it  to  Cold  Harbor,  but  the  enemy  at  once  rushed 
over  our  intrenchments  and  got  in  rear  of  Ayres'  Brigade,  which,  however, 
changed  front  and  drove  them  back,  but  in  making  this  change  of  front,  a 
few  were  taken  prisoners.  No  precaution  seemed  to  have  been  taken  to 
protect  his  flank,  nor  did  the  general  staf!  of  the  Army  see  that  movements 
were  so  co-ordinated  as  to  guard  against  such  surprises.  We  lost  thousands 
of  prisoners  and  many  valuable  lives  from  this  method  of  issuing  orders 
and  then  trusting  to  luck  that  they  would  be  properly  and  successfully  car- 
ried out. 

Captain  Thatcher  took  command  and  under  him  the  regiment  marched 
to  Petersburg,  and  was  next  seriously  engaged  in  the  attack  on  the  enemy's 
intrenchments,  on  June  iSth  and  19th,  in  which  we  lost  one  officer  wounded 
and  24  men.* 

At  the  battle  of  Weldon  R.  R.,  August  iSth  to  19th,  Captain  Ingraham 
was  in  command  until  on  account  of  sickness  he  relinquished  command  to 
Lieutenant  Foote. 

On  the  first  day,  the  brigade  under  Hayes  repulsed  a  fierce  attack  of 
Mahone's  Confederate  Division. 

The  loss  of  the  regiment  was  severe,  particularly  in  officers.  Captain 
O'Beirne  and  Lieutenant  Perry  were  wounded  on  stafT  duty,  and  Lieuten- 
ants Foote  and  Weir  with  the  regiment,  and  Lieutenant  Brady  was  missing. 
That  night  there  was  but  one  officer  for  duty ;  four  officers  of  other  regi- 
ments were  attached  (Lieutenants  White,  Jackson,  Smith  and  DriscoU). 

The  next  day  the  Confederates  worked  their  way  through  the  thick 
woods  and  got  in  rear  of  the  brigade,  and  the  whole  line  charged  to  the 
rear  losing  many  prisoners,  but  capturing  some.     The  hand  to  hand  fight- 


*  The  regiment  advanced  as  skirmishers  on  the  brigade  front.  Fort  Sedgwick,  better  known  as 
Fort  Hell,  was  subsequently  built  on  the  ground  where  our  skirmishers  made  their  fox  pits  in 
front  of  the  Confederate  Fort  Damnation. 


6o2  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ing  in  the  woods  was  of  the  most  desperate  character.  Captain  Newburg 
of  the  1 2th  was  killed  after  he  was  wounded  and  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  Sergeant  La  Belle,  one  of  the  color  sergeants  of  the  14th  In- 
fantry, saved  his  color,  although  he  was  severely  wounded.  Sergeant  Ovila 
Cayer  of  Company  A,  in  saving  one  of  the  colors  showed  such  conspicuous 
valor  that  he  received  a  medal  of  honor. 

On  the  19th  Lieut.  Chambers  McKibbin  was  wounded  and  the  regiment 
had  no  of^cer  of  its  own  for  duty.  On  the  21st  the  lines  were  fully  re-es- 
tablished and  thereafter  held.  The  loss  of  the  regiment  was  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing  out  of  295  present  for  duty. 

The  next  battle  in  which  the  regiment  was  engaged  was  on  Sept.  30th, 
1864,  at  Poplar  Grove  Church  or  Chappel's  House,  which  was  fought  over 
the  ground  on  which  the  National  Cemetery  near  Petersburg  is  located. 
The  regiment  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Sinclair.  The  12th  Infantry 
was  also  commanded  by  a  Lieutenant  Winston,  who  was  killed  there.  This 
last  fight  was  a  victory  in  which  our  loss  was  small,  only  two  killed,  and 
that  of  the  enemy  severe.  Private  Robert  Wright  of  the  regiment  received 
a  medal  of  honor  for  gallantry  in  the  battle.  A  number  of  officers  soon 
after  reported:  Captain  McClintock  and  Lieutenants  Krause,  Downey, 
Bellows,  Loosley  and  Browning. 

The  last  battle  of  the  Rebellion  in  which  the  regiment  took  part  was  the 
action  at  Hatcher's  Run,  to  the  west  of  the  Petersburg  lines,  Oct.  27,  1864. 
For  some  unaccountable  reason  the  War  Department  has  refused  to  give 
the  Regular  regiments  credit  for  this  engagement.  Yet  the  Regular  Brig- 
ade was  there,  held  in  reserve  on  the  bank  of  the  creek  within  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  firing  line,  and  under  fire  at  Armstrong's  Mill  Crossing.*  The 
loss  of  Ayres'  Division  was  229  men. 

Gen.  Fred.  Winthrop,  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  brilliant  captains  of 
the  1 2th  Infantry,  who  had  been  made  colonel  of  the  5th  New  York  and 
then  a  brigadier-general  of  volunteers,  had  command  of  the  Brigade,  The 
regiment  remained  in  the  field  until  the  first  of  November,  when  it  was 
ordered  North.  First  it  was  sent  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  it  remained  until 
after  the  presidential  election.  For  a  few  days  the  headquarters  and  the 
first  battalion  were  located  at  Fort  Wadsworth,  from  thence  they  were 
transferred  to  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  where  the  warriors  made  the  acquaintance  of 
their  new  major,  Gurden  Chapin,  who  began  at  once  to  tighten  the  reins  of 
discipline. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  transferred  back  to  Fort  Trum- 
bull on  the  nth  of  Jan.,  1865.  but  the  first  battalion  remained  at  Camp 
Chemung,  near  Elmira,  under  Capt.  D.  B.  McKibbin,  until  it  was  transferred 
to  Hart's  Island,  Feb.  20th.  This  battalion  was  placed  under  the  command 
of  Major  E.  McK.  Hudson,  ordered  to  the  field  in  March  and  arrived  at  City 
Point  April  4th,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  as  one  of  the  Provost  Guard  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  On  the  9th  it  appears  that  they  proceeded  out  to 
Burkesville  Junction  ;  from  thence  joined  the  headquarters  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  They  marched  with  that  army  to  Richmond,  Va.,  and  at  a 
grand  review  of  the  Army  as  it  marched  through  the  capital  of  the  fallen 
*  Humphreys  "Va.  Campaign,"  p.  302. 


FO  UR  TEEN  TH  RE  GIMEN  T  OF  IN  FA  N  TR  V.      60  3 

Confederacy,  the  14111  Infantry  was  given  the  right  of  the  line  by  the  express 
order  of  Major-Gencral  Meade,  who  said  to  Major  Hudson,  then  command- 
ing it :  "  The  14th  Infantry  has  always  been  in  front  in  battle  and  deserves 
the  honor." 

After  that  the  regiment  remained  in  Richmond  on  provost  duty. 

The  oflicers  of  the  regiment  in  the  field  in  April,  were  Captains  Hudson, 
O'Connell,  Brown,  Krause,  McClintock,  Overton  and  Clay  and  Lieutenants 
Browning,  Vernon,  P.  Collins,  Porter,  Lord,  Mills,  Choisy  and  Henton. 

The  review  in  Richmond,  before  General  Halleck,  marked  the  termina- 
tion of  the  war  service  of  the  regiment  in  the  Rebellion.  Ten  officers,  and 
158  enlisted  men  were  killed  in  battle  and  206  died  of  disease  or  from  acci- 
dents incident  to  the  Service,  making  a  total  of  374  in  the  War  ;  a  heavier 
loss  than  was  sustained  by  any  regiment  in  the  Service  of  similar  enlisted 
strength.  Compared  with  all  the  infantry  regiments  mustered  into  the 
Government  service  it  stands  number  47  in  aggregate  loss ;  in  this  num- 
ber six  colored  regiments  are  included,  which  sustained  but  a  small  loss  in 
battle,  but  a  frightful  loss  by  disease.  The  loss  of  the  14th  from  this  cause 
was  very  small. 

There  is  no  mathematical  measure  of  merit.  In  civilized  warfare  you 
cannot  kill  without  taking  your  chances  of  being  killed,  otherwise,  war  would 
be  butchery  not  bravery.  It  is  some  consolation,  however,  to  know  that  you 
have  inflicted  as  great  or  a  greater  loss  than  you  have  sustained.  But  in  fact 
both  of  these  tests  are  fallacious.  The  men  who  maintain  their  discipline 
when  others  are  shaken,  w^ho  show  fortitude  in  misfortune  when  others  are 
discouraged,  and  bravery  and  enthusiasm  in  danger  when  others  are  ap- 
palled, are  the  men  who  deserve  honor  and  renown. 

Before  passing  to  the  frontier  history  of  the  regiment,  it  seems  proper  to 
refer  briefly  to  the  records  of  a  few  officers  who  although  they  belonged  to 
the  regiment  did  not  actually  serve  with  it. 

A  few  days  after  the  battle  of  the  Weldon  Railroad,  General  Stone  came 
to  regimental  headquarters  in  the  field.  General  Hays  had  been  taken  pris- 
oner and  the  brigade  was  under  the  command  of  a  volunteer  colonel.  General 
Stone  reported  as  a  colonel,  having  resigned  his  volunteer  commission,  but 
his  rank  would  have  given  him  the  command  of  the  brigade.  As  soon  as 
this  was  ascertained  he  was  ordered  back  to  Army  headquarters  on  some 
nominal  duty. 

Few  men  were  more  likeable  than  our  first  colonel,  and  few  men  had 
warmer  friends.  Yet  from  the  first  he  was  doomed  to  misfortune.  After 
the  unfortunate  battle  of  Ball's  BlufT,  the  friends  of  Colonel  and  Senator 
Baker  blamed  General  Stone  for  mismanagement  and  to  this  the  more 
serious  charge  of  disloyalty  was  added  and  pressed  by  Senator  Sumner  and 
Governor  Andrew  of  Massachusetts.  This  allegation  seems  to  have  no 
other  foundation  than  an  uncertain  story,  that  General  Stone  while  com- 
manding the  line  of  the  Potomac  above  Poolesville,  Maryland,  let  some 
negro  servants  of  a  rebel  family  in  Leesburg,  pass  in  and  out  of  the  lines  by 
his  authority.  When  this  statement  was  referred  to  him,  he  indignantly  re- 
fused to  make  an  explanation  to  a  charge  that  was  really  anonymous  although 
urged  by  a  senator  and  a  governor.     He  was  not  sustained  by  General  Mc- 


6o4  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Clellan,  was  put  in  arrest  and  sent  to  Fort  Lafayette  and  afterwards  to  Fort 
Hamilton.  As  is  known  to  all  he  never  could  get  a  trial,  or  an  investiga- 
tion. With  singular  inconsistency  General  McClellan  recommended  him 
for  a  corps  commander.  Subsequently  when  he  was  made  chief  of  stafiE  in 
the  Department  of  the  Gulf,  General  Banks  made  himself  responsible  for 
his  loyalty. 

After  the  Red  River  expedition  General  Stone  was  again  made  a  scape- 
goat. He  was  succeeded  as  colonel  by  Gen.  Gabriel  R.  Paul,  who  never 
reported,  as  he  had  lost  his  sight  by  a  terrible  wound  received  at  Gettys- 
burg. 

General  Sykes,  the  senior  major  of  the  regiment,  never  reported  as 
such,  but  commanded  it  as  division  and  corps  commander  in  many  battles. 
He  was  a  model  infantry  officer. 

Colonel  John  H.  King,  who  succeeded  General  Reynolds  as  lieutenant- 
colonel,  never  reported.  Major  Levi  Bootes  never  served  with  the  14th 
Infantry  in  the  field,  but  he  had  served  up  to  the  date  of  his  promotion  as 
senior  captain,  commanding  the  6th  Infantry. 

FRONTIER   SERVICE. 

In  some  way  it  became  known  before  the  order  was  issued  that  the  14th 
Infantry  would  be  designated  for  a  tour  of  duty  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

After  the  disbanding  of  the  volunteer  forces  many  wild  characters  found 
their  way  into  the  ranks  of  all  the  Regular  regiments.  Some  of  these  men 
had  done  good  service  in  the  field,  biit  they  adopted  a  theory  that  as  the 
War  was  over,  discipline  would  be  relaxed  and  that  they  should  be  per- 
mitted to  have  what  they  were  pleased  to  call  "  a  high  old  time."  Nor  was 
this  pleasing  theory  confined  to  the  ranks  ;  a  number  of  officers  came  to 
grief  from  practices  under  an  epicurean  philosophy  which  the  War  Depart- 
ment deemed  "  more  honored  in  the  breach  than  in  observance."  Thus  it 
happened  that  the  14th  got  more  than  its  share  of  Bacchanalian  warriors. 

In  the  last  week  of  July  the  2d  Battalion  left  Richmond  for  New  York 
City,  followed  in  a  few  days  by  the  ist.  Both  assembled  at  Hart's  Island, 
where  they  made  their  preparations  for  a  trip  to  California  via  Panama. 
From  the  2d  Battalion  alone,  221  men  deserted  in  two  weeks.  They  were 
all  reported  as  bounty  jumpers,  assigned  just  before  the  close  of  the  War. 

It  sailed  from  New  York  City  on  August  15,  1865,  under  Major  Louis 
H.  Marshall.  This  officer  only  reported  for  duty  a  few  days  before,  having 
been  on  staflf  duty  as  colonel,  A.  D.  C,  up  to  the  28th  of  the  preceding 
July,  In  passing  over  the  Isthmus,  the  new  men  gave  proof  of  their  quality, 
for  they  proposed  to  take  Aspinwall  and  Panama,  and  it  was  only  by  the 
courageous  and  forcible  efforts  of  the  officers,  non-com.  officers  and  old 
soldiers  that  the  unruly  element  was  subdued  and  the  battalion  safely  em- 
barked on  the  Pacific  side. 

Col.  Chas.  S.  Lovell,  who  had  been  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  the 
regiment  upon  the  retirement  of  General  Paul  on  February  16,  1865,  re- 
ported for  duty  at  Hart's  Island,  N.  Y.  H.,  August  28,  1865.  He  was  the 
first  full  colonel  to  assume  command  of  the  regiment  since  its  reorganiza- 
tion.     The  organization  of  the  Third  Battalion  was  begun  and  vigorously 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.      605 

pressed.  At  the  same  time  the  First  BattalitJii  was  tilled  up,  and  on  Octo- 
ber i6th  the  field,  stad  and  band  of  the  regiment  and  four  companies  of  the 
1st  Battalion,  E,  F,  G  and  H,  under  Colonel  Lovell,  left  New  York  and 
landed  in  San  Francisco,  November  12th,  taking  station  temporarily  at  the 
Presidio.     Cos.  A,  B,  C  and  D  followed  two  weeks  later. 

The  Third  Battalion,  under  Major  Chapin,  followed  in  November,  arriv- 
ing at  San  Francisco  early  in  December.  Here  there  was  an  outburst  of 
turbulent  hilarity  which  manifested  itself  chiefly  in  cutting  off  the  pigtails 
of  the  Pagans.  The  battalion  was  hurried  away  to  Arizona,  where  the  ex- 
uberance of  the  young  warriors  could  find  less  objectionable  play  in  cutting 
off  the  scalp-locks  of  Apaches.  The  headquarters  of  the  battalion  under 
Major  Chapin  was  fixed  at  Goodwin,  with  companies  detached  to  Critten- 
den, Lowell,  Grant  and  Bowie. 

In  October  of  1865,  the  Second  Battalion,  under  Major  Marshall,  had  been 
sent  to  the  Department  of  the  Columbia,  the  officers  for  duty  being  Captains 
Ross,  Coppinger,  O'Beirne  and  Walker,  and  Lieutenants  Henton,  Mc- 
Kibbin,  Wharton,  Porter,  Perry,  Collins,  Tobey  and  Kistler.  Colonel  Lovell 
soon  followed  with  his  regimental  staff,  Downey  and  Bainbridge,  establish- 
ing headquarters  at  Fort  Vancouver,  December  8th. 

In  January  of  1866,  the  ist  Battalion,  under  Major  Hudson,  was  ordered 
to  Drum  Barracks  and  from  thence  to  Fort  Yuma,  California,  at  which 
post  the  headquarters  of  the  battalion  was  established  February  6th,  Co.'s 
A,  B,  C,  G  and  H  constituting  the  infantry  garrison,  Co.'s  E  and  F  having 
been  left  at  Drum  Barracks,  and  Co.  D  sent  to  Date  Creek.  On  the  17th 
Captain  O'Connell  succeeded  to  the  command.  Subsequently  Co.  H  was 
sent  to  Date  Creek,  and  B  and  D  to  McDowell.  In  October  the  head- 
quarters of  the  battalion  were  at  Fort  Whipple  with  Captain  Krause  in 
command. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  remained  at  Vancouver  Barracks 
until  June,  1866,  when  it  was  ordered  to  San  Francisco  and  thence  to 
Arizona,  where  it  was  established  September  6,  1866.  The  band  was  left  at 
Fort  Yuma. 

In  January,  1867,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  was  transferred  to 
Camp  Lowell,  Tucson,  Arizona,  where  January  23,  1867,  the  provision  of  the 
act  of  Congress  of  July  28,  1866,  altering  the  battalion  organization  into  a 
regimental  one  was  carried  out  and  the  ist  Battalion  of  the  regiment  with 
two  companies  subsequently  added,  became  the  14th  Infantry. 

The  2d  Battalion,  which  had  remained  in  Oregon  and  Washington, 
became  the  23d  Infantry,  and  the  3d  Battalion,  which  was  serving  in  Ari- 
zona, became  the  32d  Infantry.  On  the  i6th  of  April  the  headquarters  of 
the  regiment  were  established  at  Fort  Yuma,  in  which  military  Tophct  it 
remained  until  May,  1869. 

Under  the  reorganization  of  1866,  the  captains  were  distributed  as  fol- 
lows :  To  the  14th  Infantry,  Captains  Ilges,  Smedberg,  Krause,  Wharton. 
Weir,  Van  Derslice,  Bainbridge  and  Vernou.  To  these  were  added  Cap- 
tains Hamilton  and  Davis  for  the  two  additional  companies. 

Captains  D.  B.  McKibbin,  Brown,  O'Beirne,  Downey,  Miller,  Perry  and 
Fergus,  were  assigned  to   the  32d,  and  Captains  Ross,  Clay,  Coppinger, 


6o6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Brady,  Walker,  Sinclair,  Henton  and   Browning  were   assigned   to  the  23d 
Infantry. 

Of  the  field  officers  the  14th  retained  Colonel  Lovell  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Wallen  ;  Maj.  L.  H.  Marshall  went  to  the  23d  andMajor  Chapin  to 
the  32d.  In  January  of  1867,  the  14th  Infantry  was  distributed  at  the  fol- 
lowing stations  :  Yuma,  McDowell,  Mojave.  Lincoln  and  Camp  in  Skull 
Valley,  without  question  the  worst  in  the  country.  Durmg  this  tour  of 
duty  nearly  every  monthly  return  contains  a  record  of  Indian  scouts  ; 
some  moi\ths  nearly  every  company  would  be  out.  In  September,  1868, 
the  distance  marched  by  these  scouting  parties  aggregated  1000  miles, 
equivalent  to  double  the  distance  elsewhere.  Two  companies  marched  350 
miles  in  August.  The  skirmishes  rarely  rose  to  the  dignity  of  a  battle,  but 
they  taxed  the  courage  and  skill  of  the  participants  to  the  utmost.  One 
of  the  commonest  entries  is  that  of  "  mail  carriers  killed  by  Indians."  Sev- 
eral hundreds  of  miles  of  wagon  road  were  made  by  the  regiment,  and 
when  the  men  were  in  camp  they  were  almost  constantly  engaged  in  build- 
ing barracks  and  quarters. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  in  1869,  the  45th  Infantry,  one  of  the 
Veteran  Reserve  regiments,  was  consolidated  with  the  14th  Infantry.  In 
compliance  with  S.  O.  No.  17,  A.  G.  O.  1869,  the  14th  Infantry  was  trans- 
ferred to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  the  headquarters  of  the  45th  Infantry,  taking 
with  them  the  officers,  non-commissioned  officers  and  ten  men  of  each 
company.  The  other  enlisted  men  were  discharged  or  transferred  to  other 
regiments  remaining  in  the  Department  of  Arizona.  The  consolidation 
was  carried  out,  the  result  appearing  in  the  monthly  return  for  July.  The 
field  officers  assigned  to  it  were  Col.  C.  S.  Lovell,  Lieut.-Col.  Geo.  A.  Wood- 
ward and  Maj.  M.  M.  Blunt,  Lieutenant  McCammon  was  made  adjutant 
and  Lieutenant  Steele  was  retained  as  quartermaster. 

The  captains  of  the  reorganized  regiments  were  :  Ilges,  Krause,  Van 
Derslice,  Freudenberg,  Trotter,  Hamilton,  Bambridge,  Carpenter,  Burke 
and  Davis.  Their  stations  were  Nashville,  Humboldt,  Chattanooga,  Louis- 
ville, Jeffersonville,  Lebanon  and  Union,  W.  Va. 

In  April,  1870,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  Fort  Randall,  Dakota,  on 
account  of  a  threatened  Indian  war.  In  August  it  was  transferred  to  the  De- 
partment of  the  Platte,  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Sedgwick,  the  regiment 
and  post  being  under  Lieut.-Col.  G.  A.  Woodward.  In  the  following 
March  (1871)  the  headquarters  was  transferred  to  Fort  Laramie,  Wyo.. 
where  General  John  E.  Smith  reported  and  assumed  command.  Colonel 
Lovell  had  been  retired  December  15,  1870.  General  Gordon  Granger,  a 
colonel  unassigned,  was  assigned  to  the  regiment,  vice  Lovell,  but  on  the 
2oth  of  December  General  Smith,  who  had  been  assigned  to  the  15th  In- 
fantry, was  transferred  to  the  14th,  General  Granger  at  the  same  time  being 
assigned  to  the  15th  Infantry.  Colonel  Lovell  died  very  soon  after  his 
retirement.  He  was  loved  and  respected  by  the  regiment.  He  was  sincere, 
courteous  and  just,  a  good  soldier  and  a  good  friend.  The  new  colonel  was 
a  very  different  man.  From  all  accounts  of  him  he  knew  little  and  cared 
less  for  the  traditions  of  the  Service.  He  was  a  rough  and  ready  fighter, 
who  had  done  good  service  as  a  volunteer  general.     He  would  have  led  his 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      607 

regiment  into  a  fight  as  gaily  as  into  a  frolic,  but  opportunity  was  never 
given  him. 

In  February,  1874,  Lieutenant  L.  H.  Robinson  was  killeri  in  an  Indian 
fight  near  Laramie  Peak,  while  guarding  a  supply  train.  In  the  following 
August  the  regiment  went  to  Utah,  with  headquarters  at  Fort  Douglas. 
Four  companies  went  on  to  Fort  Cameron  under  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Woodward. 

While  this  battalion  was  at  Cameron,  the  Mormon  Bishop  John  D.  Lee 
was  arrested  and  held  there  as  a  prisoner,  pending  his  trial  as  the  leader  of 
the  band  of  Danites  (or  destroying  angels)  who  perpetrated  the  Mountain 
Meadow  massacre.  After  his  conviction  he  had  his  choice  under  the  laws  of 
Utah,  as  to  whether  he  should  be  hung,  beheaded,  or  shot.  He  chose  the 
latter  method  of  e.xecution.  To  carry  out  the  rules  of  poetic  as  well  as 
moral  justice  he  was  taken  to  the  scene  of  the  massacre  and  shot  to  death 
by  musketry  in  March,  1879.  A  detachment  under  Lieutenant  Patterson 
was  sent  down  to  preserve  order.  An  attempt  was  mada  to  convert  Lee 
from  the  error  of  his  ways,  while  he  was  confined  at  Cameron,  but  he 
maintained  the  scriptural  doctrine  to  the  last,  "that  the  enemies  of  God 
should  be  exterminated  root  and  branch,"  and  finally  met  his  fate  with  the 
equanimity  of  a  martyr. 

In  1876  the  Sioux  War  broke  out  wliich  opened  up  with  the  Custer  mas- 
sacre and  the  repulse  of  General  Crook  at  the  Rose  Bud.  In  June,  compa- 
nies C,  B,  F  and  I  (Burke,  Kennington,  Tobey,  Murphy,  Taylor,  Yeatman, 
Calhoun  and  Lloyd),  were  sent  to  join  Crook's  column. 

At  Fetterman  they  met  detachments  from  the  4th  and  9th  Infantry. 
The  infantry  column  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Major  Alexander 
Chambers,  4th  Infantry,  and  hastening  to  join  General  Crook  on  the  Little 
Goose  Creek,  enabled  him  to  assume  the  offensive.  Their  only  battle  was 
at  Slim  Buttes,  September  9th,  where  twenty-seven  Indians  were  killed. 

This  column  marched  in  three  months  1139  miles.  It  was  on  the  march 
from  the  Little  Missouri  to  the  Black  Hills  that  the  whole  column  was 
nearly  reduced  to  starvation.  Another  company  on  escort  duty  marched 
377  miles  in  one  month.  In  November  Companies  D  and  G,  under  Cap- 
tain Krause,  were  in  (Crook's)  the  Powder  River  campaign,  and  were  with 
McKenzie  at  the  battle  of  Crazy  Woman's  Fork,  November  26th,  coming  up 
with  the  infantry  under  General  Crook.  This  column  marched  735  miles. 
The  officers  present  were  Krause,  Van  Derslice,  Hasson,  Austin  and  Kim- 
ball. In  1877  one  company  was  in  the  Nez  Perce  campaign  and  five  under 
Major  Bryant  in  the  Bannock  War,  but  they  did  not  have  a  battle.  Three 
companies.  Trotter's,  Krause's  and  Van  Derslice's,  were  out  the  next  year 
after  the  Bannocks. 

In  1879  fo'Ji'  companies,  E,  I,  H  and  K,  under  Trotter,  Carpenter. 
McConihe  and  Taylor,  and  Major  Bryant  commanding,  were  hurried 
down  to  the  scene  of  the  Thornburgh  massacre,  but  arrived  too  late  to  get 
into  the  battle.  But  they  did  have  all  the  hardships  and  privations  of  a 
hard  Indian  campaign. 

In  all  the  Indian  campaigns  of  the  regiment,  their  endurance,  patience, 
vigilance  and  bravery    were  tested   to  the   utmost.     They  suflered  frona 


6o8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  most  suffocating  heat  in  Arizona  and  the  most  intense  cold  in 
Wyoming. 

The  Apaches  and  the  Sioux  were  formidable  enemies,  but  they  dreaded 
them  less  than  sand  storms  and  snow  storms,  scarcity  of  food  and  bad 
water.  Many  men  broke  down  under  these  trials,  who  easily  endured  all 
the  hardships  of  the  Rebellion. 

Besides  the  battles  mentioned  in  the  narrative,  detachments  of  the  regi- 
ment were  engaged  in  the  following  skirmishes  : 

February  23,  1 866,  Captain  Walker  and  Lieut.  T.  F.  Tobey  with  a  de- 
tachment of  fifteen  soldiers  of  the  14th  Infantry  and  twelve  Oregon  Volun- 
teers, attacked  and  defeated  a  band  of  Snake  Indians  on  Jordan  Creek, 
Oregon,  killing  18  and  wounding  2  Indians.  One  man  of  the  14th  was 
killed  and  i  wounded. 

On  October  10,  1867,  Captain  Krause  with  a  detachment  of  twenty-five 
men  of  the  regiment  attacked  a  Rancherio,  twenty-five  miles  from  Camp 
Lincoln,  defeating  the  Indians,  killing  and  wounding  a  number  and  captur- 
ing a  lot  of  arms. 

In  a  fight  near  Aqua  Frio  Springs,  Arizona,  November  13,  1867,  Lieut.  A. 
J.Converse  and  two  men  of  Company  C  were  wounded.     Indians  repulsed. 

April  27,  1867,  Lieutenant  Western,  with  a  detachment  of  ten  men  from 
Camp  Logan,  attacked  a  band  of  forty-five  hostile  Indians  on  Silvies  River, 
fording  the  river  neck  deep.  The  Indians  were  defeated,  6  killed  and  a 
number  drowned  in  trying  to  escape.  Thirty-two  horses  and  large  amounts 
of  supplies  were  taken.  Complimented  in  orders  (G.  O.  No.  32  Department 
Col.  1867). 

Lieutenant  Hasson,  in  the  months  of  September,  October,  November 
and  December,  1867,  in  command  of  detachments  from  his  post,  had  engage- 
ments with  the  Apaches  at  Three  Buttes.  Hualopais  Valley,  Hitchie  Springs 
and  the  Willows. 

March  25,  1868,  Captain  Ilges  and  eight  men  attacked  fifty  Indians  with 
stolen  cattle  at  Cottonwood  Springs,  Arizona.  The  engagement  lasted 
twenty  minutes.  Private  Logan,  Company  B.  was  wounded.  One  Indian 
was  killed  and  two  wounded. 

February  27,  1869,  in  an  attack  made  by  Apaches  on  a  train  near  Camp 
Grant,  Arizona,  two  men  were  severely  wounded,  but  the  attack  was  repulsed. 

May  6,  1869,  in  an  attack  on  a  train  near  Grief  Hill,  one  private  of  the 
regiment  was  killed,  but  the  Indians  were  so  impressed  by  the  operations  of 
breech-loaders,  then  used  on  them  for  the  first  time,  that  they  regularly 
stampeded. 

In  May,  1881,  Colonel  Smith  was  retired  and  was  succeeded  by  Lewis 
Cass  Hunt,  who  was  colonel  of  the  regiment  until  his  death,  September  6, 
1886. 

In  August,  1 88 1,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  was  transferred  from 
Camp  Douglass,  Utah,  to  White  River,  Col.,  and  in  May  1883,  they  were  re- 
moved to  Fort  Sidney,  Neb.,  and  in  July  1884,  to  Vancouver  Barracks,  W.  T. 

In  this  department  the  regiment  has  had  only  the  ordinary  routine  duty 
to  perform,  except  the  suppression  of  the  anti-Chinese  riots  in  Seattle  in 
November  1885  and  February  1886. 


FOURTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.      609 

In  September  of  this  year  Colonel  Anderson  was  promoted  to  the  col- 
onelcy  of  the  regiment  wW' General  Hunt.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Woodward 
was  promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  i  5lh  Infantry  on  January  10,  iSyfi, 
Lieut.-Col.  Henry  Douglas  was  promoted  in  his  place  on  that  date  ;  he  was 
promoted  colonel  of  the  loth  Infantry,  July  i,  1888,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Lieut.-Col.  I.  D.  DeRussy.  Major  M.  M.  Blunt  was  promoted  October  4, 
1874,  lieutenant-colonel  of  25th  Infantry  and  was  succeeded  as  ii  ajor  by 
Major  Montgomery  Bryant,  who  held  the  position  until  June  1882,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Major  W.  F.  Drum,  who  in  his  turn  was  promoted  December 
8,  1886,  and  was  succeeded  by  Major  Charles  A.  Wikoff,  the  present  major 
of  the  regiment. 

The  regiment  has  as  it  stands  to-day,  twenty  officers  with  war  records, 
not  counting  those  who  have  since  served  in  Indian  wars,  nearly  all  of  whom 
have  been  wounded  in  battle.  Many  of  our  "comrades  and  companions  " 
have  returned  to  civil  life  and  are  working  honorably  and  successfully  in 
civil  pursuits.     But  the  grave  has  closed  over  most  of  our  men  of  '61. 

"  The  brightest  have  gone  before  us 
The  dullest  remain  behind." 

Nevertheless,  those  who  remain,  cherish  the  hope  that  those  who  suc- 
ceed us  may  be  encouraged  by  this  history  to  do  what  the  men  of  the  14th 
Infantry  have  always  tried  to  do — Their  Duty. 


APPENDIX. 

ROSTER    OF    COMMISSIONED    OFFICERS,    I4TH    INFANTRY. 

Colonel,  Thomas  M.  Anderson. 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  I.  D.  DeKussy.  Adjutant,  ist  Lieut.  R.   T.   Yeatman. 

Major,  Charles  A.  Wikoff.  Quartermaster,  ist  Lieut.  J.   H.  Gustin. 

A.  Captain  A.  H.  Bainbridge,  ist  Lieut.  G.  T.  T.   Patterson,  2d  Lieut.  W.  B. 

Reynolds. 

B.  Captain  P.  Hasson,  ist  Lieut.  J.  Murphy,  2d  Lieut.  J.  P.  O'Neil. 

C.  Captain   D.    W.    Burke,    ist    Lieut.    Wm.   W.   McCammon,  2d  Lieut.   E.   T. 

Winston. 

D.  Captain  C.  B.  Western,  ist  Lieut.  F.  S.  Calhoun,  2d  Lieut. IL  C.  Cabell,  Jr. 

E.  Captain  F.  E.  Trotter,  ist  Lieut.  J.  A.  Buchanan,  2d  Lieut.  F.  F.  Eastman. 

F.  Captain  T.  F.  Tobey,  ist  Lieut.  C.  A.  Johnson,  2d  Lieut.  C.  H.  Martin. 

G.  Captain  C.  H.  Warrens,  ist  Lieut.  W.  P.  Goodwin,  2d  Lieut.  W.  A.  Kimball. 
H.     Captain  S.  McConihe,  ist  Lieut.  S.  J.  Mulhall,  2d  Lieut.  W.  R.  Sample. 

I.     Captain  G.  W.  Davis,  ist  Lieut.  F.  Taylor,  2d  Lieut.  A.  Hasbrouck,  Jr. 
K.     Captain  G.  S.  Carpenter,  ist  Lieut.  R.  A,  Lovell,  2d  Lieut.  W.  K.  Jones. 


Letters  with  valuable  information  have  been  received  from  Generals  E.  D.  Town- 
send,  W.  B.  Franklin,  T.  F.  Rodenbough,  U.  S.A.;  Lieutenants  J.  A.  Buchanan  and 
Frank  Taylor,  14th  Infantry  ;  Colonels  William  R.  Smedberg,  K.  McK.  Hudson  and 
J.  J.  Coppinger  ;  Captains  A.  IL  Bainbridge,  14th  Infantry,  T.  M.  K.  Smith,  23d 
Infantry,  and  Geo.  M.  Downey,  U.  S.  A.;  Major  P.  W.  Stanhope,  U.  S.  A.;  Cap- 
tain Chambers  iMcKibbin,  I5lh  Infantry. 

I  am  indebted  to  the  Adjutant  of  the  Regiment,  Lieut.  R.  T.  Yeatman,  for  much 
diligent  research  and  compilation,  also  to  Captain  Tobey  and  Lieutenant  Eastman 
for  assistance,  and  to  the  Sergeant-Major  and  his  clerks  for  intelligent  and  faithful 
work. 


THE  FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  captain  H.  R.  BRINKERHOFF,   15TH  U.  S.  Infantry.* 

THE  first  regiment  of  the  regular  establishment  in  the  United  States 
Army  designated  the  "  Fifteenth  Infantry,"  was  organized  pursuant 
to  an  act  of  Congress  approved  by  the  President  on  the  nth  day 
of  January,  1812,  and  consisted  of  ten  companies.  Zebulon  Mont- 
gomery Pike  of  New  Jersey  was  appointed  its  colonel  and  served  in  that 
capacity  until  March  12,  1813,  when  he  was  appointed  brigadier-general. 
He  was  killed  in  the  assault  upon  the  British  fortifications  at  York  [now 
Toronto],  Canada,  in  the  following  month. 

The  officers  of  the  regiment,  as  shown  by  the  Army  Register  for  1812, 
consisted  of  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  one  major,  ten  captains, 
ten  first  lieutenants,  nine  second  lieutenants,  eleven  ensigns,  one  surgeon 
and  two  surgeon's  mates.  Thirty-two  of  these  officers  were  appointed  from 
New  Jersey,  and  the  others  from  New  York,  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland. 
In  the  following  year  the  names  of  three  third  lieutenants  appeared  in  addi- 
tion to  those  of  the  other  grades  named.  The  regiment  was  disbanded  in 
May,  181 5,  in  conformity  with  an  act  of  Congress  reducing  the  army  to 
10,000  men. 

It  was  again  organized  in  April,  1847,  under  the  provisions  of  an  act  of 
Congress  approved  in  the  preceding  February,  authorizing  the  organization 
of  "  an  additional  force  for  the  war." 

It  served  during  the  war  with  Mexico  and  was  disbanded  in  1848  after 
the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  peace. 

The  beginning  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  found  the  greater  portion  of 
the  army  serving  upon  the  Indian  frontier,  occupying  numerous  small  forts 
and  cantonments,  and  covering  a  zone  of  country  by  its  operations  several 
hundred  miles  in  width,  extending  from  the  "British  Possessions  "  on  the 
north,  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  south. 

The  military  establishment  at  this  time  consisted  of  ten  regiments  of 
infantry,  five  regiments  of  mounted  troops,  and  four  regiments  of  artillery, 
aggregating  about  sixteen  thousand  officers  and  men.  The  services  of  these 
troops  were  greatly  needed  by  the  Government  immediately  after  the  inaug- 
uration of  President  Lincoln,  at  other  points,  where  the  exigencies  of  public 
aflairs  made  the  presence  of  well  drilled  and  efiicient  soldiers  necessary.  It 
seemed  impossible,  however,  to  call  in  the  garrisons  of  any  of  the  frontier 
posts  for  duty  elsewhere,  without  exposing  the  settlements  they  protected 
to  the  assaults  of  surrounding  savages.  Nor  was  it  believed  that  the 
duties  which  ordinarily  devolved  upon  these  garrisons  could  be  safely  en- 


Under  the  direction  of  Colonel  R.  E.  A.  Crofton,  15th  U.  S.  Infantry. 
610 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        r.i  i 

trusted  to  new  levies  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  important  responsibili- 
ties which  would  immediately  confront  them.  The  necessity  for  the  im- 
mediate enlargement  of  the  regular  forces  seemed,  therefore,  clearly  apparent 
to  the  administration  and  the  leading  statesmen  of  the  country  with  whom 
it  conferred.  With  the  view  of  determining  to  what  extent  this  enlarge- 
ment should  properly  be  carried,  and  to  decide  upon  the  proper  tactical 
organization  for  the  proposed  new  regiments,  an  advisory  board  was  insti- 
tuted, consisting  of  the  Hon.  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury; 
Major  Irvin  McDowell,  Assistant  Adjutant-General ;  and  Captain  William  B. 
Franklin,  of  the  Engineer  Corps.  The  board  met  in  Washington  late  in 
April,  and  after  a  brief  consultation  rendered  a  report  recommending  the 
addition  of  eleven  regiments  to  the  regular  establishment,  and  the  adoption 
of  a  three-battalion  organization  for  the  regiments  then  in  existence,  as  well 
as  for  those  which  might  be  added.  The  President  approved  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  board  but  subsequently  limited  the  application  of  the 
three  battalion  system  to  the  new  regiments. 

Following  promptly  upon  the  report  of  the  board  the  President,  under 
the  date  of  May  3,  directed  the  organization  of  nine  additional  regiments 
of  infantry,  consisting  of  twenty-four  companies  each  ;  one  additional  regi- 
ment of  cavalry,  and  one  regiment  of  artillery;  altogether  comprising  an 
army  of  not  less  than  twenty-eight  thousand  officers  and  men.  The  Con- 
gress was  not  in  session  at  the  time,  but  upon  assembling  soon  thereafter 
hastened  to  confirm  the  order  of  the  President  by  an  act  approved  on  the 
29th  day  of  July,  1861,  legalizing  the  eleven  new  regiments. 

The  appointment  of  officers  for  the  additional  regiments  followed  the 
executive  order  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  the  work  of  assembling  and 
organizing  the  new  forces  was  promptly  begun. 

General  Orders  No.  33,  War  Department,  Adjutant-General's  office,  June 
iS,  1861,  announces  the  names  and  lineal  standing  of  the  field  officers  and 
many  of  the  company  officers  of  the  new  regiments. 

"The  newly  appointed  officers,"  are  admonished  in  the  order  named 
that  they  "  will  lose  no  time  in  making  themselves  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  army  regulations,  the  tactics  of  their  several  arms,  and  the  various 
duties  of  their  profession.  None  will  be  nominated  for  commissions  to  the 
Senate  who  have  not  proved  themselves,  meantime,  to  be  both  worthy  and 
capable  of  commanding  the  brave  men  under  them.  That  the  Department 
may  be  enabled  to  form  a  proper  judgment  on  this  delicate  point,  all  com- 
manding officers — those  of  regiments  and  battalio.  s  more  particularly — will 
forward  to  this  office,  in  time  to  reach  it  by  the  15th  of  July  next,  a  state- 
ment on  honor,  of  the  moral,  mental,  and  physical  qualifications  for  the  ser- 
vice, of  each  one  of  the  officers  belonging  to  their  command." 

The  headquarters  of  the  Fifteenth  Infantry  was  established  by  this  order 
at  Wheeling,  Virginia.  On  the  15th  of  July  following,  the  removal  of  the 
headquarters  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  was  authorized  by  the  War  Department, 
but  shortly  thereafter,  under  further  instructions  it  was  established  at  Cin- 
cinnati, practically  at  Newport  Barracks,  where  it  remained  until  August 
1862,  when  it  was  transferred  to  Fort  Adams.  Rhode  Island. 

General  Fitz  John  Porter,  then  Assistant  Adjutant-General  in  the  army 


6i2  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

with  the  rank  of  captain,  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  Fifteenth  Infantry,  to 
date  from  the  14th  day  of  May,  1861.  His  appointment  to  this  elevated  and 
responsible  position  was  very  favorably  regarded  by  officers  of  the  army  in 
consequence  of  his  former  valuable  services  and  his  evident  special  fitness 
for  the  office.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  National  Military  Academy  at 
West  Point,  and  had  served  for  nearly  sixteen  years  in  the  line  and  the  staff 
of  the  army.  In  the  war  with  Mexico  he  had  rendered  conspicuous  services, 
and  had  been  breveted  for  distinguished  gallantry  in  the  battle  of  Molino 
del  Rey,  and  again  at  the  storming  of  Chapultepec. 

Three  days  after  the  appointment  of  General  Porter  to  the  colonelcy  of 
the  Fifteenth  Infantry  he  was  made  brigadier-general  of  volunteers,  and 
immediately  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  latter  office.  He  retained  the 
colonelcy  of  the  regiment,  however,  until  the  21st  day  of  January,  1863, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Oliver  L.  Shepherd,  a  graduate  of  the 
Military  Academy  of  1840,  and  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  war,  promoted  to 
the  office  from  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Eighteenth  Infantry. 

John  P.  Sanderson,  a  resident  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel. 

Captain  John  H.  King  of  the  First  Infantry,  William  H.  Sidell  of  New 
York,  and  John  R.  Edie  of  Pennsylvania,  were  appointed  majors  to  date 
from  the  14th  day  of  May,  1861,  and  were  assigned  to  the  regiment  in  the 
order  named.  Major  King  entered  the  service  originally  as  a  second  lieu- 
tenant in  the  First  Infantry  on  the  2d  day  of  December  1837,  and  had  been 
continuously  in  the  service  from  that  time.  Sidell  was  a  graduate  of  the 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point  and  entered  the  service  originally  as  brevet 
second  lieutenant  in  the  First  Artillery  on  the  ist  of  July,  1833.  He  left  the 
army  by  resignation  in  October  following  and  was  a  resident  of  New  York 
when  appointed.     Edie  had  no  previous  military  experience. 

Fourteen  captains  were  appointed  in  May,  six  in  the  following  August 
and  two  in  October.  Among  the  former  were  First  Lieutenant  Peter  T. 
Swaine,  Tenth  Infantry,  now  Colonel  of  the  Twenty-second  Infantry,  and 
First  Lieutenant  Louis  H.  Pelouze  of  the  Fourth  Artillery.  The  other  ap- 
pointments to  this  grade  were  all  from  civil  life.  Prominent  among  them 
on  account  of  services  subsequently  rendered  the  names  of  James  Biddle, 
now  Colonel  of  the  Ninth  Cavalry,  Colonel  Henry  Keteltas  of  New  York 
City,  Major  Thomas  H.  Norton,  U.  S.  Army  (retired),  and  Major  Lynde 
Catlin,  U.  S.  Army  (retired),  may  be  especially  mentioned. 

Nineteen  first  lieutenants  were  appointed  in  May  and  three  others  in 
August.  Among  the  former  were  Second  Lieutenant  John  T.  Ritter  of  the 
Fifth  Infantry,  who  had  entered  the  service  in  July,  1856,  Second  Lieuten- 
ant Charles  G.  Harker,  Second  Infantry,  who  had  entered  in  July,  1858,  and 
James  Curtis,  who  had  served  from  July  i,  1851,  to  January  15,  1857,  in 
the  Second  Infantry.  These  gentlemen  were  all  graduates  of  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point.  The  other  appointments  were  from  civil  life. 
Among  the  latter  were  Horace  Jewett  of  Maine,  now  Colonel  of  the 
Twenty-first  Infantry,  George  M.  Brayton,  Lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Ninth 
Infantry,  George  H.  Tracy,  Major  U.  S.  Army  (retired),  and  Charles  A. 
WikofI,  Lieutenant-colonel  Nineteenth  Infantry. 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.        c i  3 

But  two  second  lieutenants  were  assigned  to  the  regiment  during  the 
year. 

Nearly  all  the  officers  assigned  to  the  Fifteenth  Infantry  in  1861  were  set 
at  work  recruiting  for  the  regiment  immediately  upon  reporting  for  duty, 
and  were  sent  for  this  purpose  to  Cincinnati  and  other  cities,  and  to  the 
towns  and  villages  within  a  radius  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  or  more 
about  Newport.  Recruiting  stations  were  established  at  these  places  and 
every  possible  means  taken  to  hasten  enlistments. 

Notwithstanding  these  efforts  recruits  were  not  obtained  as  rapidly  as 
had  been  expected,  and  the  companies  filled  up  slowly.  Previous  to  the 
war  many  influential  persons,  both  in  the  army  and  out  of  it,  had  advocated 
the  maintenance  of  skeleton  company  or  regimental  organizations,  with  the 
view  of  their  enlargement  in  case  of  necessity.  This  theory  found  but  little 
support  in  the  experience  of  the  new  regular  regiments.  Volunteer  regi- 
ments were  frequently  raised  in  a  day,  but  it  took  months  to  fill  up  the 
ranks  of  the  regular  regiments.  Men  hastened  in  bodies  to  join  the  volun- 
teer forces,  but  they  came  individually  to  join  the  regulars. 

The  reasons  were  obvious. 

Social  relations  and  the  prospect  for  early  preferment  popularized  the 
volunteer  service,  and  thus  enabled  it  to  absorb  the  greater  portion  of 
available  recruits. 

Early  in  September,  1861,  General  Buckner,  in  command  of  a  large  Con- 
federate force,  entered  Kentucky  from  the  south,  and  later  in  the  month 
pushed  his  way  up  through  Bowling  Green  towards  Louisville  and  threat- 
ened the  capture  of  that  place.  General  Robert  Anderson,  of  Fort  Sumter 
fame,  was  in  command  at  Louisville  at  the  time  and  with  a  meagre  force 
under  his  orders  found  it  necessary  to  call  upon  Colonel  Sanderson  for 
assistance.  On  the  20th  of  September  two  companies  were  organized  from 
the  recruits  then  in  camp  at  Newport  Barracks  and  sent  by  rail  to  Louis- 
ville on  the  same  day.  These  companies  were  designated  A  and  B,  First 
Battalion,  and  were  the  nucleus  of  the  regiment  in  the  field.  They  re- 
mained in  active  service  from  this  time  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

On  the  day  following  their  arrival  at  Louisville  they  marched  to  Nolin, 
Kentucky,  where  they  remained  until  October  loth,  when  they  proceeded 
to  Bacon  Creek,  on  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad.  In  November 
they  were  joined  by  Major  John  H.  King  with  Companies  C,  D,  E  and  F, 
and  the  battalion  as  thus  constituted  marched  to  Mumfordsville  shortly 
thereafter,  where  it  was  joined  by  Companies  G  and  H  in  January,  1862. 

Early  in  February  Major  King  was  directed  to  proceed  with  his  battalion 
to  join  the  forces  under  General  Grant,  then  operating  against  Fort  Donel- 
son.  The  battalion  reached  Bacon  Creek  after  a  few  hours  marching,  t-n 
route  for  Tennessee,  where  it  learned  of  the  fall  of  Donelson  on  the  i6th. 
and  found  orders  to  proceed  to  Bowling  Green.  On  reaching  the  latter 
place  Major  King  was  directed  to  continue  his  march  and  join  the  forces 
operating  against  Nashville,  Tennessee.  The  battalion  reached  Nashville 
a  few  days  after  the  occupation  of  the  city  and  its  defenses  by  the  Federal 
forces,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Brigade  (Rousseau).  Second  Divis- 
ion (McCook).  Army  of  the  Ohio.     Brig.-General  Lovell  H.  Rousseau,  in 


6i4  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

command  of  the  brigade,  was  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  War  and  one  of  the 
most  efficient  and  popular  officers  then  in  the  service.  The  Fourth  Brigade, 
as  now  constituted,  consisted  of  the  First  Ohio  ;  Fifth  Kentucky  (Louisville 
Legion);  Sixth  Indiana;  First  Battalion,  Fifteenth  Infantry;  First  Battalion, 
Sixteenth  Infantry ;  First  Battalion,  Nineteenth  Infantry,  and  Battery  H, 
Fifth  Artillery. 

In  the  meantime  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  had  moved  up  the  Ten- 
nessee Riveras  far  as  Pittsburg  Landing,  with  the  view  of  operating  against 
the  Confederate  army  under  Johnston  at  Corinth. 

Late  in  March  the  division  was  put  in  motion  to  join  the  forces  under 
General  Grant  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  after  several  days  hard  marching 
reached  Savannah  on  the  Tennessee  River,  about  nine  miles  below  Pitts- 
burg, late  in  the  evening  of  the  6th  day  of  April,  The  men  were  hastily 
embarked  on  boats  which  were  found  at  the  landing,  and  the  vanguard  of 
the  division,  consisting  of  Rousseau's  Brigade,  reached  Pittsburg  Landing 
about  five  o'clock  on  the  following  morning. 

"  Out  of  justice  to  General  McCook  and  his  command,"  says  General 
Grant  in  his  Memoirs,  "  I  must  say  that  they  left  a  point  twenty-two 
miles  east  of  Savannah  on  the  morning  of  the  6th.  From  the  heavy  rains 
of  a  few  days  previous  and  the  passage  of  trains  and  artillery,  the  roads 
were  necessarily  deep  in  mud,  which  made  marching  slow.  The  division 
had  not  only  marched  through  this  mud  the  day  before,  but  it  had  been  in 
the  rain  all  night  without  rest.  It  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  second 
day  and  did  as  good  service  as  its  position  allowed.  In  fact  an  opportu- 
nity occurred  for  it  to  perform  a  conspicuous  act  of  gallantry  which  elicited 
commendation  from  division  commanders  in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee." 

A  little  after  six  o'clock  McCook  marched  to  the  front  with  Rousseau's 
Brigade  and  formed  on  Crittenden's  right  facing  towards  Shiloh  Church, 
and  about  seven  o'clock  engaged  the  enemy  in  his  front  consisting  of  por- 
tions of  Polk's  and  Breckinridge's  Corps. 

"  When  Rousseau's  Brigade  was  formed,"  says  General  M.  F.  Force,  in 
his  extended  narrative  of  the  battle,  "  his  right  was  in  the  air.  McCook, 
however,  held  it  in  place  till  Kirk's  Brigade  arrived,  when  Rousseau  moved 
forward  across  a  ravine  to  a  rising  ground  a  few  hundred  yards  in  advance. 
A  company  of  regulars  was  sent  into  the  woods  in  its  front  as  skirmishers. 
In  less  than  an  hour  the  skirmishers  were  driven  back,  followed  by  the 
Fourth  Kentucky  Regiment  and  the  Fourth  Alabama  Battalion,  belonging 
to  Trabue's  Brigade.  After  a  fierce  attack  for  twenty  minutes  the  assailants 
fell  back  before  the  rapid  and  well-directed  fire  of  Rousseau's  men,  and  retired 
out  of  sight  in  the  timber.  Trabue's  regiments  rallied  and  quickly  returned 
to  the  assault  with  greater  vigor  than  before.  The  steady  fire  of  Rousseau's 
men  again  drove  them  to  retreat.  Rousseau  then  advanced  into  the  timber 
and  passed  through  it  to  an  open  field,  when  Trabue  once  more  charged 
furiously  upon  Rousseau  with  his  entire  brigade.  After  a  desperate  struggle 
Trabue  gave  way  leaving  two  guns  in  Rousseau's  possession.  The  conflict 
now  raged  about  Shiloh  Church  with  a  fury  surpassing  any  portion  of  the 
battle  on  the  preceding  day.  Generals  McClernard,  Sherman  and  Wallace 
all  speak  with  admiration   of  the   splendid   fighting  of   McCook's  Divis- 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.        615 

ion.  Wood's  rebel  brigade  finally  charged  on  Rousseau  and  was  knocked 
to  pieces  and  retired  to  the  rear.  McCook  now  pushed  his  lines  forward 
and  the  fire  became  hotter  than  ever.  General  Grant  called  two  regiments 
and  in  person  led  them  in  charge  in  McCook's  front  and  broke  the  enemy's 
line." 

General  Grant  made  no  official  report  of  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  but  in  his 
Memoirs  he  gives  an  extended  account  of  his  own  movements  and  those  of 
the  troops  which  participated  in  the  battle  under  him.  In  this  narrative 
he  makes  no  mention  of  having  "  led  two  regiments  "  on  the  eventful 
second  day  of  the  engagement.  He  speaks,  however,  of  a  "  conspicuous 
act  of  gallantry  "  performed  by  the  troops  under  General  McCook.  This 
"  conspicuous  act  of  gallantry,"was  the  charge  of  Rousseau's  Brigade,  led  by 
the  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  Infantry,  against  the  Confederate  line  after  the 
repulse  of  Wood's  command.  The  whole  of  Rousseau's  Brigade  doubtless 
joined  in  the  movement,  for  General  Rousseau  in  his  official  report  of  the 
battle  says  that  he  observed  two  regiments  advancing  at  "double  quick 
time."  One  of  these  regiments  he  says,  "  was  the  First  Ohio,  which  had 
been  moved  to  our  left  to  wait  for  ammunition.  I  galloped  to  the  regiment 
and  ordered  it  to  halt,  as  I  had  not  ordered  the  movement,  but  was  informed 
that  it  was  advancmg  by  order  of  General  Grant,  whom  I  then  saw  in  rear 
of  the  line  with  his  stafT.  I  ordered  the  regiment  to  advance  with  the  others 
which  it  did.     *     *     *     This  closed  the  fighting  of  the  day." 

The  movement  had  evidently  gotten  well  under  way  before  General  Rous- 
seau knew  anything  about  it,  and  the  two  regiments  he  observed  moving 
forward  at  "  double  quick  time,"  were  doubtless  the  last  of  his  brigade  to 
join  in  the  advance. 

"  Shortly  after  the  defeat  of  Wood's  Brigade,"  says  an  ofTicer  who  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle,  in  command  of  a  company  of  the  Sixteenth  Infantry, 
"  an  officer  rapidly  approached  the  battalions  of  the  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth 
Infantry  from  the  rear  and  cried,  '  Charge  !  Charge  !  by  order  of  General 
Grant!'  " 

The  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  moved  forward  instantly  to  the  front  and 
swept  everything  before  them  m  thegrand  charge  which  General  Forcesays 
"  broke  the  enemy's  line." 

The  hitherto  obscure  spot  known  in  the  Federal  reports  as  Pittsburg 
Landing  and  in  the  Confederate  reports  as  Shiloh,  is  now  historic  as  the 
scene  or  tne  second  great  battle  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Few  battles 
anywhere  were  more  destructive  in  proportion  to  the  number  engaged, 
about  one  man  in  five  having  been  killed  or  wounded  in  the  battle. 

In  the  Fifteenth  Infantry  four  men  were  killed  and  four  officers, — Captains 
Keteltas,  Peterson.  Curtis  and  Wikoff — and  fifty-five  men  were  wounded. 

After  the  battle  of  Shiloh  the  Confederate  army  retired  to  Corinth  where 
it  intrenched  itself  and  awaited  the  further  advance  of  the  Federal  troops. 
General  Halleck  havmg  assumed  command  of  the  combined  forces  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  tne  Army  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Army  of  Mississippi, 
began  his  march  towards  Corinth  about  the  close  of  April.  After  several 
successive  advances,  meeting  more  or  less  opposition,  the  armies  finally 
reached  the  main  intrenchments  before  Corinth  on  the  27th  day  of  May. 


6i6  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

"  The  movement  was  a  siege  from  the  start  to  the  close,"  says  General 
Grant,  "  The  National  armies  were  thoroughly  intrenched  all  the  way  from 
the  Tennessee  River  to  Corinth." 

General  Beauregard  evacuated  the  place  on  the  30th  of  May  and  retreated 
southward. 

The  battalion  had  now  been  through  a  somewhat  hard  and  certainly  a 
very  practical  schooling.  In  addition  to  its  experience  under  fire  at  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  it  had  been  given  daily  practical  lessons  in  picket  duty,  the 
construction  of  field  fortifications  and  the  building  of  roads  and  bridges  dur- 
ing the  slow  advance  upon  Corinth.  It  had  learned  something  of  the  grim 
business  of  war  and  was  now  well  prepared  for  further  campaign  or  battle, 
or  siege,  as  might  be  required. 

In  June  the  battalion  proceeded  to  Huntsville,  Alabama,  by  the  way  of 
luka,  Tuscumbia,  Florence  and  Athens.  The  weather  was  extremely  warm 
and  the  roads  over  which  the  battalion  marched  were  dry  and  dusty.  The 
Subsistence  Department  was  unable  to  furnish  full  rations  at  any  time  dur- 
ing the  march  and  frequently  the  supply  was  scant. 

On  the  ist  day  of  June  the  Second  Battalion  left  Newport  Barracks  and 
proceeded  to  Columbus,  Kentucky,  where  it  went  into  camp  on  the  6th  of 
the  month.  It  remained  at  Columbus  until  February,  1863,  when  it  was  or- 
dered to  Memphis.  It  remained  at  this  place  until  October  of  the  same 
year  when  it  joined  the  First  Battalion  at  Chattanooga. 

During  July  and  August  the  First  Battalion  was  almost  constantly  on  the 
march,  enlivened  at  times  by  skirmishes  with  the  enemy  and  the  usual  inci- 
dents and  discomforts  of  active  field  service.  On  the  24th  day  of  August  it 
broke  up  its  temporary  camp  at  Cowan  Station,  Tennessee,  on  the  Nashville, 
Chattanooga  and  St.  Louis  Railroad,  and  leaving  behind  its  camp  equipage, 
marched  through  Pelham  and  Altamonte,  down  the  Cumberland  Mountains 
to  Hubbard's  Cave,  on  through  Murfreesborough,  Nashville  and  Bowling 
Green,  reaching  Louisville,  Kentucky,  on  the  26th  of  September,  1862,  having 
marched  almost  continuously  about  four  hundred  miles,  "without  our  camp 
equipage,"  says  Major  King,  "  the  whole  time  without  the  ordinary  allow- 
ance of  rations,  and  some  days  totally  without  any." 

After  four  days  rest  at  Louisville  the  First  Battalion  started  on  another 
extended  march  which  took  it  through  Shelbyville  and  Laurenceburg,  Ken- 
tucky, to  Chaplin  Hills,  where  a  portion  of  General  Kirby  Smith's  Confede- 
rate command  was  encountered  on  the  9th  of  October,  resulting  in  the  loss 
of  one  man  killed  and  two  wounded  in  the  battalion.  General  J.  W.  Sill,  in 
command  of  the  forces  of  the  expedition,  reports  the  affair  as  a  "  smart  skir- 
mish," resulting  in  the  loss  of  five  men  killed  and  thirty-three  wounded  and 
missing  in  the  command. 

From  Chaplin  Hills  the  battalion  marched  on  with  General  Sill's  com- 
mand through  Perrysville  and  Danville  to  Crab  Orchard,  and  then  back  to 
Bowling  Green,  where  it  arrived  on  the  last  day  of  October,  having  made 
an  almost  continuous  march  of  three  hundred  miles,  "  without  its  camp 
equipage,"  says  Major  King,  "and  part  of  the  time  suffering  for  want  of 
rations." 

On  the  8th  of  November  the  battalion  continued  its  march  and  pro- 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.        617 

ceeded  directly  to  Nashville,  where  it  remained  until  the  26th  of  Decem- 
ber. On  that  date  it  moved  on  towards  Murfreesborough,  Tennessee,  as  a 
part  of  the  "  Regular  Brigade."  This  brigade,  subsequently  famous  in  the 
annals  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  was  organized  a  few  days  before  the 
movement  upon  Murfreesborough  began,  and  consisted  entirely  of  regular 
troops,  as  follows  •  First  Battalion  Fifteenth  Infantry,  under  Major  King  ; 
First  Battalion  and  one  company  of  the  Second  Battalion,  Sixteenth  In- 
fantry; First  and  Second  Battalions,  and  six  companies  of  the  Third  Bat- 
talion, Eighteenth  Infantry;  First  Battalion  Nineteenth  Infantry,  and  Bat- 
tery H,  Fifth  Artillery.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Oliver  L.  Shepherd,  Eighteenth 
Infantry,  subsequently  Colonel  of  the  Fifteenth  Infantry,  commanded  the 
brigade. 

About  eleven  o'clock  on  the  30th  day  of  December,  Rousseau's  Divis- 
ion, to  which  the  Regular  Brigade  belonged,  reached  its  position  in  the 
Federal  line  before  Murfreesborough,  and  bivouacked  near  the  Nashville 
turnpike  on  the  night  preceding  the  sanguinary  battle  of  Stone's  River. 

"At  about  nine  o'clock  A.  M.  on  the  31st  of  December,"  says  General 
Rousseau,  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle,  under  date  of  January  nth, 
1863,  "the  report  of  artillery  and  heavy  firing  of  small  arms  on  our  right 
announced  that  the  battle  had  begun  by  an  attack  on  the  right  wing,  com- 
manded by  Maj.-General  McCook.  *  *  *  General  Thomas  ordered  me 
to  advance  my  division  quickly  to  the  front  to  the  assistance  of  General 
McCook.  *  *  *  We  consulted  and  agreed  as  to  where  the  line  should 
be  formed.  This  was  in  a  dense  cedar  brake,  through  wh'ch  my  troops 
marched  in  double-quick  time,  to  get  into  position  before  the  enemy  reached 
us.  He  was  then  but  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the  front  sweeping  up  in  im- 
mense numbers,  driving  everything  before  him.  *  *  *  The  roads  were 
almost  impassable  to  infantry,  and  artillery  was  perfectly  useless.  *  *  * 
Our  lines  were  hardly  formed  before  a  dropping  fire  of  the  enemy  announced 
his  approach.  *  *  *  Four  deliberate  and  fiercely  sustained  assaults  were 
made  upon  our  position  and  repulsed."  After  the  last  assault  "we  made  a 
charge  upon  the  enemy  and  drove  him  into  the  woods.  *  *  *  This 
ended  the  fighting  of  that  day.  *  *  *  From  the  evening  of  the  31st 
until  the  ensuing  Saturday  night  (January  3d),  no  general  battle  occurred 
in  front  of  my  division.  *  *  *  During  much  of  the  time  my  men  had 
neither  shelter,  food  nor  fire.  I  procured  corn,  which  they  parched  and  ate, 
and  some  of  them  ate  horse  steaks,  cut  and  broiled,  from  horses  upon  the 
battle-field.  *  *  *  The  troops  of  my  division  behaved  admirably.  I 
could  not  wish  them  to  behave  more  gallantly.  *  *  *  The  Brigade  ol 
United  States  Infantry,  Lieut-Col.  O.  L.  Shepherd  commanding,  was  on 
the  extreme  right.  On  that  body  of  brave  men  the  shock  of  battle  fell 
heaviest,  and  its  loss  was  most  severe.  Over  one-third  of  the  command 
fell,  killed  or  wounded  ;  but  it  stood  up  to  the  work  and  bravely  breasted 
the  storm,  and  though  Major  King,  commanding  the  Fifteenth,  and  Major 
Slcmmer  ("Old  Pickens"),  commanding  the  Sixteenth,  fell  severely 
wounded,  and  Major  Carpenter,  commanding  the  Nineteenth,  fell  dead  in 
the  last  charge,  together  with  many  other  brave  officers  and  men.  the  brig- 
ade did  not  falter  for  a  moment.     *     *     ♦     if  i  could,  I  would  promote 


6i8        FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

every  officer  and  several  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  of  this 
brigade  of  regulars,  for  gallantry  and  good  service  in  this  terrific  battle.  I 
make  no  distinction  between  these  troops  and  my  brave  volunteer  regi- 
ments, for  in  my  judgment  there  never  were  better  troops  than  those  regi- 
ments, in  the  world.  But  the  troops  of  the  line  are  soldiers  by  profession 
and  with  a  view  to  the  future  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  say  what  I  have  of  them." 
The  loss  of  the  battalion  of  the  Fifteenth  Infantry,  in  killed  and  wounded 
was  severe.  It  went  into  the  engagement  with  sixteen  officers  and  three 
hundred  and  four  enlisted  men.  One  officer— Captain  Bell— was  killed, 
and  three  officers— Major  King,  Captain  Yorke  and  Lieutenant  Oceleston— 
were  severely  wounded.  Ten  men  were  killed  and  ninety-one  men 
wounded  and  missing. 

The  command  of  the  Fifteenth  devolved  upon  Captain  Fulmer  after 
Major  King  was  wounded.  Captain  Crofton,  now  Colonel  of  the  Fifteenth, 
succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  Sixteenth  after  Slemmer  was  disabled, 
and  Captain  Mulligan  to  the  command  of  the  Nineteenth  after  the  death  of 
Carpenter. 

General  Rosecrans  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle  under  date  of  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1862,  makes  "special  mention"  of  Captain  Fulmer,  Fifteenth  In- 
fantry. Captain  Crofton,  Sixteenth  Infantry  and  Captain  Mulligan,  Nine- 
teenth Infantry. 

"  These  three  infantry  captains,"  he  says,  "  commanded  their  respective 
battalions  after  their  majors  had  been  disabled,  and  behaved  with  great 
gallantry  and  skill,  although  opposed  by  an  overwhelming  number." 

The  battle  reopened  on  the  morning  of  January  ist  and  was  continued 
throughout  the  day  and  the  two  followmg,  when  the  Confederate  army 
retired  southward. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day  of  the  battle,  the  wagon  transportation 
of  the  Regular  Brigade  was  directed  to  proceed  to  Nashville.  It  got  away 
early  on  the  following  day  under  charge  of  Lieutenant  Clarence  M.  Bailey, 
Sixth  Infantry,  now  Major  of  the  Fifteenth  Infantry.  The  regim.ental  band 
of  the  Fifteenth  reported  to  Lieutenant  Bailey  and  accompanied  the  trans- 
portation under  orders  ^«r<7z^/^  for  Nashville.  A  sufficient  number  of  the 
wagons  were  furnished  to  the  band  to  carry  the  men  as  well  as  their  instru- 
ments and  personal  effects.  The  roads  were  rough  and  the  jolting  of  the 
wagons  often  made  riding  in  them  less  desirable  than  walking.  As  a  result 
the  men  scattered  along  the  way  and  the  wagons  assigned  for  their  use  were 
often  delayed,  waiting  for  those  who  had  fallen  behind  to  come  up.  Finally 
when  the  band  with  its  transportation  reached  La  Vergne,  about  sixteen 
miles  from  Nashville,  it  was  suddenly  surrounded  by  a  detachment  of 
Wheeler's  cavalry  and  the  whole  concern  from  trombone  to  picolo  cap- 
tured bodily. 

Lieutenant  Bailey  had  gone  on  ahead  a  short  time  before  and  fortunately 
escaped  capture.  When  the  officer  in  command  of  the  Confederate  troops 
became  aware  of  the  character  of  his  capture  he  at  once  set  the  men  at 
liberty  after  exacting  the  usual  parole.  The  transportation,  however,  and 
the  instruments  of  the  band,  together  with  the  personal  effects  of  the  men, 
were  appropriated  by  the  captors  and  carried    away.      The  Confederate 


HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY.  619 

officer  kindlj'^  addressed  Major  King  by  letter,  entrusting  his  communication 
for  delivery  to  a  member  of  the  band,  announcing  that  he  had  paroled  the 
men,  and  offering  to  return  the  instruments  if  their  value  in  money  was  sent 
to  his  command  under  flag  of  truce.  The  result  is  not  known,  but  it  is  be- 
lieved that  the  instruments  were  never  recovered. 

The  band  bore  an  excellent  reputation  in  1862-63,  ^^'^  •'^s  friends  claimed 
first  place  for  it  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  It  was  recruited  from  the 
members  of  the  orchestra  of  Pike's  Opera  House  in  Cincinnati,  and  many 
of  the  performers  were  excellent  musicians. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1863,  the  battalion  moved  into  Murfreesborough 
and  established  a  camp  which  it  occupied  until  the  latter  part  of  June.  It 
joined  then  in  the  forward  movement  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and 
marched  to  Hoover's  Gap  and  on  through  Fairfield  to  Manchester,  Tennes- 
see. After  a  brief  delay  at  Manchester,  it  moved  on  towards  Stevenson, 
Alabama,  which  place  it  reached  on  the  loth  day  of  August.  It  left  Steven- 
son on  the  9th  of  September  and  marched  through  Bridgeport,  Tennessee, 
crossed  the  Tennessee  River  and  the  Raccoon  and  Lookout  Mountains,  and 
finally  on  the  19th  day  of  the  month  reached  the  historic  battle-field  of 
Chickamauga. 

The  battalion  at  this  time  formed  a  part  of  the  "  Regular  Brigade,"  now 
commanded  by  Brigadier-General  John  H.  King,  formerly  major  of  the 
Fifteenth  Infantry.  The  brigade  consisted  of  the  First  Battalion,  Fifteenth 
Infantry — six  companies  only  being  present  with  it  at  this  time,  B  and  D 
having  been  left  behind  on  some  detached  duty — and  Company  E,  Second 
Battalion,  under  command  of  Captain  A.  B.  Dod ;  First  Battalion,  Six- 
teenth Infantry ;  First  and  Second  Battalions,  Eighteenth  Infantry;  First 
Battalion,  Nineteenth  Infantry;  and  Battery  H,  Fifth  Artillery. 

At  the  opening  of  the  battle  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  Captain  Dod 
was  directed  to  take  position  in  the  rear  of  the  battery  belonging  to  the 
brigade  and  follow  its  movements. 

"  In  accordance  with  these  instructions,"  says  the  captain  in  his  official 
report,  "  I  was  following  close  on  the  battery,  moving  to  the  front  in  line  of 
battle,  when  I  was  informed  that  the  skirmishers  of  the  enemy  were  about 
eight  rods  on  our  right     *    *    *." 

"  Upon  reaching  a  dense  thicket,"  says  Captain  Heilman  of  the  Fifteenth, 
"  a  division  stafT  officer  cautioned  us  not  to  fire  in  a  certain  direction  as 
there  was  a  body  of  our  troops  in  advance  of  us.  He  had  scarcely  gotten 
out  of  sight  when  a  volley  was  poured  into  us,  and  we  found  that  instead  of 
our  own  troops  we  had  Longstreet's  Corps  in  our  front.  Our  line  wavered, 
as  it  naturally  would  under  such  circumstances,  but  soon  recovered  itself.  In 
the  meantime,  however,  one  section  of  our  battery  had  been  captured.  The 
battalion  was  immediately  ordered  forward  again,  and  closing  upon  the 
enemy's  lines  recaptured  the  section  and  with  it  a  large  number  of  prison- 
ers. It  was  all  done  so  bravely  and  quickly  that  the  guns  were  recovered 
uninjured.  The  volley  that  we  received  was  a  solid  one,  but  the  firing  was 
so  high  that  the  loss  of  men  was  small.  As  soon  as  possible  we  gathered 
our  prisoners  together  and  sent  them  to  the  rear." 

Continuing  his  report  of  the  operations  of  the  20th,  Captain  Dod  says, 


620  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

"  I  was  then  ordered  to  relieve  the  Eighteenth  in  the  outer  breastworks 
which  were  only  a  few  logs  raised  about  a  foot  and  a  half  above  the 
ground.  *  *  *  The  enemy  made  four  efforts  to  take  the  works,  but 
were  each  time  repulsed  with  terrible  slaughter,  the  ground  in  front  being 
literally  strewn  with  their  dead  and  wounded." 

"  We  resisted  the  assaults  successfully  behind  our  little  stronghold," 
says  Captain  Heilman,  "until  our  ammunition  became  exhausted,  when  we 
were  driven  back.  The  enemy  were  apparently  determined  to  dislodge  us 
and  they  persisted  until  they  succeeded.  In  falling  back  we  discovered  that 
we  had  been  almost  surrounded.  My  company  was  in  the  centre  and  we 
hardly  knew  what  direction  to  take.  At  length  we  got  under  cover  of  the 
woods  when  it  was  found  that  all  the  officers  to  my  right  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  men  had  been  captured.  As  we  fell  back  we  were  heavily  fired  into 
and  the  ground  was  covered  with  the  dead  and  wounded  of  both  armies. 
We  were  crowded  very  closely  and  fell  far  back,  being  entirely  out  of  am- 
munition. Darkness  soon  came  on  and  closed  the  eventful  day.  On  the 
following  day  we  crossed  Missionary  Ridge  and  early  on  the  22d  reached 
Chattanooga  with  Bragg's  army  pretty  close  on  our  heels  and  the  Tennessee 
River  in  front  of  us." 

The  battalion  went  into  the  engagement  on  the  19th  with  fourteen  offi- 
cers and  two  hundred  and  sixty-two  men.  Its  casualties  included  nine  men 
killed,  two  officers, — Captain  Meredith  and  Lieutenant  Williams — and  forty- 
seven  men  wounded,  and  six  officers — Lieutenants  Timony,  Gray,  Holbrook, 
Galloway,  Kendall  and  Brown, — and  eighty-eight  men  captured  by  the 
enemy. 

The  battalion  immediately  went  to  work  after  its  camping  ground  had 
been  determined  upon  to  make  itself  as  comfortable  as  possible  with  such 
material  as  could  be  obtained. 

"  Our  camp,"  says  Heilman,  "soon  presented  a  unique  and  rather  pictur- 
esque appearance.  The  quarters  were  constructed  of  anything  we  could 
get  in  the  way  of  canvas  and  sticks,  and  our  '  dog  houses,'  as  the  structures 
we  erected  were  commonly  called,  were  a  sight  to  behold." 

In  the  meantime  large  details  of  officers  and  men  were  daily  employed 
in  the  erection  of  fortifications  and  the  building  of  bridges  and  roads,  while 
other  large  details  were  constantly  employed  in  watching  the  enemy. 

For  nearly  two  months  every  man  in  the  command  was  kept  busy  night 
and  day,  either  watching  the  enemy  or  adding  to  the  means  of  defense 
against  him.  During  all  this  time  the  supply  of  food  and  clothing  was 
barely  sufficient  to  meet  the  daily  wants  of  the  troops  and  much  suffering 
resulted. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  1863,  General  Grant  was  placed  in  com- 
mand of  a  geographical  division  embracing  the  Departments  of  the  Ohio, 
the  Cumberland  and  the  Tennessee,  and  General  Thomas  succeeded  Gen- 
eral Rosecrans  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  General 
Grant  reached  Chattanooga  on  the  24th  and  operations  were  at  once  begun 
to  relieve  the  siege  which  the  Confederates  under  General  Bragg  had  main- 
tained since  the  unfortunate  battle  of  Chickamauga. 

"  The  national  troops  were  now  strongly  entrenched   in    Chattanooga 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.         621 

Valley,"  says  General  Grant  in  his  Memoirs,  •'  the  Tennessscc  River  behind 
them  and  the  enemy  occupying  commanding  heights  to  the  east  and  west, 
with  a  strong  line  across  the  valley  from  mountain  to  mountam.  •  ♦  * 
All  supplies  for  Rosecrans  had  to  be  brought  from  Nashville  *  ■>■  ♦  and 
hauled  by  a  circuitous  route  north  of  the  river  over  a  mountainous  country. 
*  *  *  This  country  afforded  but  little  food  for  his  animals,  nearly  ten 
thousand  of  which  had  already  starved,  and  not  enough  were  left  to  draw  a 
single  piece  of  artillery,  or  even  the  ambulances  to  convey  the  sick.  The 
men  had  been  on  half  rations  of  hard  bread  for  a  considerable  time,  with 
but  few  other  supplies  except  beef  driven  from  Nashville  across  the  country. 
The  region  along  the  road  became  so  exhausted  of  food  for  the  cattle  that 
by  the  time  they  reached  Chattanooga  they  were  much  in  the  condition  of 
skeletons.  Indeed  the  beef  was  so  poor  that  the  soldiers  were  in  the  habit 
of  saying  with  a  faint  facetiousness,  that  they  were  living  on  half  rations  of 
hard  bread  and  dried  beef  oti  the  hoof." 

The  Second  Battalion  of  the  Fifteenth  Infantry,  under  command  of 
Major  Edie,  reached  Chattanooga  on  the  2d  day  of  October,  1863,  and  went 
into  camp  with  the  First  Battalion.  The  road  it  had  followed  on  the  pre- 
vious day  was  found  so  diflicult  for  the  wagon  train  by  reason  of  mud  and 
broken  ground  that  the  battalion  became  separated  from  it  while  en  route. 
Some  time  after  the  separation  occurred  the  train  was  captured  by  a  force 
of  the  enemy's  cavalry  and  was  entirely  destroyed,  together  with  all  the 
public  records  of  the  battalion,  its  camp  equipage,  and  the  private  property 
of  the  officers  and  men.  Lieutenant  Lord  and  nineteen  men,  escorting  the 
train,  were  made  prisoners  of  war. 

Major  Albert  Tracy,  promoted  from  captain  Tenth  Infantry,  joined  on 
the  last  day  of  December,  1863,  and  assumed  command  of  the  First  Battal- 
ion. He  entered  the  service  originally  as  first  lieutenant  of  the  Ninth 
Infantry,  in  1847,  and  had  rendered  continuous  service  since  that 
date. 

"  It  was  a  rough  winter  we  spent  at  Chattanooga,"  he  says.  "  I  had  served 
in  the  expedition  to  Utah  in  1857-58  and  participated  in  the  hardships,  pri- 
vations and  starvations  of  that  luckless  march,  but  taking  all  I  saw  or  felt 
in  the  expedition  to  Utah  into  consideration  I  must  say  that  I  never  beheld 
so  much  suffering  and  misery  from  want  of  food  and  clothing  as  I  saw  in 
the  camps  of  the  Federal  troops  at  Chattanooga  from  the  date  of  my  join- 
ing until  the  opening  of  February,  1864." 

"  I  telegraphed  Thomas  from  Washington,"  says  General  Grant,  "  that 
he  must  hold  Chattanooga  at  all  hazards.  A  prompt  reply  was  received 
saying,  'We  will  hold  the  town  till  we  starve.'  I  appreciated  the  force  of 
this  despatch  later  when  I  witnessed  the  condition  of  alTairs  which  prompted 
it.  It  looked,  indeed,  as  if  but  two  courses  were  open  ;  one  to  starve,  the 
other  to  surrender  or  be  captured." 

"  For  tents,"  continues  Major  Tracy,  "  a  few  blackened  specimens  were 
left,  but  there  were  not  wanting  instances  where  soldiers  were  compelled  for 
want  of  covering  to  burrow  in  the  side  of  the  hills  like  animals  to  escape 
the  piercing  inclemencies  of  the  weather.  It  was  only  when  we  opened  the 
newspapers,  which  now  and  then  reached  us  from  the  Nor^h,  that  we  felt 


622  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

assured  that  the  men  at  Chattanooga  were  amply  fed  and  clothed  and  eager 
for  battle." 

On  the  25th  of  November,  1863,  the  First  Battalion  under  Captain 
Keteltas,  and  the  Second  under  Major  Edie,  broke  camp  at  Chattanooga 
and  participated  with  the  other  regiments  of  the  Regular  Brigade  in  the 
assault  upon  Missionary  Ridge,  losing  four  men  killed  and  eleven  wounded. 
Both  battalions  participated  in  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy  as  far  as  Ringold, 
Georgia,  but  without  further  casualties.  The  First  Battalion  returned  to  its 
camp  at  Chattanooga  on  the  29th,  followed  by  the  Second  Battalion  on  the 
same  day. 

No  further  movements  of  the  regiment  occurred  until  the  22d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  when  the  First  Battalion  marched  to  Ringold  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  to  Tunnel  Hill.  On  the  26th  it  participated  in  a  skirmish  with 
a  considerable  force  of  the  enemy  at  Buzzards'  Roost,  and  during  the  follow- 
ing night  retreated  to  Stone  Church.  Continuing  the  march  on  the  27th  it 
reached  Tyner's  Station,  Tennessee,  on  the  same  day  and  bivouacked  near 
that  place  until  the  2d  day  of  March  when  it  marched  to  Graysville,  where 
it  was  joined  by  the  Second  Battalion  on  the  12th,  and  a  few  days  later  by 
Companies  A  and  B  of  the  Third  Battalion  under  Captains  Dod  and  Jewett. 
On  the  2oth  of  April  the  First  Battalion  advanced  as  far  as  Parker's  Gap  to 
make  an  armed  reconnoissance  of  the  enemy's  position  and  returned  to 
Graysville  on  the  25th. 

Both  battalions  and  Companies  A  and  B,  Third  Battalion,  broke  up 
their  encampment  on  the  3d  of  May  and  joined  in  the  forward  movement 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  forming  part  of  the  Second  Brigade  (Gen- 
eral King)  ;  First  Division  (General  Johnson)  ;  Fourteenth  Corps  (General 
Palmer).  The  brigade  consisted  of  the  Nineteenth  Illinois;  Eleventh  Michi- 
gan ;  Sixty-ninth  Ohio;  First  and  Second  Battalions  and  Companies  A  and 
B,  Third  Battalion,  Fifteenth  Infantry  ;  First  and  Second  Battalions  Six- 
teenth Infantry;  First  and  Second  Battalions  Eighteenth  Infantry,  and 
First  Battalion  Nineteenth  Infantry. 

Early  in  the  month  Major  Tracy  relinquished  command  of  the  First 
Battalion  owing  to  illness,  and  was  succeeded  by  Captain  Dod.  After  the 
battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Dod  resigned  and  the  command  of  the  battal- 
ion then  devolved  upon  Captain  Curtis.  At  the  beginning  of  the  battle  of 
August  7th,  before  Atlanta,  Curtis  was  wounded  and  the  command  of  the 
First  Battalion  in  this  and  subsequent  battles  was  then  exercised  by  Captain 
Jewett.     The  companies  of  the  Third  Battalion  served  with  the  First. 

Both  battalions  took  part  in  the  actions  with  the  enemy  during  the 
month  of  May  at  Buzzards'  Roost,  Resaca.  and  New  Hope  Church.  The 
casualties  of  the  regiment  in  these  engagements  aggregated  one  officer — 
Lieutenant  Forbes — and  ten  men  killed,  and  twenty-seven  men  wounded. 
Following  the  retrograde  movements  of  the  enemy  the  regiment  partici- 
pated almost  constantly  in  skirmishmg  with  the  rearguard  of  the  Confeder- 
ate army,  and  during  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  June,  in  preparing 
approaches  to  the  enemy's  position  on  Kenesaw  Mountain, 

The  losses  of  the  regiment  in  these  skirmishes  during  June  aggregated 
one    officer — Captain    Harker — and  five   men    killed,    and   fourteen   men 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.         623 

wounded.  At  the  time  of  his  death  Captain  Harker  was  in  command  of  the 
Third  Brigade,  Second  Division,  Fourth  Army  Corps,  with  the  rank  of 
colonel  of  volunteers. 

Companies  C  and  D,  Second  Battalion,  reached  the  command  about  the 
last  of  the  month  and  were  attached  to  the  First  Battalion. 

On  the  3d  of  July  the  regiment  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  par- 
ticipating in  skirmishes  with  the  Confederate  rear  guard  at  Marietta  and 
Neil  Dow  Station,  finally  taking  position  m  front  of  Atlanta  on  the  20th. 
The  losses  sustained  by  the  regiment  during  the  month  aggregated  five  men 
killed  and  one  officer — Lieutenant  Jackson— and  twenty-five  men  wounded. 

The  regiment  participated  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  and  on  the  7th  day 
of  August  joined  with  a  part  of  the  brigade  to  which  it  belonged  in  assault- 
ing the  enemy's  entrenched  position,  meeting  with  partial  success,  a  number 
of  prisoners  being  taken  and  the  line  of  brigade  advanced.  On  the  28th 
and  29th  the  regiment  was  employed  in  destroying  the  "  Montgomery  and 
Atlanta  "  and  the  "  Atlanta  and  West  Point  "  railroads.  The  casualties  of 
the  regiment  during  the  month  aggregated  eighteen  men  killed,  and  one 
officer — Captain  Curtis — and  one  hundred  and  three  men  wounded. 

On  the  1st  day  of  September  the  regiment  marched  to  Jonesborough 
and  joined  in  a  charge  upon  the  enemy's  works  at  that  place  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day.  On  the  7th  it  returned  to  its  former  position  in 
front  of  Atlanta  and  late  in  the  day  entered  the  city,  then  in  possession  of 
the  Federal  troops,  and  bivouacked  at  White  Hall  in  the  suburbs. 

The  campaign  up  to  this  time  had  been  extremely  laborious,  and  the 
regiment,  in  common  with  all  other  troops  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
and  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  had  suffered  severely  from  numerous  priva- 
tions and  the  incessant  labor  attending  the  ceaseless  operations  of  the  Fed- 
eral forces.  During  a  considerable  portion  of  the  time  rain  fell  with  unusual 
frequency  and  its  dispiriting  effects  upon  both  men  and  animals  was  often 
quite  noticeable.  The  wagon-roads  over  which  supplies  were  obtained  soon 
became  almost  impassable,  and  sufficient  food  for  the  army  was  with  diffi- 
culty procured. 

"  It  would  only  weary  the  reader's  patience,"  says  General  Howard  in  an 
article  published  in  the  Century  Magazine,  "  to  follow  up  the  struggle  step 
by  step  from  New  Hope  Church  to  the  Chattahoochee.  Still  these  were  the 
hardest  times  which  the  army  experienced.  It  rained  continuously  for 
seventeen  days;  the  roads  becoming  as  broad  as  the  fields,  were  a  series  of 
quagmires,  and  indeed  it  was  difficult  to  bring  enough  supplies  forward  from 
Kingston  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  army." 

Scarcely  a  day  elapsed  after  the  regmient  left  Graysville  until  the  Con- 
federate army  abandoned  Atlanta  without  some  casualty  occurring  in  its 
ranks,  resulting  from  the  advance  of  the  skirmish  line  or  from  contact  with 
the  enemy  in  battle.  Outpost  duty  was  particularly  severe  and  constantly 
embraced  a  large  portion  of  the  command.  Hasty  entrenchments  were  in- 
variably prepared  whenever  the  regiment  halted,  and  the  men  always  slept 
on  their  arms. 

"  No  regiment  was  long  in  front  of  Johnston's  army,"  continues  General 
Howard,  "  without  having  virtually  as  good  a  breastwork  as  an  engineer 


624  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

could  plan.  A  ditch  was  sunk  before  the  embankment  and  a  strong  log 
revetment  established  behind  it,  and  a  heavy  '  top  log  '  put  in  place  to  shelter 
the  heads  of  the  men.  I  have  known  a  regiment  to  shelter  itself  completely 
against  musketry  and  artillery  with  axes  and  shovels  in  less  than  an  hour 
after  it  reached  its  position." 

On  the  28th  day  of  September,  1864,  the  regiment  was  directed  to  return 
to  Chattanooga,  where  it  arrived  by  rail  on  the  29th.  On  the  following  day 
it  established  its  camp  near  the  summit  of  Lookout  Mountain,  where  it  re- 
mained until  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  losses  of  the  regiment  during  September,  were  seven  men  killed  and 
twenty  wounded. 

During  its  entire  field  service  the  losses  of  the  Fifteenth  Infantry — 
largely  confined  to  the  First  Battalion — aggregated  three  officers  killed, 
fourteen  wounded  and  five  captured  ;  seventy-six  men  killed,  three  hundred 
and  seventy-five  wounded,  and  one  hundred  and  forty-five  captured. 

It  participated  with  one  or  two  battalions  in  nine  great  battles,  as 
follows,  and  in  several  minor  affairs  and  skirmishes  in  which  casualties 
occurred  : 

Shiloh,  First  Battalion,  April  7,  1862. 

Stone's  River,  First  Battalion,  December  31,  1862. 

Chickamauga,  First  and  Second  Battalions,  September  19,  20  and  21, 1862. 

Missionary  Ridge,  First  and  Second  Battalions,  November  25,  1863. 

New  Hope  Church,  First  and  Second  Battalions  and  Companies  A  and 
B  Third  Battalion,  May  2,  and  June  5,  1864. 

Kenesaw  Mountain,  First  and  Second  Battalions,  and  Companies  A  and 
B,  Third  Battalion,  June  23  to  30,  1864. 

Neil  Dow  Station,  First  and  Second  Battalions,  and  Companies  A,  B,  C 
and  D,  Third  Battalion,  July  3  and  4,  1864. 

Utoy  Creek,  First  and  Second  Battalions,  and  Companies  A,  B,  Cand  D, 
Third  Battalion,  August  7,  1864. 

Jonesborough,  First  and  Second  Battalions,  and  Companies  A,  B,  C  and 
D,  Third  Battalion,  September  i,  1864. 

In  August,  1865,  the  Regular  Brigade  was  broken  up  and  the  regiments 
composing  it  were  sent  to  various  parts  of  the  country.  The  First  Battalion 
Fifteenth  Infantry  was  sent  to  Fort  Adams,  Rhode  Island,  in  whole  or  in 
part,  and  the  Second  and  Third  Battalions  to  Mobile,  Alabama.  In  Decem- 
ber two  companies  of  the  First  Battalion  were  sent  from  Fort  Adams  to 
Mobile,  and  in  January  and  February,  1866,  the  other  companies  of  the  bat- 
talion followed.  The  Second  Battalion,  under  Major  Dudley,  went  to 
Vicksburg  in  January,  and  in  March  the  regimental  headquarters  was  trans- 
ferred from  Fort  Adams  to  Mobile,  arriving  at  the  latter  place  on  the  last 
day  of  the  month. 

The  experience  of  the  regiment  while  at  Mobile  was  quite  uneventful. 
It  was  called  upon  for  a  while  after  its  arrival  to  perform  the  duties  of 
watchmen  and  policemen  in  the  city,  but  this  ceased  as  soon  as  a  local 
government  was  organized.  After  this  was  fully  accomplished  its  duties 
were  quite  strictly  confined  to  drills  and  guards  and  the  other  monotonous 
routine  labors  of  camp  life  in  time  of  peace. 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMEN  T  OF  INF  A  NTR  Y.        62  5 

On  the  28th  of  July.  1866,  the  President  approved  an  act  of  Congress 
fixing  the  permanent  establishment  at  forty-five  regiments  of  infantry  often 
companies  each.  In  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  this  act  General  Orders 
92,  Adjutant-General's  office,  issued  on  the  23d  day  of  November,  1866,  an- 
nounced the  First  Battalion  as  the  Fifteenth  Infantry;  the  Second  Battalion 
as  the  Twenty-fourth,  and  the  Third  Battalion  as  the  Thirty-third. 

The  field  officers  and  the  captains  of  the  reorganized  regiment  as  an- 
nounced in  this  order  were,  Colonel  Oliver  L.  Shepherd,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Julius  Hayden,  Major  E.  McKay  Hudson,  and  Captains  Keteltas,  Yorke, 
Curtis,  Jewett,  Tracy,  Fetterman,  Potter  and  Semple.  Captains  Cummings 
and  Gillette  were  subsequently  assigned  to  the  regiment.  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man was  made  Adjutant,  and  Lieutenant  Buffum  Quartermaster. 

In  July,  1866,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  was  removed  to  Macon, 
Georgia,  where  it  remained  until  September,  when  it  was  again  established 
at  Mobile.  Owing  to  the  prevalence  of  yellow  fever  in  the  latter  city  in 
the  fall  of  1867  the  headquarters  and  five  companies  of  the  regiment  then 
constituting  the  garrison  of  Mobile,  went  into  camp  at  Stark's  Landing  on 
the  "  eastern  shore  "  of  Mobile  Bay  about  the  middle  of  September.  In 
December  the  headquarters  and  the  companies  serving  with  it  broke  up  the 
camp  at  Stark's  Landing  and  returned  to  the  city. 

Early  in  February,  1868,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  was  removed  to 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  General  Shepherd  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Sub-District  of  Alabama.  Lieutenant  Hartz  was  assigned  to  duty  as  Adju- 
tant-General of  the  District.  At  this  time  Heilman's  company  (A),  Shorkley's 
(B)  and  Coleman's  (I)  were  stationed  at  Huntsville,  Alabama  ;  Potter's  (C), 
and  Jewett's  (D)  at  Montgomery,  Hedberg's  (E),  at  Jacksonville,  and  Curtis' 
(H),  Stewart's  (F),  Brown's  (G)  and  Gillette's  (K),  at  Mobile.  Some  changes 
afterwards  occurred  in  the  stations  of  the  companies,  but  it  is  not  possible  to 
follow  these  movements  in  this  abbreviated  history  of  the  regiment. 

Early  in  August,  1868,  the  regiment  concentrated  at  Mobile,  and  on  the 
i6th  of  the  month  proceeded  on  board  the  iron  steamship  Morgan  for  New 
Orleans,  en  route  for  Texas.  On  reaching  New  Orleans  the  regiment  was 
divided  into  detachments  and  continued  its  journey  in  three  river  boats  up 
the  Mississippi  to  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River,  and  then  up  that  stream  to 
Shreveport,  from  which  place  it  was  tranported  by  rail  to  Marshall,  Texas. 
Here  a  distribution  of  the  companies  was  made  for  "  reconstruction  duty  " 
in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State.  Regimental  headquarters  and  Potter's 
company  (C),  and  Jewett's,  (D).were  sent  to  Nacogdoches;  Heilman's,  (A), 
to  Livingston;  Hedberg's,  (E),  to  Palestine;  Stewart's.  (F).  to  Huntsville; 
Curtis',  (H),  to  JefTerson  and  Shorkley's,  (B),  Brown's  (G).  Coleman's,  (I), 
and  Gillette's,  (K)  remained  at  Marshall. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1869  the  question  of  the  reduction  of  the  army 
came  before  Congress,  and  for  some  time  was  a  prominent  subject  of  con- 
sideration. A  clause  was  finally  attached  to  the  army  appropriation  bill, 
reducing  the  number  of  infantry  regiments  to  twenty-five.  The  bill  as  thus 
amended  passed  the  House  and  subsequently  the  Senate,  and  on  the  3d  day 
of  March  received  the  approval  of  the  President.  In  carrying  out  the  pro- 
visions of  the  law  an  order  was  issued  from  the  Adjutant-General's  office,  on 


626  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  iitn  day  of  March,  directing  the  consolidation  of  infantry  regiments,  in- 
cluding the  Fifteenth  and  Thirty-fifth. 

The  Fifteenth  assembled  at  Austin,  Texas,  in  the  following  June,  and 
after  a  somewhat  prolonged  delay,  due  principally  to  frequent  heavy  rains 
and  the  consequent  swollen  condition  of  the  Colorado  River,  got  away  finally 
on  the  i6th  day  of  July,  en  route  for  Fort  Concho,  Texas,  at  which  point  the 
reorganization  of  the  regiment  was  to  be  effected  by  consolidation  with  the 
Thirty-fifth. 

The  regiment  reached  Concho  early  on  the  following  month  and  went 
into  camp  on  the  Concho  River,  not  far  from  the  Fort,  and  immediately  ad- 
joining the  camp  of  the  Thirty-fifth,  which  had  preceded  it  by  a  few  days. 
On  the  1 2th  day  of  August,  the  final  order  carrying  into  effect  the  consolida- 
tion of  the  two  regiments,  was  published  and  on  the  i8th  formally  executed. 

The  field  and  staiif  officers  and  the  captains  of  the  regiment  as  now  consti- 
tuted were  :  Colonel  Oliver  L.  Shepherd,  Lieutenant-Colonel  August  V. 
Kautz,  Major  John  S.  Mason,  Captains  Ellis,  Jewett,  Whittemore,  McKibben, 
Hedberg,  Steelhammer,  Shorkley,  Brown,  Coleman  and  Stewart.  Lieutenant 
Sartle  was  continued  as  adjutant  and  Lieutenant  Blair  as  quartermaster. 

On  the  19th  day  of  August  the  regiment  marchsd  from  Concho  on  its 
way  to  New  Mexico,  following  the  old  "  Butterfield  Trail  "  across  the  Great 
Staked  Plain.  Two  large  tanks  filled  with  water  from  the  Concho  River 
were  taken  with  the  command,  and  a  limited  amount  of  water  for  drinking 
purposes  was  served  from  them  to  the  companies  at  intervals  when  needed. 
The  regiment  reached  the  Pecos  River  at  "  Horse  Head  Crossing  "  on  the 
evening  of  August  25th  and  on  the  following  day  crossed  the  river  in  small 
detachments  by  means  of  a  raft  improvised  by  lashing  together  the  water 
tanks,  now  empty.  The  impedimenta  was  taken  from  the  wagons  and 
crossed  by  the  same  means. 

On  the  1 3th  day  of  September  the  command  reached  the  Rio  Grande  River 
about  three  miles  below  Fort  Quitman,  and  continuing  its  march  up  the 
river  arrived  at  Fort  Selden,  New  Mexico,  on  the  27th  day  of  the  same 
month.  At  this  point  the  distribution  of  the  companies  of  the  regiment  for 
their  posts  in  the  District  of  New  Mexico  began. 

The  last  day  of  the  month  found  the  regiment  again  on  the  road.  The 
headquarters  and  five  companies  continued  on  up  the  river  and  the  other 
companies  separated  for  their  several  posts.  Hedberg's  company  for  Fort 
Cummings ;  Jewett's  for  Fort  Bascom  ;  McKibben's  for  Fort  Stanton  and 
Whittemore's  and  Steelhammer's  for  Fort  Bayard. 

On  reaching  Fort  Craig,  the  regimental  headquarters  and  Shortley's 
and  Coleman's  companies  took  station  at  that  place.  The  remaining  com- 
panies continued  on  for  their  stations  which  they  reached  about  the  middle 
of  October  ;  Brown's  and  Stewart's  companies  to  Fort  Wingate  and  Ellis'  to 
Fort  Garland,  Colorado. 

The  journey  from  Austin  to  Concho,  across  the  Great  Staked  Plain,  and 
up  the  Rio  Grande,  was  admirably  well  conducted.  With  the  exception  of 
two  or  three  long  marches  that  involved  much  fatigue  and  discomfort,  no 
severe  physical  exertions  were  imposed  upon  the  troops,  or  privations 
endured  unusual  to  ordinary  marches  of  brief  duration  in  eflfecting  changes 


FIFTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        627 

of  station.  The  average  distance  marched  by  the  companies  from  their 
stations  in  Texas  to  their  new  stations  in  New  Mexico  approximated  fifteen 
hundred  miles. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1870,  Colonel  Shepherd  was  retired  at  his  own 
request  under  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  Tuly  15  of  that  year,  and  was 
succeeded  on  the  same  day  by  Colonel  John  E.  Smith,  who  in  turn  was  fol- 
lowed by  Colonel  Gordon  Granger  on  the  20th  of  July,  1870.  After  about 
five  years  service  with  the  regiment.  Colonel  Granger  died  at  Santa  Fe,  New 
Mexico,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  George  A.  Woodward,  on  the  loth 
day  of  January,  1876.  Colonel  Woodward  never  joined  and  was  finally 
retired  on  the  20th  of  March,  1879.  Colonel  George  P.  Buell  followed  and 
after  a  brief  service  with  the  regiment  went  to  Tennessee  on  sick  leave, 
where  he  died  in  May,  1883.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  J.  N.  G. 
Whistler,  who  was  retired  in   1886. 

Colonel  R.  E.  A.  Crofton,  at  present  in  command  of  the  regiment,  was 
promoted  colonel  on  the  19th  day  of  October,  1886,  and  has  served  con- 
tinuously with  the  regiment  since  November  20th  of  that  year.  He  entered 
the  service  as  Captain  of  the  i6th  Infantry  in  1861,  was  promoted  Major 
14th  Infantry  in  1868,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  13th  Infantry  in  1879. 

He  was  promoted  major  by  brevet,  for  gallantry  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh 
and  in  the  following  year  further  distinguished  by  the  brevet  of  lieutenant 
colonel  for  gallant  conduct  at  Chickamauga  and  Missionary  Ridge. 

He  commanded  the  First  Battalion  of  the  Sixteenth  Infantry  after  Major 
Slemmer  was  wounded  early  on  the  first  day  of  the  battle  of  Stone's  River, 
and  was  subsequently  recommended  b'y  General  Rosecrans  in  his  official 
report  of  the  battle  for  further  promotion  by  brevet,  in  consideration  of 
gallant  services  rendered  in  that  engagement. 

He  also  commanded  the  First  Battalion  of  his  regiment  at  Chickamauga 
and  Missionary  Ridge. 

The  regiment  remained  in  New  Mexico  a  little  over  twelve  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  the  headquarters  and  six  companies  were  sent  to  Fort 
Lewis,  Colorado,  and  three  companies  to  Fort  Lyons,  Colorado,  one  com- 
pany remaining  at  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico. 

In  October  and  November,  1882,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the 
Department  of  Dakota,  headquarters,  and  BrinkerhofT's  company,  (A)  ; 
Conrad's,  (C)  ;  Stafford's,  (D)  ;  and  Bean's  (H),  took  station  at  Fort  Ran- 
dall;  Shorkley's  (B)  and  McKibben's  (I)  at  Pembina;  Steelliammer's  (G). 
and  Hartz'  (K)  at  Fort  Lincoln  ;  Humphreys'  (E),  and  Whittemore's  (F)  at 
Fort  Stevenson. 

After  serving  in  Dakota  for  about  eight  years,  the  regiment  was  directed 
to  proceed  to  the  Department  of  the  East.  Four  companies  got  away  in 
May,  1890,  and  proceeded  to  their  new  posts,  A  and  G  (Burnham)  to  Mount 
Vernon  Barracks,  Alabama,  under  command  of  Major  Theaker  ;  D,  to  Fort 
Barrancas,  Florida,  and  K  to  Jackson  Barracks,  Louisiana. 

In  July,  1890,  companies  I  and  K,  were  skeletonized  under  the  provisions 
of  General  Orders  76,  Adjutant-General's  office  of  that  year,  and  the  men 
transferred  to  other  companies. 

The  regimental  headquarters  and  the  five  companies  remaining  in  the 


62  8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Department  of  Dakota  were  assigned  for  station  at  Fort  Sheridan,  Illinois, 
in  the  same  month,  and  in  August  companies  E  and  H  proceeded  to  their 
new  post  under  command  of  Captain  McKibben.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
O'Bierne  arrived  at  Sheridan  and  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  post 
on  the  2d  day  of  October  followmg. 

Owing  to  the  incomplete  condition  of  the  officers'  quarters  and  the  bar- 
racks at  Fort  Sheridan,  further  movement  of  the  regiment  was  suspended 
until  January,  1891,  when  the  headquarters  proceeded  to  its  new  station. 
The  companies  in  Dakota,  and  the  companies  serving  in  the  South,  fol- 
lowed in  May. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Samuel  Ovenshine  joined  on  the  i8th  of  March, 
1 891,  by  promotion  from  the  Twenty-third  Infantry,  and  Major  Clarence 
M.  Bailey  on  the  19th  of  August  of  the  same  year,  by  promotion  from  the 
Eighth  Infantry. 

On  the  evening  of  the  29th  day  of  September,  1869,  the  regiment  ap- 
peared in  line  at  Fort  Selden,  New  Mexico,  for  the  last  time  previous  to  a 
long  separation  of  its  compaines.  It  assembled  again  in  1891,  joining  by 
detachments  from  the  Dakotas,  Alabama,  and  Louisiana,  and  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  29th  day  of  May,  once  more  united  in  line,  at  Fort  Sheridan. 

"  The  Colonel  congratulates  the  regiment,"  read  the  Adjutant  in  pub- 
lishing the  orders  at  the  close  of  the  parade,  "  that  after  twenty-one  years  it 
is  again  united.  He  is  highly  gratified  at  the  soldierly  appearance  and  good 
behavior  of  the  companies  recently  joining  headquarters.  This  indicates 
regimental  pride  and  devotion  to  duty,  which  must  produce  good  results. 
The  present  Colonel  has  served  with  the  Fifteenth  Infantry  both  in  peace 
and  in  war,  and  knows  there  is  no  more  gallant  corps  in  the  service.  He  is 
proud  of  his  regiment  and  feels  certain  it  will  keep  up,  if  not  excel,  its  past 
record." 

Note.— After  the  word  "day,"  line  21,  page  623,  add  "First  Lieutenant  Samuel  R. 
Honey,  battalion  adjutant,  and  two  enlisted  men  were  wounded,  and  one  man  was 
killed."— [H.  B.  B.] 


Lieutenant-General 

JOHN     MCALLISTER     SCHOFIELD 

Commanding  the  Army,   188S-1895. 


lOFIELD 


SIXTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.        631 

Second  Lieutenants  Fred  Rosencrantz,  George  B.  Pickett,  John  F.  Smith, 
T.  W.  Morrison,  Charles  Jordan,  David  P.  Scott,  George  M.  Love,  Stanley 
D.  Humason,  Samuel  R.  Whitall,  and  Isaac  O.  Shelby. 

The  new  regiment  thus  formed  was  stationed  at  six  different  posts, 
and  was  engaged  in  assisting  the  civil  authorities  in  carrymg  out  the  pro- 
visions of  the  reconstruction  acts  of  Congress.  The  headquarters  of  the 
regiment,  with  Companies  D  and  I,  were  at  Grenada,  Miss.;  the  Lieut.- 
Colonel,  with  Companies  B,  E  and  G,  were  at  Jackson,  Miss.;  the  major, 
with  C  and  F,  at  Vicksburg,  Miss. ;  A  at  Natchez,  Miss. ;  H  at  Lauderdale, 
Miss. ;  and  K  at  Corinth,  Tenn. 

This  extensive  scattering  of  the  regiment  at  this  time  was  unfortunate, 
the  two  regiments  coming  together  from  distant  parts  of  the  country  and 
the  officers  being  unacquainted  with  each  other.  This  want  of  personal 
knowledge  of  his  regit.. cnt  was  felt  more  especially  by  the  colonel,  and  care 
was  taken  by  the  new  commander  to  remedy  and  allay  any  discordance  that 
might  exist.  Frequent  visits  were  made  to  all  the  posts  both  by  the  colonel 
and  his  staff,  and  by  reason  of  these  visits  one  of  the  chief  disadvantages 
was  in  a  short  time  overcome.  The  company  officers  became  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  headquarters  of  their  regiment  and  an  esprit  de  corps 
soon  commenced  to  show  itself,  which  gives  to  the  regiment  to  this  day  a 
distinctive  reputation.  Probably  there  was  no  consolidation  made  at  this 
time  where  these  results  were  so  necessary  and  at  the  same  time  so  hard  to 
obtain.  The  new  colonel  was  the  youngest  in  the  army,  an  appointment 
from  civil  life  but  of  most  distinguished  record,  while  the  lieutenant- 
colonel  and  major  were  both  old  and  distinguished  officers,  graduates 
of  West  Point.  Many  of  the  company  commanders  had  seen  as  much 
service  as  the  colonel,  some  having  had  as  large  commands  during  the 
war,  but  all  seemed  imbued  with  the  desire  to  excel.  The  loyalty  and 
regimental  pride  of  Generals  Granger  and  Carlin  were  particularly  admir- 
able, and  I  know  personally  that  it  was  highly  appreciated  by  their  young 
commander. 

From  1869  to  1877  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  assisting  the  civil 
authorities  in  carrying  out  what  was  known  as  the  reconstruction  act  of 
Congress,  a  most  disagreeable  and  unmilitary  duty.  The  companies  of  the 
regiment  were  called  upon  to  act  in  unison  but  three  times  during  the  period 
mentioned.  Once  when  Companies  B,  E,  F,  G,  I  and  K,  made  a  march  in 
October,  November  and  December,  1870,  through  Alabama,  Georgia  and 
South  Carolina,  under  the  command  of  General  Carlin,  for  the  suppression 
of  the  so  called  "  Ku  Klux  Klan."  Again,  when  Companies  C  and  \,  under 
the  command  of  the  gallant  Colonel  Rose  (who  had  been  assigned  to  the 
regiment  in  place  of  Captain  Power,  resigned)  during  the  Brooks-Baxter 
embroglio  at  Little  Rock,  prevented  what  threatened  at  one  time  to  become 
a  most  serious  outbreak.  This  occurrence  attracted  at  the  time  the  atten- 
tion of  the  nation.  Fears  were  entertained  that  it  might  prove  to  be  a  na- 
tional disaster,  but  the  determined  and  energetic  action  of  the  commander, 
who  had  already  a  national  reputation  for  energy,  skill  and  nerve,  averted 
the  calamity  without  bloodsher!. 

The  third  time  was  when  all  of  the  regiment,  except  Company   H.  was 


632  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

concentrated  under  the  command  of  its  colonel  at  New  Orleans,  during  the 
Packard-Nichols  troubles  in  1876. 

This  ended  the  reconstruction  service  of  the  regiment.  In  the  eight 
years  in  which  it  was  so  engaged  its  headquarters  were  at  Grenada,  Miss., 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  Newport,  Ky.,  Mount  Vernon  Barracks,  Ala.,  and  New 
Orleans,  La.  Its  companies  were  stationed  in  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Ala- 
bama, Mississippi,  Louisiana  and  Arkansas.  The  duties  imposed  were  per- 
formed conscientiously,  though  in  nearly  every  case  they  were  distasteful  to 
a  military  man.  While  no  open  conflicts  occurred  yet  they  were  imminent 
almost  daily  in  some  locality.  While  it  is  believed  that  the  regiment  made 
the  power  of  the  Government  felt  wherever  it  served,  yet  the  recollection 
of  this  service  brings  with  it  no  remorse  for  injustice  done,  power  arbi- 
trarily or  unnecessarily  used,  or  partisanship  in  any  sense  during  its  entire 
service  in  the  South. 

In  1877  the  regiment  was  for  the  first  time  called  to  new,  and  what  was 
considered  the  more  legitimate,  duties  of  the  profession.  Leaving  the 
Southern  States,  and  all  the  political  complications  involved  in  service  there, 
we  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  commenced  our  career  in  the  Indian  country. 
Headquarters,  with  Companies  A,  C  and  H,  were  stationed  at  Fort  Riley. 
Kansas  ;  K  at  Fort  Gibson,  Indian  Ter. ;  B  and  D  at  Fort  Sill,  Indian  Ter. ; 
E  and  I  at  Fort  Reno,  Indian  (now  Oklahoma)  Ter. ;  F  at  Fort  Wallace, 
Kansas ;  and  G  at  Fort  Hays  first  and  subsequently  at  Fort  Wallace.  For 
three  years  the  regiment  was  stationed  as  above,  except  that  I  and  K  ex- 
changed stations.  During  this  time  Companies  D  and  H  were  with  General 
Buell  in  the  Victoria  campaign  through  New  Mexico  and  into  old  Mexico. 
Company  H  was  detached  and  went  as  escort  with  a  railroad  surveying 
party  through  Arizona.  Companies  F  and  G  were  engaged  in  the  pursuit 
of  Cheyenne  Indians  who  escaped  from  the  Indian  Territory  and  were  not 
captured  till  they  got  to  the  sand  hills  near  Fort  Robinson,  Neb. ;  Com- 
pany A  was  engaged  with  these  same  Indians  below  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas. 
Companies  C  and  G  were  with  General  Mackenzie  in  the  campaign  of 
1870-80,  and  Company  F  made  a  campaign  against  the  Utes  into  middle 
Colorado. 

In  1880  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Texas  and  was  stationed  as  fol- 
lows :  Headquarters  and  Company  F,  first  at  San  Antonio,  but  soon  after- 
ward with  D,  E,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  at  Fort  McKavett;  A,  B,  C  and  I,  at  Fort 
Concho. 

In  June,  188S,  the  regiment  was  moved  to  the  Department  of  the  Platte, 
Headquarters,  with  B,  D,  E,  G,  H  and  I,  being  stationed  at  Fort  Douglas, 
and  A,  C,  F  and  K,  with  the  lieutenant-colonel  in  command,  at  Fort  Du- 
chesne, Utah.  While  stationed  at  these  posts,  individual  service  of  Cap- 
tain Rose  and  some  enlisted  men  at  Fort  Duchesne  was  mentioned  in 
orders,  and  Companies  D,  E,  G  and  H,  were  engaged  in  the  campaign 
against  the  Sioux  Indians  in  1891  which  brings  my  sketch  up  to  the  present 
date.  June,  1891. 

Twenty-one  years  have  wrought  great  changes  in  the  personnel  of  the 
regiment.  Only  six  officers  who  were  on  the  original  roster  are  now  serv- 
ing with  it.     Six  went  out  by  retirement ;    nine  were  dismissed  or  cash- 


SIXTEENTH  REGIMEN  T  OF  IN  FA  N  TR  V.        C>  3  3 

lered  ;  two  were  honorab!\  mustered  out  of  service,  anfi  four  arc  still  in 
the  service  but  are  serving  in  different  organizations  by  promotion  or  trans- 
fer. 

The  present  colonel  of  the  regiment  succeeded  Colonel  Pennypackcr  on 
the  latter's  retirement  in  July,  1883.  The  lieutenant-colonels,  since  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Granger,  have  been  James  \' an  Voast,  Alfred  L.  Hough  and 
Wm.  H.  Penrose.  The  majors,  since  General  Carlin,  have  been  Samuel  A. 
Wainwright,  Charles  A.  Webb,  Horace  Jevvett,  and  John  B.  Parke. 

The  adjutants,  since  Colonel  Barber,  have  been  Wm.  V.  Richards,  Wil- 
liam H.  Clapp,  Wm.  H.  Vinal,  Leven  C.  Allen,  Samuel  W.  Dunning  and 
Charles  R.  Tyler. 

The  quartermasters,  since  Lieutenant  Richards,  have  been  William  U. 
Clapp,  Henry  C.  Ward,  Evarts  S.  Ewing,  Wm.  V.  Richards  (a  second  time), 
William  Lassiter,  Thomas  G.  Woodbury  and  Warren  H.  Cowles. 

Lieutenant-Colonels  Van  Voast  and  Hough  were  both  promoted  out  of 
this  regiment  into  the  Ninth,  but  the  former  was  injured  while  going  to 
his  new  regiment  and  never  joined  it,  retiring  on  account  of  his  in- 
jury. 

I  am  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  foregoing  is  but  a  crude  and  meagre 
account  of  an  organization  that  is  held  in  high  regard  by  those  still  remain- 
ing in  it  and  by  many  still  living  who  once  were  active  under  its  banners. 
I  cannot  but  wish  that  the  compilation  might  have  fallen  to  an  abler  and 
more  worthy  chronicler,  but  it  is  offered  for  what  it  is  worth  with  the 
hope  that  in  its  pages  there  may  be  some  matter  that  will  interest  the 
reader. 


THE  SEVENTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  Captain  C.  St. J.  CHUBB,  17TH  U.  S.  Infantry. 

ON  the  3d  day  of  May,  1861,  President  Lincoln  issued  a  proclamation 
adding  a  number  of  regiments  to  the  military  establishment.  The 
following  day  G.  O.  No.  16  was  issued  from  the  Adjutant  General's 
office  containing  a  "  Plan  "for  their  organization,  and  as  one  of 
them,  the  present  17th  Infantry  came  into  existence.  It  differed  from  the 
older  regiments  of  infantry  in  that  it  had  three  battalions  with  one  major, 
one  adjutant,  one  quartermaster  and  commissary,  one  sergeant-major,  one 
commissary  sergeant,  one  hospital  steward  and  eight  companies  each  ; 
while  no  provision  was  made  for  regimental  sergeant-major,  commissary 
sergeant  or  hospital  steward. 

By  Act  of  Congress  approved  July  29,  1861,  the  action  of  the  President 
was  confirmed  and  the  regiment  obtained  a  legal  status  ;  the  law  made  a 
few  changes  in  its  organization,  which  were,  however,  minor  ones,  and  the 
"  Plan  of  Organization  "  was  substantially  carried  out.  The  act  reduced 
the  term  of  enlistment,  for  those  enlisting  in  1861  and  1862  only,  to  three 
years;  and  provided  for  the  disbandment  of  the  regiment  within  one  year 
after  the  constitutional  authority  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States 
should  be  reestablished,  and  organized  resistance  to  such  authority  should 
no  longer  exist. 

General  Order  No.  33,  A.  G.  O.,  June  18,  1861,  announced  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  number  of  officers,  their  commissions  dating  May  14,  1861.  So 
many  declined  that  in  G.  O.  No.  65  (of  August  23d)  a  "  Revised  edition  "  of 
G.  O.  No.  33  was  published,  leaving  out  a  number  of  those  originally  men- 
tioned and  naming  others,  some  of  whom  were  given  commissions  dating 
May  14th  and  were  placed  senior  to  some  named  in  the  first  order. 

In  this  latter  order  the  field  officers  were  named  as  follows : — Colonel 
Samuel  P.  Heintzelman,  Lieut.-Col.  J.  Durell  Greene,  and  Majors  Abner 
Doubleday,  William  H.  Wood  and  George  L.  Andrews.  There  were  also 
mentioned  18  captains,  23  first  lieutenants  and  2  second  lieutenants.  The 
field  officers  all  accepted  but  a  number  of  the  company  officers  did  not,  and 
the  last  original  vacancy  above  the  grade  of  second  lieutenant  was  not  filled 
until  February  19,  1862.  The  regiment  never  had  its  full  complement  of 
second  lieutenants  until  after  the  reorganization  of  1866,  while  between 
January,  1864,  and  February,  1866,  there  were  none,  and  vacancies  existed 
in  the  grade  of  first  lieutenant. 

The  regimental  and  battalion  adjutants  and  quartermasters  were  men- 
tioned in  the  law  in  addition  to  the  company  lieutenants,  thus  giving  32 
first  lieutenants,  but  the  number  24  was  never  exceeded  and  the  regimental 
staff  were  not  extra  lieutenants  until  after  1866. 

Fort  Preble,  Me.,  was  designated  as  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment, 
634 


SEVENTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INF  ANTE  V.     O3  5 

and  early  in  July,  1861,  the  officers  commenced  to  assemble  there.  Lieut.- 
Col.  Greene  arrived  and  took  command  July  6.  He  appointed  Lieuts.  E. 
O.  Pearson,  Jr..  and  Nathaniel  Prime,  acting  adjutant  and  quartermaster, 
respectively  ;  assigned  officers  to  recruiting  duty  in  various  towns  in  Maine 
and  New  Hampshire,  to  which  two  states  recruiting  was  at  first  restricted  ; 
and  commenced  actively  the  organization  of  the  regiment. 

The  Tren/  "affair"  caused  Great  Britain  to  send  several  battalions  to 
Canada  during  the  winter  of  1861-62,  and  the  St.  Lawrence  being  frozen,  the 
troops  landed  in  New  Brunswick  and  were  conveyed  along  our  boundary  in 
sleds.  A  number  of  men  deserted,  found  their  way  to  our  recruiting  sta- 
tions and  later  became  non-commissioned  officers  in  the  regiment.  They 
assisted  materially  by  their  knowledge  and  experience  in  organizing  and 
disciplining  the  recruits. 

What  was  known  before  the  war  as  "  Poppenberg's  Band  "  of  Buffalo, 
was  enlisted  as  an  organization,  and  under  its  talented  leader  became  the 
17th  Infantry  Band.  During  a  part  of  1863-64  it  was  stationed  at  General 
Heintzelman's  headquarters  in  Washington,  and  played  at  the  White  House, 
alternating  with  the  Marine  Band  with  which  it  was  favorably  compared. 

By  March  4,  1862,  five  companies  had  been  organized,  and  on  that  date 
they  left  Fort  Preble  under  command  of  Major  Geo.  L.  Andrews  and  joined 
"  Sykes'  Regular  Brigade  "  near  Arlington  Heights.  A  few  days  afterwards 
Companies  B  and  D  were  detached  and  formed  part  of  the  provost  guard 
at  General  McClellan's  headquarters,  and  remained  on  this  duty  until  July 
9,  when,  after  making  a  petition  to  that  effect,  they  rejoined  the  battalion. 
The  other  three  companies  were  joined  with  three  of  the  loth  Infantry  and 
formed  a  battalion  of  the  brigade.  They  did  not  long  remain  united,  the 
17th  soon  becoming  a  separate  battalion. 

The  battalion  embarked  at  Alexandria  March  26,  1862;  arrived  at  Fort 
Monroe  March  28,  and  proceeded  up  "  The  Peninsula."  The  five  companies 
participated  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  performing  their  share  of  duty  in  the 
trenches.  Companies  A,  C  and  E  were  present  at  Gaines'  Mill  and  Mal- 
vern Hill,  the  first  of  these  battles  being  inscribed  on  the  regimental  colors. 
In  it  the  regiment  lost  Captain  Dodd  and  five  men  killed,  three  officers  and 
twenty-five  men  wounded  or  missing. 

While  in  camp  at  Harrison's  Landing  Companies  B,  D.  F,  G  and  H 
joined,  which  made  a  complete  battalion  of  eight  companies  present.  It 
withdrew  from  the  Peninsula  with  the  rest  of  the  army,  landed  at  Aquia 
Creek  and  proceeded  towards  Manassas.  August  29th,  Companies  B  and 
F  were  engaged  at  Gainesville,  and  the  next  day  the  entire  battalion  was 
engaged  at  2d  Bull  Run,  which  is  inscribed  on  its  colors.  The  losses  were 
5  men  killed  and  43  wounded  or  missing.  The  battalion  was  present  at 
Antietam,  Shepherdstown,  Leetown  and  Fredericksburg,  the  last  of  these 
being  borne  on  the  colors,  and  in  this  battle  the  position  was  a  most  trying 
one.  For  one  entire  day  (December  14)  the  men  lay  fl.;t  on  their  faces 
eighty  yards  in  front  of  the  famous  stone  wall,  behind  which  the  enemy  was 
posted  in  large  numbers  ;  and  any  movement  on  their  part  was  sure  to  draw 
the  fire  of  the  rebel  sharpshooters.  The  regiment  lost  Captain  McLanburg 
and  two  men  killed  and  nineteen  men  wounded. 


636  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

After  Fredericksburg  the  army  went  into  winter  camp  at  Potomac 
Creek,  and  while  here,  owing  to  the  depleted  ranks.  Companies  B,  E  and  F 
were  broken  up  March  i,  1863,  and  the  men  assigned  to  Companies  A,  C,  D, 
G  and  H.  Shortly  afterwards  Companies  A  and  B,  2d  Battalion,  joined 
from  Fort  Preble,  giving  seven  companies  in  the  field. 

April  27,  1863,  active  operations  were  again  commenced,  the  army 
marching  to  the  Rapidan.  May  i,  the  regiment  was  deployed  as  skirmish- 
ers and  opened  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  (which  name  is  inscribed  on 
its  colors),  and  lost  Captain  Temple  and  five  men  killed,  two  officers,  and 
27  men  wounded  or  missing,  Lieut.  Weld  dying  soon  after  from  the  effects 
of  wounds. 

June  26,  1863,  the  revenue  cutter  Caleb  Gushing  and  schooner  Archer 
were  captured  by  rebels  in  Portland  Harbor,  and  the  next  day  three  officers 
and  thirty-eight  men  of  the  regiment  with  two  guns  went  from  Fort  Preble 
in  the  steamer  Forest  City  to  recapture  them  ;  the  rebels  set  the  cutter  on 
fire  and  abandoned  if,  the  entire  rebel  crew— captain  and  25  men— was 
captured,  and  the  schooner,  with  two  prisoners  they  had,  retaken. 

Early  in  June,  1863,  Lieut.  Col.  Greene  joined  and  took  command  in  the 
field.  Major  Andrews  going  to  Fort  Preble. 

July  I  and  2,  1863,  the  regiment  made  a  forced  march  in  order  to  reach 
the  field  of  Gettysburg,  during  which  so  many  of  its  men  fell  by  the  way- 
side utterly  exhausted,  that  of  the  334  present  June  30,  but  226  went 
into  action.  In  the  fierce  fight  that  followed  in  the  "  Devil's  Den,"  Lieu- 
tenant Chamberlin  and  24  men  were  killed  and  13  officers  and  112  men 
wounded  or  missing,  Lieutenant  Abbot  dying  shortly  after  from  wounds. 
"  Gettysburg  "  appears  on  the  colors. 

August  14,  1863,  the  regiment  was  detached  from  duty  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  and  proceeded  to  New  York  City,  where  it  camped  in 
"  Jones'  Wood,"  and  was  active  in  the  suppression  of  the  "  Draft  Riots." 

September  11,  "The  General"  was  sounded,  and  the  men  thought  that 
their  hope— which  had  grown  into  belief— of  returning  home,  was  about  to 
be  realized.  The  regiment  marched  through  the  city  and  embarked  on  the 
steamer  Admiral  Diipont,  where  they  soon  learned  that  they  were  bound 
for  the  "Old  Dominion,"  and  on  the  21st  they  rejoined  their  corps;  were 
present  in  engagements  at  Rappahannock  Station  and  on  Mine  Run,  and 
marched  with  it  until  going  into  winter  camp,  first  at  Catlett's  Station  and 
later  at  NokesviUe,  at  which  place  Company  C,  Second  Battalion,  joined 
early  in  April,  1864. 

Lieut.-Col.  Greene  was  promoted  and  left  the  regiment  in  December, 
1863,  and  from  that  time  until  after  its  withdrawal  from  the  field  there  was 
no  field  officer  present  with  it. 

May  3,  1864,  the  army  was  again  on  the  move.  The  regiment  com- 
prising nine  companies  (after  Company  B,  ist  Battalion,  which  had  been 
lately  reorganized,  joined  June  8)  took  part  in  "The  Wilderness  Cam- 
paign "  and  "The  Operations  before  Petersburg,"  inscribing  on  its  colors 
Laurel  Hill,  North  Anna,  Bethesda  Church,  Cold  Harbor  and  Petersburg; 
while  its  records  show  in  addition  that  it  was  engaged  at  Spotsylvania  C.  H., 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  and  on  the  Pamunkey  and  Totopotomoy  rivers 


SE  VENTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.      63 ; 

the  losses  during  this  time  being  Lieutenants  Dowling  and  Stimpson  mor- 
tally wounded  and  dying  soon  after,  sixteen  men  killed  and  six  ofhcers  and 
113  men  wounded  or  missing. 

In  August  the  regiment  took  part  in  the  capture  of  the  Weldon  Rail- 
road, and  on  the  last  of  September  and  ist  of  October  was  engaged  at 
Poplar  Springs  Church,  both  of  these  names  being  inscribed  on  the  colors 
— the  latter  as  Chapel  House.  In  these  two  engagements  the  losses  were 
Lieutenant  Crosman  and  eight  men  killed,  four  officers  and  82  men  wounded 
or  missing. 

The  regiment  had  now  become  so  reduced  in  numbers  that  on  the  13111 
of  October,  1864,  it  was  withdrawn  from  the  field  and  took  station  at  Fort 
Lafayette,  New  York  Harbor,  where  it  guarded  rebel  prisoners  both  civil 
and  military. 

It  has  been  impossible  in  such  a  brief  sketch  to  do  full  justice  to  the 
regiment.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  its  history — from  March,  1862,  to  October. 
1864 — is  inseparably  connected  with  that  of  the  famous  "  Regular  Division" 
of  the  Fifth  Corps,  and  that  where  that  corps  was  called  upon  the  17th 
Infantry  was  ever  ready  and  did  its  full  share. 

The  battalion  in  the  field  was  composed  of  three  companies  (the  other 
two  being  part  of  the  provost  guard)  until  July,  1862  ;  eight  until  March, 
1863 ;  seven  until  the  spring  of  1864,  and  after  that  of  nine. 

The  records  of  the  regiment  are  not  complete  enough  to  make  an  ac- 
curate table  of  casualties.  Colonel  Fox  in  his  "  Regimental  Losses  in  the 
American  Civil  War"  states  the  deaths  as  follows:  Killed  or  died  of 
wounds,  nine  officers  and  92  men.  Died  of  disease,  accidents,  or  in  prison, 
etc.,  two  officers  and  100  men.  The  per  cent,  of  loss  has  not  been  figured 
out  but  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  in  the  number  of  officers  killed  the  regi- 
ment was  exceeded  by  no  other  regiment  and  equalled  by  only  the  First 
Cavalry  and  i8th  Infantry — each  larger  organizations.  In  addition  to  the 
number  given  by  Colonel  Fox,  the  regiment  lost  Captain  Wilkin,  while 
serving  as  Colonel  Second  Minnesota  Vols.,  killed  in  the  battle  of  Tupela, 
Miss. 

Fort  Lafayette  was  garrisoned  for  one  year,  and  Oct.  14,  1S65.  the  troops 
were  transferred  to  Hart  Island  in  Long  Island  Sound  at  which  point  the 
regiment  was  concentrated,  headquarters  and  several  companies  moving 
down  from  Forts  Preble  and  Scammel,  Me.  General  Heintzelman  joined 
Oct.  24,  1865,  thus  giving  the  regiment,  for  the  first  time,  its  colonel  pres- 
ent for  duty. 

Recruiting  was  actively  carried  on  and  by  Feb.  i,  1866,  the  twenty- 
fourth  company  was  organized.  In  March,  Companies  E,  F  and  H,  Second 
Battalion,  were  sent  to  Michigan  and  stationed,  first  at  Detroit  Barracks, 
then  at  Forts  Wayne  and  Gratiot,  until,  in  October,  they  were  sent  to 
Kansas  and  Missouri,  from  whence,  in  November,  they  went  to  Texas.  In 
April,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  Texas,  regimental  and  all  battalion 
headquarters,  three  companies  of  the  first,  two  of  the  second  and  all  of  the 
third  battalion  leaving  early  in  the  month,  going  by  sea  and  arriving  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  month  at  Galveston.  The  companies  that  remained  at 
Hart  Island  were  those  that  had  been  greatly  reduced  during  their  field 


6s8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

service  and  not  yet  recruited.  Early  in  July  two  of  these  (A  and  D,  First 
Battalion)  followed ;  the  cholera  broke  out  aboard  ship  and  upon  arrival 
the  troops  were  put  in  quarantine  on  the  beach  at  Galveston  where  they 
remained  until  November.  This  disease  breaking  out  also  at  Hart  Island 
the  remaining  six  companies  (C,  G  and  H,  First  Battalion,  and  A,  B  and 
C,  Second)  were  on  July  20th  changed  to  David's  Island,  which  place  they 
left  Oct.  20,  and  joined  at  Galveston,  Nov.  ist.  During  the  epidemic  the 
regiment  lost  Major  Plympton  and  a  large  number  of  men. 

Soon  after  arrival  in  Texas  a  number  of  companies  were  sent  to  different 
points  and  commenced  that  most  disagreeable  work  known  as  "  Recon- 
struction Duty." 

To  carry  out  the  Act  of  July  28,  1866,  two  new  companies  for  each  battal- 
ion were  organized  at  Newport  Barracks,  Ky.,and  sent  to  Galveston  ;  the  2d 
Battalion  was  concentrated  at  Austin  and  the  3d  Battalion  at  San  Antonio, 
and  were  changed  into  the  26th  and  35th  Regiments  of  Infantry  respectively. 

In  1867  Yellow  Fever  visited  the  troops  at  Brenham,  Galveston,  Hous- 
ton and  Hempstead,  the  regiment  losing  Major  O'Connell,  Captains  Swart- 
wout,  Warren  and  Black;  Lieutenants  Lambert  and  Voris  and  over  120 
men. 

Early  in  1869  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  transfer  its  men  to  the  24th 
Infantry,  and  the  officers  and  surplus  non-commissioned  officers  were  to 
proceed  to  Fort  Columbus,  N.  Y.  H.,  for  recruiting  duty.  Before  this  could 
be  carried  out,  and  owing  to  an  Act  of  Congress  reducing  the  army,  the  order 
was  revoked,  and  soon  after  another  was  issued  for  the  regiment  to  proceed 
to  Virginia  and  there  have  the  44th  Infantry  consolidated  with  it.  The  move- 
ment commenced  in  April  and  by  the  latter  part  of  May  all  had  arrived  at 
Camp  Grant,  Richmond,  Va.  Companies  H,  I  and  K  were  broken  up  and 
about  the  same  time  the  44th  Infantry  was  consolidated  into  three  com- 
panies which,  on  the  ist  of  June,  became  H,  I  and  K  of  the  17th.  General 
Heintzelman  was  retired  and  Gen.  T.  L.  Crittenden  assigned  as  colonel  in 
his  stead. 

The  companies  were  stationed  at  various  points  in  Virginia  and  contin- 
ued on  reconstruction  duty.  There  being  some  trouble  in  North  Carolina, 
Lt.  Col.  Hayman  and  four  companies  were  sent  there  early  in  1870. 

Soon  after,  owing  to  a  disturbance  among  the  Sioux,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  Dakota.  It  left  the  east  in  April  and  arrived  at  Fort  Sully 
about  the  middle  of  May,  and  commenced  that  long  tour  of  service  which 
lasted  over  sixteen  years — a  longer  period,  with  a  single  exception,  than 
any  regiment  has  served  continuously  in  one  department  since  the  war. 
The  labor  and  hardships  of  that  time  are  not  now  required  of  troops.  Posts 
were  built  and  rebuilt,  wood  and  hay  provided,  mails  carried  and  roads  kept 
in  repair,  all  by  the  work  of  troops.  In  the  winter,  communication  with  the 
outer  world  was  almost  cut  ofif  during  the  first  years  ;  the  paymaster  would 
let  four  or  six  months  pass  without  a  visit  and  it  was  considered  fortunate 
to  get  the  mail  on  an  average  of  once  a  month.  The  coldest  weather  re- 
corded was  61°  below  zero  at  Fort  Pembina,  and  the  entries  in  the  returns 
"  frozen  to  death  "  and  "killed  by  Indians  "  help  to  tell  the  story.  Of  the 
thirty-five   officers  who  belonged  when  the  regiment  entered  the  Territory 


SEVENTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INF  ANTE  Y.      C^  ^.0 

but  eight  remained  to  leave  with  it,  and  of  the  enlisted  men  only  about 
seven. 

The  companies  were  almost  continually  on  the  go  and  changing  from 
post  to  post  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  These  changes  were  too  numerous 
to  mention,  parts  of  the  regiment  occupying  at  various  times  Forts  Snelling, 
Minn.,  Abercrombie,  Wadsworth  (later  called  Sisseton),  Pembina,  Totten, 
Stevenson,  Abraham  Lincoln  (formerly  McKeen),  and  Rice,  Dakota;  and 
Custer,  Montana  ;  Grand  River,  Cheyenne  ( Ft.  Bennett)  and  Standing  Rock 
(Ft.  Yates)  Agencies,  Dakota,  and  Camps  Hancock,  Dakota,  and  Porter, 
Montana. 

The  headquarters  was  stationed  as  follows  :  In  camp  Fort  Sully  until 
August  II,  1870 ;  Fort  Rice,  D.  T.  to  September  9, 1873  ;  Fort  Abercrombie 
to  August  11,1876;  Standing  Rock  Agency,  to  November  5,  1878;  Fort 
Totten  to  May  24,  1897  ;  Standing  Rock  (Fort  Yates)  to  July  13,  1886. 

Gen.  Crittenden  left  the  regiment  in  June,  1876,  and  never  rejoined.  He 
retired  May  19,  1881,  and  was  succeeded  by  Col.  C.  C.  Gilbert,  who,  in  turn, 
retired  March  i,  1886,  Col.  Alex.  Chambers  succeeding  him  and  joining  upon 
arrival  of  the  regiment  in  the  Department  of  the  Platte. 

September  9,  1871,  Companies  D  and  H  left  Fort  Rice  as  part  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone Expedition,  under  Col.  Whistler,  they  marched  250  and  295 
miles  respectively  and  returned  to  their  post  in  the  latter  part  of  October. 

In  the  spring  of  1872  Companies  G,  H  and  K  were  at  difTerent  times  sent 
out  from  Fort  Rice  as  escorts  to  engineers  N.  P.  R.  R.  along  the  Heart 
River.  July  26th,  Major  Crofton,  with  Companies  A.  C  and  F  left  Fort  Rice 
as  part  of  the  Yellowstone  Expedition  under  General  Stanley,  and  had  en- 
gagements with  Indians  August  i8th  on  Powder  River,  and  August  22d  on 
O'Fallon's  Creek.  October  2d  the  battalion  was  relieved  from  duty  with 
the  expedition  and  started  for  its  post.  On  the  3d,  while  out  hunting  from 
the  command,  Lieut.  Crosby  was  killed  and  scalped  by  Indians  and  on  the 
4th,  while  searching  for  his  body,  the  camp  was  attacked  by  Sioux  and  an 
engagement  followed,  the  Indians  being  repulsed  without  loss  to  the  troops. 
On  the  6th  Fort  Rice  was  reached,  the  command  having  marched  during 
the  summer— A  and  C  676  miles,  F  833  miles. 

The  Indians  made  frequent  attacks  on  Fort  A.  Lincoln,  Company  H 
being  engaged  in  repulsing  them  October  14th  and  November  3,  1S72  and 
June  15  and  17,  1873. 

In  1873  a  second  expedition  under  General  Stanley  went  up  the  Yellow- 
stone as  far  as  Pompey's  Pillar.  Major  Crofton  with  Companies  A.  B  and 
H  forming  a  part.  Company  H  left  Fort  Lincoln  June  18th  and  the  others 
Fort  Rice  June  20th.  Company  B  was  detached,  first  to  escort  a  wagon 
train  and  afterwards— from  July  26th  to  September  12th— with  Troops  C 
and  H,  7th  Cavalry,  as  guard  at  supply  depot  on  Yellowstone,  near  Glendive 
Creek,  where  they  built  a  stockade.  All  returned  to  their  stations  the  latter 
part  of  September,  having  marched  over  iioo  miles. 

June  8,  1874,  Company  G  left  Grand  River,  proceeded  to  Fort  A.  Lincoln, 
and  joined  the  Black  Hills  Expedition  under  General  Custer,  returning  to 
its  station,  September  6,  having  marched  1125  miles. 

In  September,  1875,  the  residents  of  Bismarck  asked  for  protection  from 


640  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Indians.  Company  H.  was  sent  there  on  the  27th  and  stationed  at  Camp 
Hancock.  Trouble  being  apprehended  Company  A  was  sent  in  October  to 
strengthen  Fort  A.  Lincoln  ;  it  remained  but  a  week  and  returned  to  its 
station  Fort  Abercrombie. 

March  21,  1876,  Company  C  left  Fort  Sisseton  and  proceeded  to  Fort 
A.  Lincoln  from  which  post  it  started  with  Company  G  as  a  part  of  the  Big 
Horn  Expedition,  under  General  Terry,  against  the  hostile  Sioux.  Upon 
arrival  at  the  Yellowstone  these  two  companies  with  other  troops  were  de- 
tailed for  service  along  that  river  ;  the  summer  and  fall  being  spent  doing 
guard  and  escort  duty.  October  loth  Company  C  with  two  companies  22d 
Infantry  started  from  Glendive  on  escort  duty  to  Tongue  River.  On  the 
nth  they  were  attacked  by  Indians  on  Spring  Creek  and  returned.  On  the 
14th  a  larger  escort— consisting  of  Companies  C  and  G  with  three  of  the 
22d  under  command  of  Colonel  Otis— started  out,  and  on  the  1 5th  and  i6th 
they  had  engagements  with  the  Indians  on  Clear  Creek,  repulsing  them  and 
continuing  on  to  Tongue  River.  December  2d  these  two  companies  were 
relieved  from  duty  at  Glendive  and  marched  via  Forts  Buford  and  Steven- 
son to  their  posts;  G  arriving  at  Fort  A.Lincoln  December  i8th  and  C  at 
Fort  Sisseton  December  28th. 

In  July.  1876,  the  bed  of  the  Missouri  changed  at  Cheyenne  Agency, 
washing  the  "  officer's  line  "  away.  It  was  done  so  quickly  that  where  the 
houses  stood  one  night  was  the  channel  of  the  river  the  next. 

October  16,  1876,  General  Terry  started  from  Fort  A.  Lincoln  with  an 
expedition  to  disarm  and  dismount  the  Indians  at  Standing  Rock  and 
Cheyenne  Agencies.  Companies  A  and  H  forming  part  of  his  command, 
marched  down  the  east  bank  of  the  Missouri  as  far  as  Cheyenne  Agency, 
and  returned  to  Fort  A.  Lincoln  Nov.  loth.  The  disarmment  was  made  at 
Standing  Rock  October  22d,  and  at  Cheyenne  about  October  31st,  General 
Carlm  with  Companies  E  and  F,  assisting  at  the  former  and  Companies  I 
and  K  at  the  latter  place. 

The  year  1877  was  a  comparatively  quiet  one.  Most  of  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  take  station  at  Standing  Rock,  but  before  the  last  company  ar- 
rived five  of  them  were  hurried  in  December  to  different  points  in  eastern 
Dakota  and  Minnesota  to  relieve  the  20th  Infantry. 

In  August,  1878,  Company  D  went  from  Fort  A.  Lincoln  as  escort  to 
N.  P.  R.  R.  officials,  marching  to  Glendive  Creek  and  return— about  420 
miles. 

At  Standing  Rock  Agency  trouble  with  the  Indians  was  repeatedly 
threatened,  detachments  were  frequently  sent  out  and  on  several  occasions 
the  troops  put  under  arms. 

June  2,  1879,  a  detachment  under  Lieutenant  Burns  was  sent  from  Fort 
Sisseton  to  the  village  of  "  Drifting  Goose  "  to  keep  peace  between  his  band 
and  white  settlers.  On  the  7th  of  July  Company  G  left  Fort  A.  Lincoln  on 
escort  duty  N.  P.  R.  R.  extension  and  returned  August  15th. 

June  I,  1880,  Company  B  left  Fort  Gates  and  formed  part  of  a  com- 
mand, under  Colonel  Merrill,  guarding  construction  parties  along  the  N.  P. 
R.  R.  between  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone  rivers.  It  remamed  on  this 
duty  until  October  21st,  when  it  proceeded  to  the  Yellowstone  River  and 


SEVENTEENTH  REGIMEN T  OF  INFANTR  V.      64 1 

established,  with  one  company  nth  Infantry.  Camp  Porter  near  the  mouth 
of  Glendive  Creek.  Doors,  sashes  and  nails  were  furnished,  the  other  build- 
ing material  was  obtained  by  the  troops,  and  they  made  themselves  as  com- 
fortable as  possible  during  the  winter  of  1880-81,  without  stoves,  flooring 
or  plastering. 

In  June,  1881,  Company  G  was  sent  to  Bismarck  owing  to  a  strike  of 
steamboat  hands.  In  this  year  a  large  number  of  Indian  prisoners  were 
sent  to  standing  Rock  Agency  and  Company  H  was  detailed  to  guard  and 
provide  for  them.  It  was  later  decided  to  send  Sitting  Rull  and  his  band 
to  Fort  Randall  for  confinement.  Company  H  left  Standing  Rock  with 
them — 173  in  number — September  loth,  on  the  steamer  General  Sherman, 
and  during  the  company's  absence  Company  G  was  sent  to  that  post  for 
temporary  duty. 

The  last  five  years  in  Dakota  were  quiet  ones — there  being  only  a  few 
moves,  some  minor  Indian  excitements,  and  during  the  winter  of  1883-84 
the  companies  at  Fort  Yates  were  sent  into  camp  to  cut  wood  for  the 
garrison. 

In  July,  1886,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the 
Platte,  Company  B  going  to  Camp  Medicine  Butte,  H  to  Fort  Bridger,  and 
the  balance  to  Fort  D.  A.  Russell.  In  February,  1887,  B  changed  to  Fort  D. 
A.  Russell  and  the  following  September  D  went  to  Fort  Bridger. 

September  i,  1890,  Companies  I  and  K  were  skeletonized  and  on  the 
20th  of  that  month  D  and  H  changed  to  Fort  D.  A.  Russell.  This  move- 
ment brought  the  regiment  all  together,  it  being  the  first  time— except  for 
a  brief  period  at  Hart  Island— that  it  has  been  so  stationed. 

Colonel  Chambers  died  January  2.  1888,  and  was  succeeded  by  Col. 
Henry  R.  Mizner,  whose  retirement,  August  i,  1891,  gave  to  the  regiment 
Col.  John  G.  Poland,  its  present  colonel. 

Commencing  with  1887,  during  each  summer  the  companies  have  been 
sent  on  practice  marches  or  into  camps.  In  1888,  D  and  H,  as  part  of  the 
Fort.Bridger  garrison,  marched  through  a  picturesque  country  261  miles  to 
and  from  Strawberry  Valley,  Utah,  for  an  encampment  with  the  troops  from 
Forts  Douglas  and  Du  Chesne,  Utah  ;  while  the  companies  from  Fort  D. 
A.  Russell  had  a  monotonous  march  of  670  miles  along  the  U  P.  R.  R.  to 
and  from  Kearney,  Neb.,  to  encamp  with  those  at  Forts  Omaha  and  Sidney, 
Neb.  In  1889  all  the  troops  of  the  department  (except  those  of  Fort  Du 
Chesne)  concentrated  August  20,  at  Camp  Crook,  Fort  Robinson,  Neb., 
for  one  month's  field  manoeuvres,  and  here  for  the  first  time  since  1870  the 
entire  regiment  met.  In  1891,  the  encampment  (full  regiment)  was  with  the 
Wyoming  National  Guard  at  Laramie  City.  The  other  years  the  marches 
or  camps  were  only  for  short  distances  from  the  posts. 

December  17,  1890,  Lieutenant- Colonel  Offley,  Major  Egbert  and  Com- 
panies A.  B,  C,  D,  E,  G  and  H  (with  Lieutenants  Kerr  and  Muir  and 
Quartermaster  Sergeant  Bennett  voluntarily  accompanying)  left  Fort  D.  A. 
Russell  for  South  Dakota  to  take  part  in  the  campaign  against  the  hostile 
Sioux.  They  proceeded  by  rail  to  points  along  the  railroad  to  the  Black 
Hills,  then  marched  to  and  camped  along  the  Cheyenne  River,  closed  in  to 
White  River,  and  finally  concentrated  at  Pine   Ridge  Agency.     The  cam- 


642  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY 

paign  ending,  they  took  part  in  the  review  of  January  22d,  and  returned  to 
their  post  January  26th.  Of  the  twenty-one  officers  belonging  to  these 
seven  companies  nineteen  were  in  the  field  with  them. 

April  21,  1892,  the  major,  adjutant  and  Companies  C  and  G  went  by  rail 
to  Douglas,  Wyo.,  received  forty-four  cattlemen  and  Texans,  who  had  in- 
vaded the  northern  part  of  the  State,  and  brought  them  to  Fort  D.  A.  Rus- 
sell, where  they  were  kept  in  confinement  until  July  5,  1892. 

The  entire  regiment  is  now  stationed  at  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  Wyo. 


THE  EIGHTEENTH   REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  first  LIEUT.  CHARLES  11.  CABANISS,  Jr. 
i8th  U.  S.  Infantry.* 

BY  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  of  date  May  4,  1861. 
subsequently  confirmed  by  Act  of  Congress,  July  29,1861,  the  infan- 
try arm  of  the  Regular  Army  was  increased  nine  regiments,  num- 
bering from  the  eleventh  to  the  nineteenth,  inclusive;  the  new 
regiments  to  be  organized  into  three  battalions  each,  each  battalion  to  con- 
sist of  eight  companies,  the  companies  of  each  battalion  to  be  lettered  from 
A  to  H  inclusive. 

The  organization  of  the  i8th  Infantry  was  begun  in  compliance  with 
G.  O.  16,  A.  G.  O.,  May  4.  1861,  and  G.  O.  48,  A.  G.  O..  July  21,  1861. 

Henry  B.  Carrington,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  at  this  time  (1861)  a 
citizen  of  Ohio,  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  regiment;  Captain  Oliver  L. 
Shepherd,  3d  U.  S.  Infantry,  a  graduate  of  the  Military  Academy  of  1840, 
and  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  War,  was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel ;  Capt. 
Edmund  Underwood,  4th  U.  S.  Infantry,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  whose 
original  date  of  entry  into  service  was  March  3,  1848,  was  appointed  major; 
and  Frederick  Townsend.  a  citizen  of  New  York,  was  appointed  major. 
All  of  these  field  officers  dated  from  May  14,  1861. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  stationed  in  Columbus,  Ohio, 
and  recruiting  commenced  on  the  ist  day  of  July,  1861.  A  camp  was  es- 
tablished, August  10,  1861,  about  four  miles  north  of  Columbus,  called,  in 
honor  of  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  Army,  Camp  Thomas.  The  organiza- 
tion of  companies  was  commenced  in  August,  and  the  necessary  captains 
and  lieutenants  were  appointed  and  ordered  to  the  rendezvous.  As  was 
the  case  in  all  of  the  new  regiments  thus  added  to  the  service,  nearly  ail  of 
these  gentlemen  were  from  civil  life  and  entered  the  military  service  from  a 
variety  of  unwarlike  professions. 

On  the  30th  of  November  five  companies  (A.  B,  C,  D,  F)  of  the  ist  Bat- 
talion, six  (A.  B,  C,  D,  E,  F)  of  the  2d  Battalion,  and  one  (D)  of  the  3d  Bat- 
talion, were  organized  and  ready  for  the  field.  Colonel  Carrington  was 
ordered  to  proceed  with  this  detachment  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  there  re- 
port to  General  Buell,  who  was  then  engaged  in  organizing  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio.  Colonel  Carrington  accordingly  left  Camp  Thomas  December  2. 
i86i,the  ist  Battalion  under  Major  Underwood,  the  2d  under  Major  Town- 
send. 

On  the  i6th  of  the  same  month,  at  Lebanon.  Ky.,  Colonel  Carrington 
turned  over  the  command  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Shepherd,  and  returned  to 
Camp  Thomas  to  complete  the  organization  of  the  regiment. 

*  Under  the  direction  of  Colonel  H.  M.  Lazelle,  18th  U.  S.  Infanlry. 
643 


644  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

General  Buell  assigned  the  i8th  Infantry  to  the  3d  Brigade,  ist  Division, 
Army  of  the  Ohio,  General  George  H.  Thomas  being  the  division  com- 
mander. The  history  of  the  i8th  Infantry  during  the  four  momentous  years 
of  the  Rebellion  is  so  intimately  connected  with  that  of  General  Thomas, 
that  to  follow  it  intelligently,  one  is  compelled  to  make  a  study  of  his  cam- 
paigns. 

The  1 8th  Infantry  formed  a  part  of  the  force  under  that  general,  which, 
in  December,  1861,  and  part  of  February,  1862,  operated  against  the  Con- 
federate forces  under  Generals  A.  S.  Johnston  and  George  Crittenden,  in 
southwestern  Kentucky.  Owing  to  the  condition  of  the  roads,  the  i8th 
Infantry  did  not  reach  the  field  in  time  to  participate  in  the  battle  of  Mill 
Springs,  Ky.,  January  18,  1862. 

A.  S.  Johnston  having  retired  into  Tennessee,  General  Thomas  was 
ordered  with  his  division  to  proceed  by  forced  marches  to  Louisville,  and 
thence  to  embark  for  Nashville,  Tenn.  The  i8th  Infantry  reached  Nash- 
ville March  3,  1862.  On  the  6th  of  March  Major  W.  A.  Stokes,  18th  Infan- 
try, with  companies  A,  B  and  E,  3d  Battalion,  and  G.  ist  Battalion,  joined 
the  first  detachment  of  the  regiment,  but  Major  Stokes'  appointment  was 
not  confirmed  by  the  Senate  and  the  3d  Battalion  was  discontinued,  the 
companies  composing  it  being  temporarily  attached  to  the  ist  and  2d  Bat- 
talions. 

The  regiment,  as  a  part  of  the  ist  Division,  Army  of  the  Ohio  marched 
from  Nashville,  March  20,  to  participate  in  the  operations  against  the 
enemy's  position  at  Corinth— Savannah,  on  the  Tennessee  River,  being  the 
point  to  which  its  march  was  directed.  During  this  march  the  officers  and 
men  suffered  great  hardships.  The  roads  were  knee-deep  with  mud,  the 
weather  was  stormy,  rations  were  short,  shelter  could  not  be  obtained  at 
night,  and  the  wagon  trains  were  delayed  many  days.  The  command  did 
not  reach  Savannah  until  April  8,  and  was  transferred  the  next  day  by 
steamboat  to  Pittsburg  Landing. 

On  the  24th  of  April  the  regiment  had  its  first  engagement  with  the 
enemy.  Having  moved  camp  beyond  Shiloh  Creek,  it  was  sent  on  recon- 
noissance,  and  drove  back  the  enemy's  outposts  beyond  Lick  Creek  and 
Pea  Ridge,  capturing  some  prisoners.  The  commanding  general  having 
determined  upon  the  reduction  of  the  enemy's  position  at  Corinth,  Miss., 
the  combined  Armies  of  the  Ohio,  Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  were  reor- 
ganized and  the  i8th  Infantry  passed  from  the  ist  Division,  Army  of  the 
Ohio,  to  the  7th  Division  (General  T.  W.  Sherman)  of  the  right  wing  (Gen- 
eral Thomas)  of  the  Army.  It  participated  in  the  siege  of  Corinth  (April 
23  to  May  30)  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Shepherd,  who  had 
as  adjutant  Lieutenant  Anson  Mills.  The  detachment  consisted  of  the  ist 
Battalion,  commanded  by  Captain  Henry  Douglass  until  May  28,  then  by 
Major  J.  N.  Caldwell.  Lieut.  R.  L.  Morris,  Jr.,  was  the  battalion  adjutant 
and  Lieut.  D.  W.  Benham  battalion  quartermaster.  Lieutenant  Kinney 
commanded  Company  A  ;  Captain  Thruston,  Company  B  ;  Lieutenant  Tay- 
lor, Company  C ;  Captain  Wood,  Company  D  ;  Lieutenant  Proctor,  Com- 
pany F  ;  Captain  Hull,  Company  G  ;  Lieutenant  Brand,  Company  A  (3d 
Battalion) ;  Captain  Kellogg,  Company  D  (3d  Battalion). 


EIGHTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       645 

The  2d  Battalion  was  commanded  by  Major  Frederick  Townscnd. 
Lieut.  F.  Phisterer  was  the  battalion  adjutant  and  Lieutenant  McClecry, 
quartermaster.  Captain  Fetterman  commanded  Company  A  ;  Captain 
Dennison,  Company  B  ;  Captain  Granger,  Company  C  ;  Lieutenant  Oj;dcn. 
Company  D  ;  Captain  Thompson,  Company  E  ;  Lieutenant  Simons,  Com- 
pany F  ;  Captain  Belknap,  Company  B  (3d  Battalion)  ;  Captain  Haymonrl, 
Company  E  (3d  Battalion). 

After  the  evacuation  of  Corinth  by  the  Confederates,  the  Union  Army 
before  Corinth  was  reorganized  and  the  Division  to  which  the  i8th  Infan- 
try belonged  again  became  the  ist  Division  under  General  Thomas. 

On  the  5th  of  July  the  organization  of  Company  G,  3d  Battalion,  at  Camp 
Thomas,  was  completed,  and  with  it  the  organization  of  the  regiment  with 
24  complete  companies. 

On  the  2d  of  July  the  portion  of  the  regiment  in  the  field  was  aug- 
mented by  the  arrival  of  companies  E,  ist  Battalion,  and  C  and  F,  3d 
Battalion,  under  command  of  Captain  H.  R.  Mizner,  who  joined  at  luka. 
Miss. 

The  months  of  June,  July  and  August,  1863,  were  spent  in  performing 
outpost  duties  and  on  detached  service  in  Mississippi,  Alabama  and  Ten- 
nessee, guarding  bridges,  towns,  trains,  etc.  During  August  the  army  was 
disposed  at  different  points  in  Tennessee  for  the  purpose  of  disputing 
Bragg's  advance  into  Kentucky,  Thomas  having  been  ordered  to  assume 
command  of  the  troops  at  McMinnville,  to  repair  the  railroad  from  Tulla- 
homa  to  that  point  as  he  advanced,  and  to  establish  posts  of  observation 
with  signal  stations  on  the  mountains  to  watch  Bragg's  movements.  The 
iSth  Infantry,  now  concentrated,  was  placed  en  route  for  Pelham,  Tenn., 
August  31,  to  guard  the  mountain  passes  near  that  place,  reaching  its  des- 
tination August  24.  General  Buell,  believing  that  it  was  probable  that  Bragg 
would  advance  on  Nashville  or  Louisville,  directed  Thomas  to  hold  his 
forces  so  disposed  as  to  intercept  the  enemy's  advance  on  Nashville.  Buell 
gave  orders,  August  30,  for  the  concentration  of  his  entire  command  at 
Murfreesboro,  Tenn.  His  railroad  communications  north  of  Nashville 
had  been  destroyed  by  the  enemy's  cavalry  and  it  was  now  in  order  to  draw 
nearer  to  Nashville,  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  the  railroad  to  the  north 
and  opening  up  his  line  of  communications,  and  at  the  same  time  to  make 
ready  a  reception  for  the  enemy  should  he  come. 

Bragg's  movements  were  conducted  with  so  much  secresy,  and  the  Union 
Army  was  so  deficient  in  cavalry,  that  for  some  time  General  Buell  was  in 
ignorance  of  the  real  direction  of  his  advance;  and  some  time  before  his 
ulterior  designs  became  manifest  to  him.  the  enemy  had  crossed  the  Ten- 
nessee River  at  Chattanooga,  August  28,  moving  in  a  northwesterly  di- 
rection; crossed  the  Cumberland  River  at  Carthage  and  Gainsville.  turning 
the  left  flank  of  the  Union  Army;  and  was  actually  threatening  Bowling 
Green,  Ky.,  in  its  rear,  before  General  Buell  learned  definitely  of  his  move- 
ments. On  the  7th  of  September,  1862,  General  Buell  started  in  the  race 
of  the  two  opposing  armies  for  Louisville.  The  shorter  lines  upon  which 
Bragg  was  moving,  and  his  start  in  the  race,  gave  him  the  advantage. 
Upon  reaching  Nashville,  Buell  left   there  three  of    his   divisions  under 


646  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Thomas,  as  he  regarded  the  holding  of  Nashville  by  the  Union  forces  as 
second  only  to  the  safety  of  Kentucky.  He  himself  pushed  on  with  his  re- 
maming  three  divisions,  believing  himself  to  be  sufficiently  strong  to  con- 
tend with  Bragg  for  Kentucky.  On  the  loth  of  September,  however,  hear- 
ing of  reinforcements  reaching  Bragg  north  of  the  Cumberland,  he  directed 
Thomas  to  turn  over  the  command  of  Nashville  to  General  Negley,  and  to 
join  him  with  the  old  ist  Division,  of  which  the  i8th  Infantry  formed  a 
part.  On  the  17th  it  encamped  near  Bowling  Green.  The  two  armies  were 
concentrated  about  the  20th,  the  enemy  in  a  position  of  considerable 
strength  on  the  south  side  of  Green  River.  After  some  skirmishing  be- 
tween the  opposing  lines  that  evening,  the  enemy  withdrew  during  the 
night,  his  rear  guard  was  driven  out  of  Munfordville  next  day,  and  pursued 
by  Buell's  advance  guard  until  he  turned  ofif  towards  Bardstown.  The  i8th 
Infantry,  crossing  at  Munfordville,  pushed  on  through  Elizabethtown,  and 
on  the  26th  embarked  on  steamboats,  near  West  Point,  for  Louisville, 
which  city  it  reached  on  the  28th.  Marching  through  the  city  it  bivouacked 
two  miles  distant.  Colonel  Shepherd  here  turned  over  the  command  to 
Major  Townsend. 

The  Army  of  the  Ohio  was  again  reorganized,  and  the  i8th  Infantry 
was  assigned  to  the  3d  Brigade  (General  Steadman),  ist  Division  (General 
Schoepf),  3d  Corps  (General  Gilbert).  The  enemy's  army  lay  between 
Bardstown  and  Frankfort,  its  front  covering  a  distance  of  sixty  miles. 
General  Buell's  plan  was  to  attack  the  enemy's  left  flank  and  force  it  back 
beyond  any  convenient  line  of  retreat,  while  at  the  same  time  to  divert  his 
attention  from  the  real  point  of  attack  by  a  demonstration  in  force  against 
his  right.  The  movement  commenced  October  i,  the  3d  Corps  moving 
against  the  enemy's  left,  through  Shepherdsville,  on  Bardstown,  and 
forming  the  centre  of  the  Union  line.  On  the  4th  the  i8th  Infantry 
bivouacked  near  Bardstown;  on  the  6th,  engaged  the  enemy's  rear-guard, 
driving  it  back  beyond  Texas,  and  bivouacked  near  the  latter  place ; 
on  the  7th,  bivouacked  near  Perryville,  Ky.  During  the  engagement  of 
the  8th  (battle  of  Perryville)  the  regiment  was  in  reserve  until  about  6 
o'clock  P.  M.,  when  the  brigade,  the  i8th  Infantry  leading,  was  ordered 
to  reinforce  General  McCook.  During  the  advance  to  its  position,  and 
after  reaching  it,  it  was  exposed  to  artillery  fire  for  an  hour  and  a  half 
without  the  opportunity  of  replying.  Bivouacked  that  night  on  the  battle- 
field. On  the  next  day  the  enemy  fell  back  in  the  direction  of  Harrods- 
burg.  The  i8th  was  in  reserve  again.  On  the  loth  passed  through  Perry- 
ville, and  on  the  night  of  the  i  ith  bivouacked  near  Harrodsburg.  Con- 
tinued in  pursuit  until  the  15th,  when,  near  Crab  Orchard,  Ky.,  the  pursuit 
was  abandoned.  The  Army  of  the  Ohio  was  then  turned  towards  Bowling 
Green  and  Glasgow,  preparatory  to  the  advance  to  Nashville,  and  Gilbert's 
(3d)  Corps  was  directed  on  Bowling  Green,  towards  which  place  the  troops 
marched.  General  Buell  was  now  relieved  by  General  Rosecrans,  the  De- 
partment of  the  Ohio  was  changed  to  the  Department  of  the  Cumberland, 
and  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  became  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 

General  Rosecrans  having  assumed  command  of  his  department  on  the  7th 
of  December,  announced  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  into  the  right  wing 


EIGH  TEEN  TH  REGIMEN  T  OE  IN  FA  N  TR  Y.       647 

(McCook),  the  centre  (Thomas),  and  the  left  wing  (Crittenden).  The  divi- 
sion to  which  the  iSth  Infantry  belonged  passed  in  the  centre,  retaining  its 
numerical  designation,  and  under  the  command  of  Gen.  S.  S.  Fry.  Com- 
pany H,  3d  Battalion,  joined  the  regiment  in  the  field,  November  26,  from 
Camp  Thomas,  Ohio.  The  detachment  of  the  regiment  in  the  field,  De- 
cember I,  1862,  consisted  of  companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G  and  H,  ist  Bat- 
talion, with  A  and  D  3d  Battalion  attached  ;  and  A,  B,  C,  D,  E  and  F,  2d 
Battalion,  with  B,  C,  Eand  F,  3d  Battalion,  attached.  Lieut.-Col.  Shepherd 
returned  and  assumed  command  about  December  10. 

The  iSth  Infantry  was  detached  from  the  ist  Division  of  the  centre,  anrl 
on  the  25th,  proceeding  to  Nashville,  it,  together  with  the  15th,  i6th  and  19th 
Infantry,  and  Battery  H,  5th  Artillery,  were  formed  into  a  brigade,  and  Lieut.- 
Col.  Shepherd  assumed  command  thereof.  This  "  Regular  Brigade  "  was 
assigned  to  the  3d  Division  (General  Rousseau)  of  the  centre,  Army  of  the 
Cumberland. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1S62,  this  brigade,  as  part  of  Rousseau's  Divi- 
sion, was  in  reserve  in  rear  of  the  centre.  About  10  o'clock  A.  M.,  when  Mc- 
Cook had  been  forced  back  by  Hardee,  Rousseau's  Division  was  sent  into 
the  fight  (Stone's  River)  on  the  right  of  Negley,the  regular  brigade  "  under 
perfect  discipline,"  on  the  extreme  right.  The  line  was  formed  in  a  dense 
cedar  brake,  through  which  Cleburne's  and  McCown's  victorious  columns 
were  advancing,  sweeping  everything  before  them.  "  The  shock  of  battle 
fell  heaviest  upon  the  regulars  ;  over  one-third  of  the  command  fell  killed 
or  wounded.  Steadily,  as  if  on  drill,  the  trained  battalions  fired  by  file, 
mowing  down  the  advancing  Confederate  lines."  But  "  Guenther's  Battery 
(H,  5th  Artillery),  could  not  long  check  the  fury  of  the  charge  that  bore 
down  upon  the  flanks,  and  was  fast  enveloping  the  entire  command." 
There  was  no  recourse  but  to  retreat.  "  At  this  moment  Negley's  Division, 
with  empty  cartridge  boxes,  fell  back,  and  Rousseau,  finding  his  flanks  ex- 
posed, after  a  heroic  fight  of  over  two  hours,  fell  back  slowly  and  stubbornly 
to  the  open  field  where  his  flanks  could  be  more  secure."  The  advance  of 
Bragg's  left  wing  had  brought  it  into  a  position  at  right  angles  with  the 
original  line.  The  entire  strength  of  his  centre,  and  most  of  his  left,  was 
concentrated  upon  the  angle  formed  by  Rousseau  and  the  right  of  Palmer's 
Division.  Here  the  severest  fighting  of  the  day  took  place.  The  new  line 
had  open  ground  in  front  of  it  for  some  400  or  500  yards.  Rousseau  re- 
quested Van  Cleve  with  a  portion  of  his  division  to  form  on  his  right,  which 
was  done.  Against  this  new  line  the  Confederates,  flushed  with  their  vic- 
tory of  the  early  morning,  charged  in  dense  masses.  They  had,  so  far,  swept 
everything  before  them,  and  felt  that  final  success  was  within  their  grasp. 
"  Emerging  from  the  cedars  where  Shepherd's  regulars  had  been  so  roughly 
handled,  with  yell  after  yell,  in  four  lines  deep,  they  rushed  forward  to 
brush  away  this  new  line  that  barred  their  path  to  final  victory."  But  the 
fire  of  this  new  line  proved  too  terrible  to  resist,  and  they  were  driven  back 
with  great  slaughter.  Rallying  under  cover  of  the  cedars,  again  and  again 
did  they  renew  the  assault,  and  as  often  were  driven  back.  Four  gallant' 
and  finely  sustained  eff'orts  did  they  make,  each  time  to  meet  with  a  re- 
pulse.    The  "  regular  brigade  "  sustained  the  heaviest  blow  of  the  assault. 


648  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

This  position  was  held  until  nightfall,  when  it  became  one  of  the  advanced 
lines.  Early  on  the  morning  of  January  i,  1863,  the  regiment  was  recalled 
from  the  front,  and,  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  artillery,  moved  from  place 
to  place  along  the  centre  and  right  wing  wherever  its  presence  seemed  most 
necessary.  During  the  last  thirty-six  hours  of  the  battle  it  assisted  in  throw- 
ing up  and  holding  intrenchments  commanding  the  central  portion  of  the 
field,  the  occupancy  of  which,  owing  to  the  heavy  rains,  became  one  of  hard- 
ship and  trial. 

Such  was  the  share  borne  by  the  i8th  Infantry  in  the  battle  of  Stone's 
River.  The  detachment  was  commanded  by  Major  Frederick  Townsend, 
and  consisted  of  the  ist  and  2d  Battalions.  The  ist  Battalion,  Major  Cald- 
well, went  into  action  with  16  officers  and  273  men,  and  on  the  31st  of  De- 
cember sustained  a  loss  of  one  officer  (Captain  Kneass)  killed  ;  six  officers 
(Captains  Douglass,  Wood  and  Hull,  and  Lieutenants  McConnell,  Carpen- 
ter and  Adair)  wounded.  Twenty-seven  enlisted  men  were  killed  and  109 
wounded.  In  his  official  report  Major  Caldwell  says  :  "  All  exhibited  the 
same  coolness  and  unfimching  devotion  to  their  country  and  flag  that  they 
had  shown  on  the  battle-field  of  Perryville,  Ky."  The  2d  Battalion,  com- 
manded by  Major  Townsend,  went  into  action  with  16  officers  and  298  men 
and  sustained  a  loss  of  one  officer  (Lieutenant  Hitchcock)  killed  ;  five  offi- 
cers (Captains  Dennison,  Thompson  and  Haymond,  and  Lieutenants  Ogden 
and  Simons)  wounded ;  30  enlisted  men  killed,  98  wounded,  3  cap- 
tured, 2  missing;  aggregate  loss,  139.  In  his  official  report  of  the  battle. 
General  Rousseau  says  :  "The  i8th  Infantry  were  new  troops  to  me,  but  I 
am  now  proud  to  say  we  know  each  other.  If  I  could  I  would  promote 
every  officer  and  several  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  of  the  bri- 
gade of  regulars  for  gallantry  and  good  service  in  this  terrific  battle.  The 
brigade  was  admirably  and  gallantly  handled  by  Lieut.-Col.  Shepherd." 

On  the  nth  of  January  companies  A,  C,  D  and  F,  3d  Battalion,  were 
temporarily  discontinued,  and  the  enlisted  men  of  these  companies  trans- 
ferred to  the  1st  and  2d  Battalion  ;  and  on  the  27th  of  February  companies 
A  and  C,  ist  Battalion,  and  B  and  E,  3d  Battalion,  were  also  temporarily 
discontinued. 

During  the  first  six  months  of  1863,  the  military  operations  of  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland  were  of  a  minor  character.  In  performing  its  share  of 
these  operations  the  1 8th  Infantry  was  engaged  in  throwing  up  intrenchments, 
foraging,  guarding  railroads,  towns,  and  in  reconnoissance  and  outpost 
duties.  After  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  in  January, 
the  1 8th  Infantry  passed  into  the  14th  Army  Corps,  under  its  old  commander. 
General  Thomas.  On  the  24th  of  June,  it  entered  upon  the  "  Tullahoma 
Campaign  "  against  Bragg's  army,  and  on  the  26th  of  June  engaged  the 
enemy  at  Hoover's  Gap,  driving  him  from  his  position.  In  this  engagement 
the  1 8th  Infantry  was  commanded  by  Captain  Thruston,  with  Lieut. 
Freeman  as  adjutant.  The  ist  Battalion  was  commanded  by  Captain  G.  W. 
Smith;  the  2d  Battalion  by  Captain  J.  A.  Thompson,  who,  being  mortally 
wounded  in  charging  the  enemy's  position,  was  succeeded  by  Captain 
Haymond. 

The  regiment,  as  a  part  of  the  14th  Corps,   pursued  the  enemy  toward 


EIGHTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.      649 

Shelbyville,  where  it  was  believed  that  Bragg  would  either  be  forced  to 
fight,  or  to  abandon  middle  Tennessee.  He  evacuated  Tullahoma  without 
accepting  battle,  and  fell  back  on  Chattanooga  closely  pursued  by  the  Union 
Army,  and  reached  there  during  the  first  week  in  July.  Chattanooga  then 
became  the  objective  of  a  campaign  which  commenced  on  the  i6th  of 
August,  and  in  which  the  i8th  Infantry,  as  a  part  of  the  14th  Corps,  parti- 
cipated. It  crossed  the  Tennessee  River  at  Bridgeport,  Ala.,  September 
loth;  and,  crossing  the  Raccoon  Mountains  and  Lookout  Mountain,  at 
about  dark  on  the  evening  of  September  18,  marched  toward  the  left  of  the 
army,  marching  all  night  until  sunrise.  In  the  meantime,  Bragg,  ascer- 
taining that  the  general  movement  of  the  Union  Army  was  toward  his  left 
and  rear  in  the  direction  of  Dalton,  determined  to  evacuate  Chattanooga, 
and  with  his  army  concentrated,  to  take  up  a  position  on  the  road  running 
south  from  Chattanooga,  fronting  the  east  side  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and 
on  the  east  side  of  Chickamauga  Creek,  strike  the  Union  columns  as  they 
debouched  from  the  defiles  of  the  mountains,  and  defeat  them  in  detail. 
The  result  was  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  fought  on  the  19th  and  20th  of 
September,  1863,  in  which  battle  the  regiment  participated. 

On  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  Baird's  Division,  14th 
Corps,  to  which  the  regular  brigade  (General  J.  K.  King)  belonged,  was  on 
the  extreme  left  of  the  Union  line.  About  9  o'clock  a.  m.,  the  regiment 
became  engaged,  and  between  10  and  11  o'clock,  being  attacked  from  the 
rear,  was  compelled  to  fall  back  to  the  crest  of  an  adjoining  hill,  from  which 
position  it  repulsed  all  attacks  of  the  enemy.  On  the  20th  it  became 
engaged  early  in  the  morning ;  about  noon,  charged  and  drove  back  the 
enemy  over  half  a  mile,  but  not  being  supported  on  either  flank  had  to  fall 
back  to  its  original  position.  About  5  P.  M.,  the  enemy  made  a  heavy 
attack,  turning  its  left  and  almost  enveloping  the  regiment.  This  neces- 
sitated Its  falling  back  until  its  flanks  were  secure,  fighting  desperately 
during  the  movement.  That  night  the  regiment  was  ordered  back  to 
Rossville,  where  it  took  position  in  the  gap  in  Mission  Ridge,  covering 
the  passage  of  the  army.  This  position  it  held  until  the  morning  of 
the  22d,  exposed  to  continued  and  heavy  artillery  fire.  The  army 
having  passed,  the  regiment  fell  back  early  in  the  morning  of  the  22d  to 
Chattanooga. 

In  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  the  regiment  was  commanded  by  Captain 
G.  W.  Smith,  who  also  commanded  the  ist  Battalion.  His  adjutant  was 
Lieut.  Neill.  The  2d  Battalion  was  commanded  by  Captain  Haymond, 
Captain  Ten  Eyck  being  second  in  command.  The  ist  Battalion  consisted 
of  Companies  B,  D,  E,  F,  G,  and  H,  with  G  and  H,  3d  Battalion,  attached, 
commanded  by  Lieuts.  Harding,  Adair,  Little,  Brand,  Bennett,  Captains 
Mills  and  Taylor,  and  Lieut.  Powell ;  with  Lieut.  Freeman,  adjutant.  The 
2d  Battalion  consisted  of  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  and  H,  com- 
manded by  Lieuts.  Sutherland,  Kirtland,  Gates,  Truman,  Hutchinson, 
Ostrander,  L.  F.  Brown  and  Davis,  with  Lieut.  Lind  as  adjutant.  The  ist 
Battalion  lost  one  officer  (Lieut.  Lane)  killed  ;  three  (Lieuts.  Neill,  Brand 
and  Adair)  wounded;  and  two  (Lieuts.  Freeman  and  Bennett)  missing; 
29  enlisted  men  killed,  73  wounded,  and  39  missing.     The  2d  Battalion  lost 


650  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

one  officer  (Lieut.  Truman)  killed  ;  two  (Lieuts.  Hutchinson  and  L.  F. 
Brown)  wounded  ;  and  three  (Captain  Ten  Eyck  and  Lieuts.  Gates  and 
Pohlman)  captured  ;  13  enlisted  men  killed,  64  wounded,  14  missing  and  48 
captured.  From  this  time  until  November  22,  the  regiment  was  engaged  in 
throwing  up  intrenchments,  grand  guard  duties,  and  furnishing  details  for 
fatigue  and  train  guards. 

On  the  22d  of  November  the  regiment  left  its  camp  near  Chattanooga 
to  participate  in  the  battle  of  Chattanooga.  The  Union  Army  had  again 
changed  commanders.  General  Grant  being  now  in  command.  He  deter- 
mined to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  his  strong  position  on  Lookout  Mountain 
and  Mission  Ridge.  About  noon  on  the  25th  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
participate  in  the  assault  upon  Mission  Ridge.  Its  share  in  this  engagement 
is  best  given  by  quoting  from  the  official  report  of  Captain  G.  W.  Smith, 
who  commanded  the  i8th  Infantry  in  the  action. 

"I  was  ordered  to  join  the  2d  Brigade,  ist  Division,  14th  Corps,  on 
the  right  of  the  Rossville  road  near  the  picket  lines.  The  battalions 
were  assigned  a  position  in  the  second  line  and  on  the  right  of  the  brigade, 
covering  the  15th  U.  S.  Infantry,  The  whole  soon  moved  forward,  crossing 
the  Rossville  road,  and  steadily  advanced  toward  the  Missionary  Ridge. 
About  half  a  mile  from  the  base  of  the  ascent  we  emerged  from  a  dense 
wood  upon  an  open  plain,  which  was  crossed  under  a  heavy  fire  of  the 
enemy's  batteries  advantageously  posted  upon  the  heights,  and  exposed  to 
a  fire  of  musketry  from  the  line  of  earthworks  held  by  him  immediately  at 
the  base  of  the  hills.  The  works  were  speedily  cleared  by  the  skirmishers 
from  the  first  line,  and  the  ist  Battalion  of  the  15th  Infantry  having  swept 
to  the  right,  my  command  closed  up  the  space  thus  left.  The  line  of  battle 
halted  a  few  moments  for  breath  among  the  huts  of  a  camp  from  which  the 
enemy  had  been  driven,  when,  finding  the  fire  of  shell  and  spherical  case 
shot  concentrating  upon  us,  I  almost  immediately  gave  the  order  to  resume 
the  advance.  The  command  was  obeyed  with  the  zeal  and  alacrity  which 
these  gallant  troops  have  ever  shown,  and  the  line  pushed  onward  and  up- 
ward, exposed  to  a  galling  fire  from  an  earthwork  about  half  way  up  the 
side  of  the  ridge.  From  this  the  enemy  was  soon  dislodged,  and  behind 
this  work  the  command  again  halted  for  breath,  as  well  as  to  pour  a  destruc- 
tive fire  upon  the  retreating  masses  of  the  enemy.  At  the  command  the 
line  again  started  toward  the  summit,  crowned  by  a  carefully  constructed 
line  of  works  from  which  the  heavy  forces  of  the  enemy  poured  their  fire. 
The  ground  was  now  so  steep  that  I  was  compelled  to  dismount.  Still  the 
troops  toiled  upward  until  the  heights  were  carried,  the  1st  Battalion  plant- 
ing its  colors  upon  the  earthworks,  the  first  of  the  demi-brigade.  And 
there  could  be  no  more  glorious  exhibition  of  gallantry  than  that  made  by 
the  troops  of  my  command  at  the  assault  of  the  Missionary  Ridge." 

On  the  26th,  pursued  the  enemy,  taking  the  Ringgold  road  and  crossing 
the  extreme  left  of  the  Chickamauga  battle-field,  and  about  7  p.  M.,  as  part 
of  the  regular  brigade,  surprised  the  enemy's  rear-guard  near  Graysville, 
Ga.,  capturing  four  guns,  one  caisson,  and  150  prisoners. 

During  the  winter  and  the  early  spring  of  1864,  the  i8th  Infantry  was  en- 
gaged upon  several  operations  of  minor  importance,  and  remained  in  the 


EIGHTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.       65 1 

vicinity  of  Chattanooga.  On  the  7th  of  May  it  entered  upon  its  last  cam- 
paign, the  memorable  "  Atlanta  Campaign  "  of  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  one 
so  familiar  to  all  that  it  is  unnecessary,  in  sketching  the  movements  of  the 
regiment  and  its  share  in  the  marches  and  combats,  to  outline  the  move- 
ments of  the  contending  armies. 

The  1 8th  Infantry  formed  part  of  the  2d  Brigade  (General  J.  H.  King) 
ist  Division  (General  R.  W.  Johnson),  14th  Corps  (General  J.  M.  Palmer), 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  It  moved  on  the  enemy's  position  near  Resaca, 
Ga.,  May  13,  driving  his  outposts  into  their  main  works  ;  it  was  relieved  at 
night  and  ordered  to  the  left.  On  the  14th  the  regiment  again  advanced, 
and,  after  a  sharp  contest,  drove  the  enemy  into  his  main  works  and,  taking 
position  on  the  brow  of  a  range  of  hills,  threw  up  fortifications,  exposed 
during  the  time  to  a  heavy  artillery  fire.  On  the  night  of  the  15th  the 
enemy  attacked  and  was  repulsed.  Following  the  enemy  in  his  retrograde 
movement  towards  Atlanta,  the  regiment  next  participated  in  the  battle  of 
New  Hope  Church,  Ga.,  beginning  May  27,  and  extending  to  June  5,  during 
which  days  the  command  was  exposed  to  continual  artillery  and  musketry 
fire.  From  June  12,  to  June  18,  it  was  engaged  in  advancing  on  the  en- 
emy's position,  fortifying  from  time  to  time.  The  regiment,  still  advancing, 
moved  against  the  enemy's  lines  on  Kenesavv  Mountain,  relieved  the  brig- 
ades on  the  front,  and  was  in  turn,  relieved  and  placed  in  reserve. 

During  the  battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain  the  regiment  was  under  fire, 
and  several  times  occupied  very  important  positions.  On  the  3d  of  July  it 
entered  upon  the  pursuit  of  the  retreating  enemy,  overtaking  him  near  Neal 
Dow  Station.  Engaged  the  enemy,  July  4,  near  Smyrna  Station,  Ga.,  and 
during  this  day  was  exposed  to  heavy  artillery  fire,  after  which  it  continued 
the  pursuit  to  the  Chattahoochee  River. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  the  sixteen  companies,  which  up  to  this  time  had 
been  operating  as  two  battalions,  were,  for  tactical  purposes,  consolidated 
into  one  battalion  of  eight  companies. 

Crossing  the  Chattahoochee,  the  i8th  participated  on  the  20th  of  July  in 
the  battle  of  Peach  Tree  Creek,  supporting  the  ist  Brigade,  ist  Division, 
14th  Corps.  On  the  22d  it  joined  the  division  to  which  it  belonged  and 
marched  to  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  Atlanta,  fortifying  near  the  Atlanta 
and  Chattanooga  R.  R.,  in  which  position  it  remained  until  August  3. 
when  it  marched  to  the  extreme  right  of  the  army,  participating  in  a  move- 
ment extending  our  lines  and  covering  the  right  flank  of  the  army.  On  the 
4th  of  August  drove  the  enemy's  pickets  and  videttes  until  dark,  and  on  the 
following  day,  in  connection  with  the  division,  made  a  reconnoissance  in 
force  and  on  the  same  night  marched  back  to  the  left,  taking  position  on  the 
right  of  the  15th  Corps,  relieving  a  division  of  the  23d  Corps.  On  the  7th 
of  August  the  regiment  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Utoy  Creek,  Ga.  During 
the  siege  of  Atlanta  it  was  continually  under  the  enemy's  fire.  August  19 
and  20,  it  supported  the  23d  Corps  and  cavalry  in  the  movement  against 
the  Atlanta  and  West  Point  R.  R.  On  the  26th  it  took  part  in  the  flank 
movement  which  culminated  in  the  battle  of  Jonesboro',  and  resulted  in  the 
fall  of  Atlanta.  On  the  ist  of  September  it  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
Jonesboro',  from  noon  until  evening  ;  charged  the  enemy's  works,  took  his 


652  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

first  line,  and  although  unable  to  hold  that  line,  kept  the  enemy  from  re- 
occupying  it  until  Union  reinforcements  arrived  upon  the  field. 

The  regiment  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Atlanta  until  September  28, 
when  it  left  for  Chattanooga,  where  it  arrived  on  the  30th,  and  then  marched 
to  Lookout  Mountain  and  encamped  on  the  southern  slope  for  the  remainder 
of  the  year  1864. 

On  the  22d  of  October,  pursuant  to  S.  O.  320,  A.G.  O.,  Companies  B,  D, 
E,  F,  G  and  H,  ist  Battalion,  and  G  and  H,  3d  Battalion,  were  temporarily 
discontinued,  and  the  enlisted  men  were  transferred  to  the  2d  Battalion, 
leaving  it  as  the  only  organized  portion  of  the  regiment.  As  a  part  of  the 
regular  brigade,  it  remained  at  its  post  on  Lookout  Mountain  during  the 
first  six  months  of  1865. 

During  its  field  service  the  i8th  Infantry  lost  three  officers  and  122  en- 
listed men  killed,  29  officers  and  608  enlisted  men  wounded,  7  officers  and 
199  enlisted  men  captured;  a  total  loss  of  39  officers  and  929  men.  From 
the  23d  of  April,  1863,  there  were  no  field  officers  serving  with  the  regiment 
in  the  field,  and  it  was  commanded  by  captains,  as  follows  :  Captain  Eyster 
to  June  14,  1863;  Captain  Thruston  to  July  21,  1863;  Captain  Smith  to 
June  14,  1864;  Captain  Lyman  Kellogg  to  September  i,  1864;  Captain  Hull 
to  September  28,  1864;  Captain  Mills  to  October  20,  1864;  Captain  Mizner 
to  October  22,  1864. 

After  the  First  and  Third  Battalions  were  discontinued,  the  Second  Bat- 
talion was  commanded  until  January  10,  1865,  by  Captain  H.  R.  Mizner;  to 
June  30,  1865,  by  Captain  Chambers.  The  regimental  adjutants  were  in 
turn  Lieutenants  Cash,  Mills,  Sutherland,  Phisterer,  Hull,  Morris  and  Free- 
man, and  when  the  two  battalions  were  discontinued,  Lieutenant  Bisbee, 
who  was  at  that  time  adjutant  of  the  2d  Battalion. 

The  reorganization  of  the  ist  Battalion  was  commenced  at  Camp 
Thomas,  Ohio,  September  30,  1865,  in  accordance  with  instructions  from 
the  War  Department ;  and  concluded  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  De- 
cember 21. 

Companies  B,  C,  D,  E  and  G  left  Camp  Thomas,  November  6,  for  Fort 
Leavenworth,  where  they  arrived,  November  20,  and  were  ordered  by  Colonel 
Carrington  to  report  to  General  Elliott,  commanding  the  District  of  Kansas. 
In  compliance  with  orders  from  General  Elliott  the  command  left  Fort  Leav- 
enworth under  Captain  Hull,  November  24,  to  march  to  their  designated 
posts  in  Kansas  and  Colorado.  On  this  march  the  command  suffered  severely 
owing  to  the  continuous  cold,  snow  and  sleet,  and  upon  arriving  at  Fort 
Ellsworth,  Kansas,  the  battalion  commander  determined  to  await 
milder  weather  before  proceeding  further.  Companies  A  and  K,  under 
Captain  Mills,  left  Jefferson  Barracks,  December  8,  and  on  the  i8th  left 
Leavenworth  for  their  designated  posts  in  Kansas,  encamping  on  the  31st  at 
Fort  Ellsworth.  On  the  31st  of  December,  Company  F  of  the  ist  Battalion 
was  still  at  Jefferson  Barracks. 

The  2d  Battalion  remained  as  a  part  of  the  regular  brigade  stationed  on 
Lookout  Mountain  until  the  brigade  was  broken  up  in  August,  1865,  when 
it  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Louisville  to  report  to  General  Palmer  for 
duty.     It  left  Lookout  Mountain  August  26.     The  Battalion  left  Louisville, 


EIGHTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  NTR  V.      6  5  3 

November  3,  accompanying  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Fort  Leavenworth  ;  and  on  the  26th  of  November  left  Leaven- 
worth for  Fort  Kearny,  This  march  was  very  severe  on  account  of  the 
continuous  cold  and  snow  storms.  It  reached  its  destination  December  11, 
and  three  companies  were  sent  to  Fort  Cottonwood,  Neb. 

The  reorganization  of  the  3d  Battalion  was  not  begun  until  December 
29,  1865,  and  on  the  31st  only  one  company  (H)  was  organized. 

During  January,  February  and  March,  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment 
remained  at  Fort  Kearny,  Neb.;  the  ist  Battalion  was  on  duty  in  Kansas 
and  Colorado;  the  2d  Battalion  in  Nebraska;  and  the  3d  Battalion  under- 
going organization  and  instruction  at  Jefferson  Barracks. 

During  the  month  of  March,  the  reorganization  of  the  3d  Battalion  was 
completed,  and  it  left  Jefferson  Barracks  for  Fort  Kearny,  April  20.  In 
May  Colonel  Carrington  assumed  command  of  the  Mountain  District, 
Dept.  of  the  Platte,  and  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  were  transferred 
to  Fort  Sedgwick,  Col.,  with  the  2d  Battalion.  The  ist  Battalion  was  on 
duty  in  Colorado,  Utah  and  Dakota,  and  the  3d  Battalion  was  on  the  march 
to  Sedgwick,  which  it  reached  May  31,  1866.  During  the  remainder  of  the 
year  the  regiment  was  on  duty  in  Dakota,  Utah  and  Colorado,  performing 
the  usual  ganison  duties,  furnishing  escorts  for  the  U.  S.  mail,  for  hay  and 
wood  trains,  and  also  in  scouting  against  hostile  Indians.  At  times  the  hos- 
tiles  were  so  bold  as  to  attack  the  herds  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  in 
sight  of  the  garrisons,  of  some  of  the  posts  in  Dakota. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  December,  1866,  50  enlisted  men  of  Companies  A,  C,  E, 
F  and  H,  2d  Battalion,  under  Captain  Fetterman  and  Lieut.  Grummond, 
and  accompanied  by  Captain  F.  H.  Brown,  were  sent  out  from  Fort  Phil 
Kearny  to  relieve  the  wood  tram  which  was  reported  attacked  by  Indians. 
The  detachment  came  up  with  and  attacked  the  Indians,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  in  small  force  and  who  fled.  Captain  Fetterman  pur- 
sued, and  was  led  into  an  ambush  about  three  miles  from  the  post  on  the 
Virginia  City  road.  It  is  supposed  the  command  was  suddenly  surrounded 
from  the  ravines  by  a  large  body  of  Indians,  estimated  at  3000,  and  the  en- 
tire detachment,  officers  and  men,  massacred.  Constant  firing  being  heard 
in  that  direction  a  party  was  sent  to  reinforce  Captain  Fetterman,  but 
before  they  arrived  on  the  field  the  massacre  was  completed. 

In  compliance  with  G.  O.  92,  A.  G.  O.,  1866  (pursuant  to  Act  of  Congress 
of  July  28,  1S66),  the  following  changes  took  place  in  the  regiment  during 
the  month  of  December.  The  companies  of  the  ist  Battalion  became  a 
separate  regiment,  retaining  the  designation  "  i8th  Infantry."  The  2d  Bat- 
talion became  the  27th  Infantry,  and  the  3d  Battalion  the  36th  Infantry. 
The  officers  of  the  reorganized  i8th  Infantry  were  Col.  Carrington,  Lieut.- 
Col.  Wessells,  Major  VanVoast,  Captains  Kellogg  (L.  M.),Ogden,  McCleery. 
Morris,  Ten  Eyck,  Hull,  Mills  and  Hughes;  ist  Lieutenants  Carpenter. 
Hyer,  Kellogg  (S.  C),  Wilcox,  Brent,  Adair,  Bell  and  Skinner;  2d  Lieuten- 
ants Bradley,  Counselman,  Hibbets,  True,  Wood  and  Galbrcath. 

During  the  years  1867-68.  and  part  of  1869,  the  regiment  remained  in  the 
Department  of  the  Platte,  and  its  duties  were  practically  unchanged. 

In  May,  1868,  the  headquarters   were  moved  to  Fort   D.   A.    Russell, 


654  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Wyoming,  and  the  companies  were  distributed  along  the  line  of  the  Union 
Pacific  R.  R.  and  its  immediate  vicinity.  In  January,  1869,  headquarters 
were  removed  to  Fort  Sedgwick,  Colorado.  On  the  ist  of  April,  1869, 
Colonel  Carrington  turned  over  the  command  of  the  regiment  to  Major 
Van  Voast,  and  proceeded  to  his  home  to  await  orders. 

In  compliance  with  S.  O.  53,  Department  of  the  Platte,  issued  in  pur- 
suance of  S.  O.  17,  A.  G.  O.,  1869,  the  regiment  left  the  Department  of  the 
Platte,  under  command  of  Major  Van  Voast,  and  proceeded  to  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  for  consolidation  with  the  25th  Infantry.  The  regiment  arrived  at  At- 
lanta, April  15,  and  was  consolidated  with  the  25th  Infantry,  April  28.  The 
officers  of  the  new  organization  were  Colonel  T.  H.  Ruger;  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  E.  Upton;  Major  J.  Van  Voast;  Captains  E.  R.  Kellogg,  M.  L. 
Ogden,  J.  Christopher,  R.  L.  Morris,  Jacob  Kline,  F.  H.  Torbett,  R.  B. 
Hull,  Anson  Mills,  C.  A.  M.  Estes  and  James  Stewart ;  ist  Lieutenants  C. 
H.  Potter  (adjutant),  J,  H.  Baldwin  (quartermaster),  G.  W.  Wood,  J.  H. 
Bradley,  F.  F.  Whitehead,  T.  H.  B.  Counselman,  Cass  Durham,  C.  R.  Paul, 
G.J.  Madden,  H.  H.  Adams,  J.  K.  Hyer  and  W.  A.  Miller;  2d  Lieutenants 
F.  B.  Taylor,  R.  S.  Egelston,  H.  H.  Benner,  T.  M.  Canton,  G.  S.  Hoyt,  J. 
H.  Todd,  F.  H.  Barnhart,  R.  F.  Bates,  C.  B.  Hinton  and  John  Anderson. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  remained  at  McPherson  Barracks, 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  until  August,  1871,  when  they  were  removed  to  Columbia, 
S.  C.  The  companies  of  the  regiment  during  that  time,  besides  the  usual 
garrison  duties  at  their  several  stations  in  the  States  of  Georgia  and  South 
Carolina,  were  employed  in  assisting  the  civil  officers  in  preventing  viola- 
tions of  the  Federal  laws,  and  in  the  enforcement  of  the  same. 

In  August,  1871,  Colonel  Ruger  relinquished  the  command  of  the  regi- 
ment to  Lieutenant-Colonel  H.  M.  Black  (who  had  been  assigned,  to  the 
regiment  July  i,  1870,  vice  Upton),  and  reported  at  West  Point,  N.  Y.,  as 
superintendent  of  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy. 

The  regiment  remained  in  the  Department  of  the  South  until  April, 
1879,  serving  the  greater  portion  of  the  time  in  Georgia  and  South  Caro- 
lina. In  September,  1874,  Companies  A,  G  and  I  were  sent  to  New  Orleans 
as  part  of  the  military  force  ordered  to  that  city  to  assist  in  the  suppression 
of  serious  riots  growing  out  of  political  and  race  differences.  In  December 
of  that  year  the  companies  so  detached  had  rejoined  their  proper  stations. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1876,  the  entire  regiment  was  in  South 
Carolina,  called  thither  owing  to  serious  apprehensions  on  the  part  of  the 
Federal  and  State  officials  that  there  would  be  a  race  conflict  during  the 
existing  political  campaign  of  that  year.  Companies  and  detachments  were 
dispatched  to  different  portions  of  the  State,  to  aid,  by  their  presence,  in 
preserving  the  peace  and  preventing  blood-shed.  In  December,  1876,  three 
companies  were  sent  on  a  brief  tour  of  detached  service  to  Florida,  to  assist 
in  the  enforcement  of  the  law  and  the  preservation  of  order.  During  the 
first  six  months  of  1877,  the  entire  regiment  served  in  South  Carolina. 

In  July  of  that  year,  the  Governors  of  Indiana,  West  Virginia,  Mary- 
land and  Pennsylvania,  having  called  upon  the  President  for  aid  in  sup- 
pressing the  serious  riots  m  those  States  growing  out  of  railroad  and  labor 
troubles,  the  i8th  Infantry,  with  the  exception  of  one  company  at  Atlanta, 


EIGHTEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  Y.      655 

and  one  company  sent  to  take  station  at  Chattanooga,  was  sent  to  dilTcrent 
points  in  the  above-named  States;  and  the  several  companies  so  detached 
remained  on  this  duty  until  November,  when  the  Headquarters,  Staff, 
Band,  and  Companies  C,  D,  E,  F,  G  and  K,  took  station  at  McPherson 
Barracks ;  Companies  H  and  I  at  Newport  Barracks,  Ky.,  Company  A 
remaining  at  Chattanooga. 

In  April,  1879,  the  regiment  was  transferred  from  the  Department  of  the 
South  to  Montana.  Proceeding  by  boat  up  the  Missouri  River  the  regi- 
ment landed,  May  4,  at  Coal  Banks,  Montana.  Companies  B  and  E  re- 
mained at  the  landing  to  guard  the  stores,  and  the  remainder  of  the  regi- 
ment marched  to  the  site  of  Fort  Assinniboine  and  went  into  camp.  From 
May  till  September  the  troops  were  engaged  in  furnishing  escorts  between 
the  post  and  the  landing,  in  the  usual  guard  duties,  and  in  assisting  in  the 
erection  of  the  new  post.  Fort  Assinniboine. 

In  January,  1881,  Companies  C,  D,  E  and  K,  left  Fort  Assinniboine, 
forming  part  of  the  command  under  Captain  Morris,  sent  down  Milk  River 
for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  and  attacking  a  party  of  hostile  Sioux  under 
Sitting  Bull.  The  command  returned  to  Fort  Assinniboine  in  February, 
having  failed  to  meet  the  hostiles,  who  had  escaped  across  the  boundary 
into  the  Dominion  of  Canada.  The  officers  and  men  suffered  severely  from 
the  intense  cold,  which,  until  the  last  day's  march,  was  at  all  times  many 
degrees  below  zero.  During  1881  the  companies  stationed  at  Fort  Assinni- 
boine were  frequently  sent  into  the  field  to  drive  British  Indians  and  half- 
breeds  across  the  boundary  line,  and  to  prevent  their  intrusion  upon  the 
reservation  of  our  friendly  Indians.  This  service,  while  inglorious,  was  at 
all  times  disagreeable,  and  was  often  attended  with  great  suffering  on  ac- 
count of  the  intense  cold  of  that  latitude  during  the  winter  season,  a  season 
during  which  much  of  this  service  was  performed. 

About  June  i,  18S5,  the  regiment,  under  command  of  Lieut.-Col.  J.J. 
Coppinger,  left  Montana,  and  proceeded  to  the  Department  of  the  Missouri. 
The  Headquarters,  Staff,  Band  and  Companies  E  and  F,  were  assigned  to 
station  at  Fort  Leavenworth;  Companies  A,  B  and  D,  at  Fort  Hayes;  C 
and  I,  at  Fort  Gibson ;  and  G,  H  and  K,  at  Fort  Reno.  Colonel  Ruger 
assumed  command  of  the  regiment,  post  of  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  the 
U.  S.  Infantry  and  Cavalry  School,  June  29,  1885. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  1866,  Colonel  Ruger  was  appointed  a  Brigadier- 
General,  U.  S.  Army,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  command  of  the  regiment 
by  Colonel  John  E.  Yard.  In  May,  1886,  the  Headquarters,  Staff  and  Band 
were  transfc-red  to  Fort  Hayes,  Kansas. 

Colonel  Yard  died  at  Fort  Hayes  on  the  17th  of  February,  1889,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Colonel  Henry  M.  Lazelle,  who  joined  in  October  of  that 
year. 

During  the  month  of  April,  1889,  Companies  F,  G  and  K  were  ordered 
from  their  respective  stations  for  fi^ld  service  in  Oklahoma. 

In  October,  1889,  Headquarters,  Staff,  Band  and  Companies  A,  B,  C.  E, 
G,  H  and  K  left  their  respective  stations  and  proceeded  to  the  Camp  of 
Instruction,  Camp  Schofield,  I.  T.,  for  instruction  in  field  duties,  etc. 

The  18th  Infantry  having  been  relieved  from  duty  in  the  Department  of 


656  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

the  Missouri,  and  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Department  of  Texas,  with  sta- 
tion at  Fort  Clark,  the  Headquarters,  Staff,  Band  and  Companies  A,  B,  C, 
E,  G,  H,  I  and  K,  under  command  of  Major  G.  K.  Brady,  left  Camp  Scho- 
field  after  the  conclusion  of  the  field  exercises,  and  proceeded  thither. 
Company  D  from  Fort  Hayes,  and  Company  F  from  Fort  Lyon,  arrived  at 
Fort  Clark  in  November,  1889. 

In  pursuance  of  G.  O.  76,  A,  G.  O.,  1890,  Companies  I  and  K  were  skele- 
tonized, the  enlisted  men  being  transferred  to  other  companies. 

The  entire  regiment  is  now  serving  at  Fort  Clark,  Texas. 


Major-General 

NELSON     APPLETON    MILES 

Commanding  the  Army,   1895- 


NINETEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       r.59 

argument  for  having  a  larger  battalion  he  said  :— "  It  is  not  unreasonable  to 
suppose  that  my  battalion  in  battle  may  be  ordered  to  support  a  battery  as 
it  was  at  Shiloh,  and  be  met  by  a  battalion  or  regiment  numbering  eight 
hundred  or  a  thousand  men  ;  *  *  the  result  would  be  certain  disgrace." 
Just  two  weeks  later  the  regular  brigade  of  which  the  battalion  of  the  19th 
Infantry  formed  a  part,  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro  sup- 
porting batteries.  The  contest  was  in  the  pines  the  first  day.  The  enemy 
was  in  overwhelming  numbers,  and  it  was  while  struggling  to  hold  his  bat- 
talion against  great  odds,  that  Major  Carpenter  fell  from  his  horse  bleedmg 
from  six  mortal  wounds.  His  prediction  almost  came  true,  except  as  to  the 
disgrace.  The  loss  of  the  battalion  of  six  companies  was  65  killed  and 
wounded.  The  loss  of  the  regular  brigade  was  nearly  36  per  cent.,  almost 
double  the  loss  of  the  .>ther  two  brigades  of  the  division. 

Eighteen  months  o,  service  in  the  field,  including  a  march  of  over  a 
thousand  miles,  two  battles  anr;  a  number  of  skirmishes,  had  reduced  the 
battalion  from  500  to  less  than  1  50  men.  Four  of  the  officers  who  had  gone 
out  with  companies  were  serving  as  staff  officers  with  the  brigade  and  divi- 
sion commanders,  and  one  was  commanding  a  volunteer  regiment,  so  that  at 
the  battle  of  Murfreesboro  only  one  major,  one  captain,  two  ist  lieutenants 
and  four  2d  lieutenants  were  serving  with  the  battalion. 

After  Major  Carpenter  was  killed  on  the  first  day.  Captain  J.  B.  Mulli- 
gan assumed  command  of  the  battalion  and  handled  it  very  skilfully,  but 
he  scarcely  had  time  to  write  a  report  of  the  battle  and  an  obituary  of  the 
late  commander  before  captains,  zealous  commanders,  began  to  spring  up 
like  mushrooms  from  the  ground,  and  in  a  few  weeks  no  less  than  six  of 
them  had  assumed  command  of  the  battalion  of  six  companies;  but  the 
duration  of  command  of  the  senior  one  was  short,  for  Major  Dawson,  who 
up  to  this  time  had  been  in  the  Norih,  joined  and  assumed  command. 

Early  in  1863  the  band  from  Fort  Wayne,  and  Companies  G  and  H  from 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  had  joined  the  headquarters  in  the  field.  The 
final  request  of  Major  Carpenter  had  been  complied  with,  but  he  had  not 
lived  to  see  his  labors  rewarded.  Company  A,  2d  Battalion,  had  also  been 
organized  and  had  joined  the  First  Battalion  at  Murfreesboro. 

On  the  19th  and  20th  September  the  ist  Battalion,  with  Company  A  of  the 
2d,  aggregating  14  officers  and  185  men  and  commanded  by  Major  Dawson, 
was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga.  The  first  day,  September  19th, 
Major  Dawson  was  wounded,  and  66  non-commissioned  officers  and  pri- 
vates were  killed  and  wounded.  Captain  E.  L.  Smith,  a  gallant  and  accom- 
plished officer,  succeeded  Major  Dawson  and  commanded  the  regiment 
until  he  was  captured.  At  the  end  of  the  second  day's  battle  a  2d  lieuten- 
ant was  found  in  command,  reporting  four  officers  and  51  men  for  duty. 
Lieutenants  Fogarty  and  Miller  had  been  killed  ;  Captain  Cummings  and 
Lieut.  Ayres  wounded,  and  Captains  Cummings,  Smith,  Hart  and  Pearce 
and  Lieutenants  Causten,  Bickham  and  Gageby  had  been  taken  prisoners. 

Colonel  King  was  killed  in  this  battle,  September  20th,  while  serving  as 
colonel  of  the  6Sth  Indiana  Volunteers,  but  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
commanding  a  division.  A  short  time  before  this  he  had  been  promoted 
to  be  colonel  of  the  6th  Infantry. 


66o  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  5.  ARMY. 

During^  the  Chattanooga-Rmggold  campaign  and  at  the  battle  of  Mis- 
sionary Ridge,  the  19th  Infantry  was  a  mere  detachment  and  was  com- 
manded by  a  captain.  The  losses  of  the  regular  battalions  had  been  so 
great  that  two  and  three  companies  had  to  be  consolidated  for  drill ;  and  in 
the  fall  the  19th  Battalion  was  found  in  camp  at  Chattanooga,  consolidated 
with  the  i6th  Infantry,  under  the  command  of  Captain  R.  E.  A.  Crofton, 
and  designated  as  a  "  Detachment  of  the  i6th  and  19th  Infantry."  The 
band  had  lost  nearly  all  of  its  property  and  instruments  during  its  year  in 
the  field,  and  on  December  ist,  pursuant  to  orders  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment, set  out  for  headquarters  at  Fort  Wayne,  Mich. 

In  the  year  1863  there  was  almost  a  complete  change  in  field  officers. 
DeLancey  Floyd-Jones  had  become  lieutenant-colonel ;  Major  Dawson  had 
been  promoted  to  the  1 5th  Infantry  ;  and  Capt.  J.  H.  Potter  of  the  7th  to  be 
major  of  the  19th  in  his  place.  Pinckney  Lugenbeel  had  been  promoted 
major  vice  Carpenter,  and  Charles  C.  Gilbert  major  vice  Willard,  killed  July 
2,  1863,  at  Gettysburg. 

Major  Willard  had  never  served  with  the  regiment.  He  was  appointed 
a  major  in  the  19th  while  a  captain  in  the  8th  Infantry,  to  date  February  19, 
1S62,  and  all  his  war  service  was  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  first  as 
commander  of  the  provost  guard,  and  later  as  colonel  of  the  125th  N.  Y. 
Volunteers.  He  was  commanding  the  3d  Brigade,  3d  Division,  2d  Corps 
when  he  was  killed  near  Plujii  Creek.  Fort  Willard,  a  redoubt  on  the  Poto- 
mac, was  named  in  orders  from  the  War  Department,  "  after  George  L. 
Willard,  Major  19th  Infantry." 

The  beginning  of  the  year  1864  found  the  regiment  without  a  single 
field  officer  for  duty  either  in  the  field  or  at  regimental  headquarters,  but  on 
March  7th,  Major  Lugenbeel  reported  at  Fort  Wayne  and  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  regiment.  The  battalion  was  in  camp  near  Chattanooga,  un- 
der the  command  of  a  captain,  where  it  remained  until  February  22d,  when 
it  started  out  with  its  brigade  and  division  on  a  reconnoissance,  supporting 
the  cavalry,  and  marched  towards  Ringgold,  Georgia.  The  marching  was 
in  presence  of  the  enemy  and  skirmishing  was  kept  up  constantly.  On  the 
28th,  Lieutenant  Robert  Ayres,  the  battalion  adjutant,  whilq  posting  pickets 
at  Taylor's  Ridge,  was  captured  by  the  enemy's  cavalry.  On  March  13th 
the  battalion  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Resaca,  Georgia,  and  on  the  28th 
in  the  battle  of  New  Hope  Church,  near  Dallas,  Ga.  The  companies  had 
now  become  so  much  reduced  that  Captain  Mooney,  the  battalion  com- 
mander, organized  the  battalion  into  four  companies,  making  A.  B  and  E 
the  first  company ;  D.  second  company  ;  C  and  F,  third  company ;  G  and  H, 
and  A,  2d  Battalion,  fourth  company.  Previous  to  this  consolidation  in  the 
field  Company  D  had  been  reorganized  at  regimental  headquarters  with  63 
enlisted  men,  and  Captain  Lewis  Wilson  had  been  assigned  to  the  command 
of  it. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1864,  the  battalion  was  at  Kenesaw  Mountain  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Egbert  Phelps,  and  a  few  days  later  an  advance 
was  made  and  the  regiment  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Neal  Dow  Station,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  and  finally,  on  July  22,  took  a  posi- 
tion on  the  railroad  within  two  miles  of  Atlanta  and  built  breastworks.    The 


NINE  TEEN  TH  REGIMEN  T  OF  IN  FA  N  TR  Y.      66 1 

long  campaign  before  reaching  Atlanta,  and  the  ':attles  in  front  of  Atlanta, 
had  reduced  the  battalion  so  much  that  the  enUsted  strength  present  for 
duty  at  the  end  of  August  was  only  336.  On  September  i,  the  battalion 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Jonesboro,  and  on  October  i,  it  went  into  camp  at 
Lookout  Mountain,  where  it  remained  during  the  winter,  with  an  enlisted 
strength  present  of  510. 

During  the  month  of  February,  1865,  at  Fort  Wayne,  Mich.,  Companies 
B  and  C,  2d  Battalion,  were  organized,  and  in  March,  Company  A,  2d  Bat- 
talion, was  reorganized,  and  Captain  W.  W.  Gilbert  was  assigned  to  com- 
mand it.  Captain  Gilbert  was  also  ordered  to  conduct  Companies  B  and 
C,  2d  Battalion,  from  Fort  Wayne  to  the  ist  Battalion  in  the  field. 

On  April  3,  1S65,  Lieut. -Col.  Floyd-Jones  assumed  command  of  the  reg- 
iment, and  Major  Lugenbeel  proceeded  to  Lookout  Mountain  and  assumed 
command  of  the  ist  and  2d  Battalions. 

Company  B,  ist  Battalion,  was  reorganized  in  April  and  shortly  after- 
wards was  ordered  to  the  field,  as  was  also  Company  A,  2d  Battalion.  Com- 
pany A,  3d  Battalion,  was  organized  May  16,  and  Lieut.  L.  T.  Morris  was 
assigned  to  it. 

In  August,  1S65,  the  battalion  marched  from  Lookout  Mountain  to 
Chattanooga,  and  from  that  point  was  transferred  by  rail  to  Augusta,  Ga. 
During  the  month  of  October,  Companies  D  and  E,  2d  Battalion,  were  or- 
ganized and  sent  from  Fort  Wayne  to  Augusta,  and  on  the  nth  of  October 
the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  and  Company  A,  3d  Battalion,  were  trans- 
ferred from  Fort  Wayne  to  Newport  Barracks,  Ky. 

In  November,  Company  F,  2d  Battalion,  was  organized  and  shortly  after 
was  sent  to  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  to  report  to  General  Reynolds.  Companies 
C  and  B  were  organized  in  December. 

In  the  early  part  of  1866  the  ist  Battalion  and  part  of  the  Second  pro- 
ceeded from  Augusta,  Ga.,  to  Little  Rock,  Ark.  The  small-pox  broke  out 
on  the  way  and  a  great  many  of  the  men  became  frightened  and  deserted 
before  reaching  their  destination.  Upon  arriving  at  Little  Rock,  two  com- 
panies of  the  2d  Battalion  took  station  there  and  the  remaining  companies 
proceeded  to  Camden  and  the  southern  part  of  the  State  of  Arkansas,  and 
entered  upon  the  unpleasant  reconstruction  duty.  The  headquarters  and  a 
part  of  the  ist  Battalion  remained  at  Little  Rock,  and  the  balance  of  it 
went  to  Fort  Smith  and  the  Indian  Territory  frontier. 

Companies  D  and  E,  3d  Battalion,  were  organized  at  Newport,  Kentucky. 
In  February,  Company  F,  2d  Battalion,  and  Companies  A,  B,  C  and  D,  3d 
Battalion,  went  from  Newport  to  Little  Rock,  and  the  headquarters  of  the 
1st  Battalion  from  Little  Rock  to  Fort  Gibson,  I.  T.  Majors  Gilbert  and 
Potter  having  reported  at  headquarters  were  assigned  to  the  command  of  the 
2d  and  3d  Battalions  respectively.  This  was  the  first  time  since  the  organ- 
ization of  the  regiment  that  more  than  one  major  had  been  on  duty  with  it, 
yet  with  the  exception  of  the  colonel,  all  the  field  officers  had  changed  since 
first  assignment.  In  March,  Colonel  Floyd-Jones  was  ordered  from  New- 
port to  Little  Rock  with  regimental  headquarters. 

The  organization  of  the  companies  of  the  2d  and  3d  Battalions  was  con- 
tinued during  the  spring  and  summer  of  1866,  and  before  July  ist  the  regi- 


662  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

ment  had  its  complement  of  three  battaUons  with  eight  companies  each, 
aggregating  nearly  two  thousand  men. 

The  three-battalion  organization  of  the  19th  was  short  lived,  for  the  reg- 
iment had  scarcely  been  completed  when  the  act  of  Congress  approved  July 
28,  1866,  did  away  with  the  battalion  organization  for  infantry  and  made  a 
regiment  out  of  each  battalion  by  simply  adding  a  colonel,  a  lieutenant-colo- 
nel, and  two  companies  to  each  battalion.  Under  the  provisions  of  this  law 
the  ist  Battalion  became  the  19th  Infantry,  the  2d  Battalion  the  28th  In- 
fantry, and  the  3d  Battalion  the  37th  Infantry.  Colonel  Canby,  who  had  never 
joined  the  regiment,  was  made  a  brigadier-general,  and  S.  K.  Dawson,  formerly 
major  of  the  19th,  now  became  the  colonel.  Lieut.-Col.  Floyd-Jones  and 
Major  Lugenbeel  remained  in  the  regiment  in  their  respective  grades.  The 
band  became  one  of  the  fifteen  post  bands  authorized  by  law,  and  remained 
at  Little  Rock.  The  headquarters  and  Companies  I  and  K  moved  to  Fort 
Gibson,  I.  T.,  but  in  March,  1867,  the  headquarters  moved  to  Fort  Smith, 
and  later  in  the  year  most  of  the  companies  of  the  regiment  were  assembled 
at  Fort  Smith  and  vicinity. 

The  regiment  remained  at  Fort  Smith  during  the  year  1868,  and  until 
consolidation  began  in  1869.  Section  2  of  the  appropriation  bill  of  that  year 
enacted  "  that  there  shall  be  no  new  commissions,  no  promotions,  and  no 
enlistments  in  any  infantry  regiment  until  the  total  number  of  infantry 
regiments  is  reduced  to  twenty-five,"  and  the  Secretary  of  War  was  directed 
to  consolidate  the  infantry  regiments.  The  28th,  which  was  formerly  the  2d 
Battalion  of  the  19th,  was  consolidated  with  the  19th,  and  Colonel  C.  H. 
Smith,  who  was  colonel  of  the  28th,  became  colonel  of  the  19th  upon  the 
consolidation.  The  separation  of  the  two  battalions  had  been  more  in  name 
than  in  fact.  Both  regiments  served  in  the  sub-district  of  the  Arkansas, 
commanded  by  Colonel  Smith. 

After  consolidation  the  regiment  was  still  kept  on  reconstruction  duty  in 
Arkansas  and  Louisiana,  and  companies  and  detachments  were  sent  to  the 
most  remote  districts  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  reestablishing  the  civil 
government.  The  regiment  had  most  trying  duties  to  perform,  and  it  was 
admitted  that  the  work  was  exceptionally  well  done  ;  and  owing  to  the  ex- 
cellent judgment  of  the  colonel  commanding  the  regiment  and  sub-district, 
and  his  clear  interpretation  of  what  was  the  intention  of  Congress,  the  State 
of  Arkansas  was  the  first  one  readmitted  under  the  reconstruction  laws. 

Early  in  the  year  1870  the  regiment  was  moved  to  Louisiana  with  head- 
quarters at  Jefferson  Barracks,  and  from  January  to  May  Colonel  Smith  was 
detached  from  his  regiment  and  placed  in  command  of  the  Department  of 
Louisiana,  according  to  his  brevet  rank  of  major-general. 

The  Act  of  Congress  approved  July  15,  1870,  caused  many  changes  in  the 
regiment,  and  Colonel  Smith  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Officers  con- 
vened under  Section  1 1  of  that  Act. 

During  the  summer  of  this  year  the  yellow  fever  broke  out  in  New  Or- 
leans and  the  headquarters  and  the  companies  stationed  in  New  Orleans 
moved  to  Ship  Island,  where  they  remained  till  November,  when  they  were 
ordered  to  New  Orleans  to  preserve  the  peace  during  the  election. 

Colonel  Sm.ith  returned  from  Washington   in  January,  1871,  and  while 


NINETEENTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.       663 

the  regiment  remained  in  Louisiana  he  had  command  of  all  the  troops  assem- 
bled in  the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans.  In  January,  1S72,  all  the  companies  of 
the  regiment  were  again  summoned  to  New  Orleans  and  kept  busy  during 
the  month  preserving  order  and  preventing  mob  violence. 

During  the  year  1873  Companies  G  and  I  were  stationed  at  Shreveport, 
La.,  and  went  through  the  yellow  fever  epidemics  which  scourged  all  that 
section  of  country. 

In  June,  1874,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the 
Missouri.  The  headquarters  and  two  companies  went  to  Fort  Lyon,  Colo- 
rado, and  the  other  companies  to  the  Indian  Territory  and  Kansas. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  the  Indians  of  the  Indian  Territory  went  on 
the  war  path.  The  regiment  arrived  in  the  Department  too  late  to  enter 
into  the  active  campaign,  but  the  companies  of  Camp  Supply  and  Fort 
Dodge  were  kept  on  the  road  most  of  the  time  escorting  supply  trams  to 
the  troops  in  the  field  under  the  command  of  General  Miles.  Companies 
A  and  K  were  engaged  in  guarding  the  railroad  and  in  scouting  in  central 
Kansas,  and  in  January,  1875,  a  detachment  of  Company  K,  while  return- 
ing to  Fort  Wallace,  Kansas,  after  a  successful  pursuit  and  capture  of 
Indians,  was  caught  in  a  blizzard  and  had  great  difBculty  in  reaching  the 
post. 

In  the  following  April,  Lieutenant  Hewitt  and  a  detachment  of  Com- 
pany K  were  with  Troop  H,  6th  Cavalry,  when,  in  an  engagement  on  Sappa 
Creek,  Kansas,  a  whole  band  of  Indians  was  exterminated. 

In  the  fall  of  1878,  the  Indians  of  Dull  Knife's  band  broke  away  from  the 
agency  in  the  Indian  Territory  and  attempted  to  make  their  way  north  to 
the  Sioux  and  Cheyennes  in  Dakota.  Lieut.-Col.  Lewis,  19th  Infantry,  who 
was  then  commanding  Fort  Dodge,  Kansas,  organized  a  force  to  intercept 
them.  The  Indians  succeeded  in  crossing  the  Arkansas  River  west  of  Fort 
Dodge,  and  Colonel  Lewis,  with  four  troops  of  the  4th  Cavalry,  Company  G, 
and  detachments  of  Companies  D  and  F,  19th  infantry,  with  Captain  Bradford 
and  Lieutenant  Gardener,  went  in  pursuit.  The  Indians  were  overtaken  after 
a  two  days' inarch,  and  m  an  engagement  which  took  place  Colonel  Lewis 
received  a  wound  which  severed  his  femoral  artery  and  from  which  he  died 
the  next  day.  In  the  death  of  Colonel  Lewis  the  regiment  met  with  an  ir- 
reparable loss.  He  possessed  in  a  remarkable  degree  the  most  valuable 
traits  of  a  model  soldier.  He  commanded  with  sternness,  but  was  always 
just  and  was  honored  and  respected  by  all  the  officers  and  men  who  knew 
him. 

In  October,  1879,  Company  G,  mounted,  was  ordered  to  New  Mexico  to 
take  the  field  against  a  hostile  tribe  of  Indians,  and  participated  in  the  cam- 
paigns under  Colonel  Hatch,  9th  Cavalry,  and  Colonel  Buell,  15th  Infantry. 
Colonel  Buell,  in  relieving  this  company  from  duty  with  his  command, 
complimented  Captain  Bradford  and  Lieut.  Gardener  in  orders. 

Companies  A,  C,  D,  E,  F  and  I  participated  in  the  campaign  on  the  Un- 
compagre  in  Colorado,  under  Colonel  Mackenzie.  4th  Cavalry,  in  1879  and 
1880. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of 
Texas.    The  colonel,  major,  headquarters  and  Companies  B.  C,  D,  E,  G  and 


664  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

K,  took  station  at  Fort  Brown,  November  7th.  The  lieutenant-colonel  and 
Companies  H  and  I  went  to  Fort  Ringgold  and  Companies  A  and  F  to  Fort 
Mcintosh. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1882  rumors  were  afloat  that  yellow  fever  existed 
in  the  city  of  Matamoras,  Mexico,  which  is  on  the  Rio  Grande,  just  oppo- 
site Fort  Brown  and  Brownsville.  The  doctors  of  the  two  cities  were 
divided  in  their  opinions.  Some  claimed  from  the  first  appearance  of  the 
disease  that  it  was  yellow  fever,  but  the  greater  number  claimed  that  it  was 
not.  Brownsville  did  not  quarantine  against  Matamoras  till  August,  and 
then  the  fever  had  already  crossed  the  river  and  was  in  Texas. 

How  to  protect  the  troops  now  became  a  serious  problem.  It  was  at 
first  proposed  to  move  them  up  the  river,  but  the  State  quarantine  would 
not  permit  it.  The  saddest  part  to  contemplate  was  that  the  women  and 
children  would  have  to  share  the  lot  of  the  soldiers.  The  recollections  of 
Shreveport  and  Memphis  made  stout  hearts  grow  weak.  No  little  anxiety 
and  excitement  existed  in  the  command  and  just  at  this  time  the  regimental 
commander  received  an  order  to  go  to  Newport,  Ky.,  on  a  court-martial. 
He  was  well  aware  of  the  imminent  peril  of  his  command  and  telegraphed 
the  fact  to  the  War  Department,  but  was  only  relieved  from  the  detail  after 
making  a  second  urgent  request.  The  request  was  granted  and  it  was  a 
great  relief  to  the  garrison. 

Steps  were  immediately  taken  to  get  the  command  out  of  the  post  as 
there  were  several  cases  of  fever  in  it.  There  was  not  tentage  for  the  whole 
command,  and  Captain  Witherell  volunteered  to  remain  in  the  post  with 
his  company  (C).  This  company  and  troop  I,  8th  Cavalry, — Captain  Hen- 
nisee's, — remained  in  the  garrison.  The  headquarters,  band,  and  live  com- 
panies moved  about  fourteen  miles  down  the  river  and  went  into  camp, 
where  they  remained  till  fall,  without  a  single  case  of  fever. 

In  the  garrison  every  precaution  was  taken  to  keep  the  infected  away 
from  the  non-infected.  There  were  not  many  cases  among  the  soldiers  in 
barracks,  the  greater  number  occurring  among  the  families  and  civil  em- 
ployes of  the  post.  Captain  Witherell's  family  was  the  first  one  invaded. 
His  son  and  only  child  died,  also  his  servant.  He  and  his  wife  both  had 
the  fever,  but  recovered.  Captain  Lyster's  family  all  had  it  except  Mrs. 
Lyster.  W.  C.  Gorgas,  the  assistant  to  the  post  surgeon,  had  a  severe:  case, 
but  Lieutenant  T.  M.  Wenie,  19th  Infantry,  was  the  only  officer  who  fell  a 
victim. 

The  high  water  of  the  Rio  Grande,  overflowing  its  banks,  made  an 
island  of  the  post.  The  post  cemetery  had  to  be  reached  by  boat,  and  the 
water  was  so  near  the  surface  that  the  graves  would  fill  while  being  dug, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  put  stones  on  the  coffins  to  hold  them  down.  The 
ground  was  so  soft  that  often  the  neighboring  coffins  would  roll  in  on  the 
grave  diggers.  It  was  a  long  and  weary  summer  to  the  garrison  of  Fort 
Brown,  and  the  coming  of  flies,  followed  by  frost,  was  heralded  with  delight. 

In  December  the  headquarters  and  all  the  companies,  except  G,  of  the 
Fort  Brown  garrison,  moved  to  Fort  Clark,  Texas. 

In  May,  1890,  the  regiment  moved  from  Texas  to  the  Division  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  took  the  stations  on  the  Lakes. 


NINE  TEEN  TH  REGIMEN  T  OE  INEA  N  TR  Y.       66 5 

The  19th  Infantry  is  tlic  only  regiment  in  the  Army  whicli  has  not 
changed  its  colonel  since  consolidation  in  1869. 

In  the  year  1886  Captain  Lyster  was  promoted  to  be  major  of  the  6ih 
Infantry.  He  was  the  last  officer  to  leave  the  regiment  of  all  those  who 
'.vere  commissioned  In  it  in  1S61.  The  only  other  (officers  now  in  active 
service'  who  were  originally  commissioned  in  the  regiment  are  Colonel 
Edward  Moale,  Major  J.  H.  Oilman  and  Major  Louis  T.  Morris. 


THE  TWENTIETH   REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  Captain  J.  N.  COE,  2oth  U.  S.  Infantry. 

THE  Twentieth  Infantry  was  organized  by  direction  of  the  President, 
May  4,  1861,  and  confirmed  by  act  of  Congress  July  29,  1861,  as  the 
second  battalion  of  the  Eleventh  Infantry,  the  first,  numerically,  of 
the  nine  three  battalion  regiments  organized  under  this  act. 

Its  designation  was  changed  by  act  of  Congress  of  July  28,  1866,  when  by 
the  addition  of  two  companies  to  the  eight  which  constituted  the  battalion, 
it  became  the  Twentieth  Infantry.  Its  designation  and  organization  was 
completed  and  fixed  under  the  act,  by  the  provisions  of  General  Orders  No. 
92  from  the  War  Department,  series  of  1866,  and  was  of  effect  from  the  21st 
of  September,  1866. 

While  as  an  organization  perfected  at  this  date  the  Twentieth  Infantry 
can  have  no  distinct  war  record,  its  officers  (with  hardly  an  exception)  and 
a  great  number  of  enlisted  men  whose  names  appear  on  its  original  rolls, 
with  many  officers  who  have  subsequently  joined  by  promotion  and  other- 
wise, had  served  during  the  entire  War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  with  marked 
distinction  and  gallantry,  in  such  important  and  conspicuous  positions  that 
their  military  record  had  become  a  part  of  the  nation's  history. 

At  the  time  of  this  evolution  or  development  of  the  battalion  into  a 
regiment  (1866),  it  was,  with  the  exception  of  Co.  B  (then  at  Union,  West 
Virginia),  stationed  at  Richmond,  Va.,  under  the  immediate  command  of  its 
major,  Thomas  H.  Neill,  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  U.  S.  A.  As  a  part  of  the  Eleventh 
Infantry,  it  had  remained  there  from  early  in  May,  1865,  occupying  the  tem- 
porary but  very  comfortable  (to  troops  that  had  endured  four  years  of  field 
service  in  actual  warfare)  location  and  buildings,  then  known  as  Camp 
Winder,  later  Camp  Grant.  In  addition  to  the  ordinary  garrison  routine, 
it  had  been  performing  the  arduous  and  often  disagreeable  duties  of 
provost-guard,  patroling  the  streets  of  the  city,  and  furnishing  large  details 
of  enlisted  men  to  act  as  a  police  force  for  the  preservation  of  order  and 
protection  of  persons  and  property. 

The  first  field  officers  of  the  Twentieth  Infantry  were  : 

Colonel,  Frederick  Steele,  Bvt.  Major-Gen.  U.  S.  A. 

Lieut. -Colonel,  Louis  D.  Watkins,  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  U.  S.  A. 

Major,  Thomas  H.  Neill,  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  U.  S.  A. 

Its  Captains  were  : 

1.  Alexander  S.  Webb,  5.  Henry  G.  Thomas, 

2.  Charles  S.  Russell,  6.  Charles  E.  Farrand, 

3.  Charles  C.  Pomeroy,  7.  John  C.  Bates. 

4.  James  M.  Cutts,  8,  Edward  R.  Parry, 

9.  John  J.  Hoff. 
666 


TWRNTIR  TH  REGIMEN  T  OF  INF  A  N  TR  Y.        667 

In  January,  1S67.  the  number  of  captains  was  completed  by  tlie  appoint- 
ment of  Lieut.  A.  A.  Harbach,  regimental  adjutant,  to  the  remaining  origi- 
nal vacancy. 

In  January,  1867,  the  regiment  was  transferred  from  Richmond  to  the 
Department  of  the  Gulf  and  District  of  Louisiana,  with  headquarters  at 
Baton  Rouge,  La.,  where  it  arrived  on  the  first  day  of  February,  1867,  having 
remained  for  two  or  three  days  in  New  Orleans,  from  which  point  the  com- 
panies were  assigned  to  posts  and  stations.  The  journey  by  which  the  regi- 
ment reached  its  new  stations  in  the  Department  of  the  Gulf,  then  com- 
manded by  General  Sheridan,  was  performed  by  rail  to  Norfolk,  V'a.,  where 
it  arrived  about  midnight  on  January  1 3th.  On  the  morning  of  the  14th,  its 
commander  was  notified  that  the  regiment  would  embark  at  once  on  board 
the  steamship  Missouri,  then  ready  to  receive  and  transport  it  to  New 
Orleans,  but  the  prescribed  inspection  of  the  vessel,  the  construction  of 
wooden  bunks  between  decks  for  the  accommodation  of  enlisted  men,  the 
provision  of  some  very  primitive  and  limited  cooking  facilities,  and  the 
stowing  of  baggage,  occupied  the  entire  day  and  until  the  afternoon  of  the 
15th,  when  with  headquarters  and  nine  companies  (B  not  having  joined), 
band  playing  and  colors  flying,  the  Missouri  steamed  out  past  Fort  Monroe. 
All  were  in  high  spirits,  enjoying  the  scenery,  and  happy  in  the  belief  that 
in  six  or  seven  days  they  would  be  enjoying  the  delightful  winter  climate  of 
Louisiana.  But  soon  the  sea  became  rough,  weather  very  threatening,  and 
in  a  few  hours  it  was  blowing  a  terrible  gale  accompanied  by  rain  and  hail. 

The  ship  proved  less  seaworthy  than  she  had  appeared  to  the  board  con- 
vened for  her  inspection,  and  soon  became  disabled  through  breakage  of 
some  of  her  machinery,  then  sprung  a  leak,  and  after  the  storm  of  four  days' 
duration  had  somewhat  abated,  the  commanding  officer  was  informed  of 
the  condition  of  affairs,  and  that  the  ship  was  a  long  way  ofT  her  course  ; 
but  the  leakage  and  damage  to  machinery  proved  less  serious  than  was 
supposed,  and  after  a  day's  delay  was  repaired,  and  the  ship  proceeded  on 
her  voyage  to  the  southwest  pass  of  the  delta  of  the  Mississippi,  and  there 
stuck  in  the  mud.  After  some  delay  a  steamer  of  the  Morgan  Line  was 
procured,  the  troops  and  baggage  transferred,  and  after  a  delightful  sail  up 
the  Mississippi  the  regiment  disembarked  at  New  Orleans  on  the  27th  day 
of  January,  1S67.  On  the  2Sth,  the  following  assignments  to  stations  was 
made,  and  the  organizations  proceeded  to  them  by  companies  or  battalions 
direct  from  this  point. 

Lieut.-Col.  L.  D.  Watkins,  with  headquarters  and  companies  A  and  E 
(Captains  Patterson  and  Fletcher),  Baton  Rouge,  La. ;  Company  B  (Captain 
J.  C.  Bates,  bvt.  lieut.-col.),  Alexandria,  La. ;  Company  C  (2d  Lieut.  William 
Hawley,  commanding),  Marshall,  Texas;  Company  D  (2d  Lieut.  Stanton 
Weaver,  commanding),  Jefferson,  Texas ;  Company  F  (2d  Lieut.  Charles 
Robinett)  and  Company  I  (Captain  John  J.  HofT),  Ship  Island,  Mississippi  ; 
Company  G  (Captain  Edward  R.  Parry),  Fort  Jackson,  La. ;  Company  H 
(Captain  J.  M.  Cutts,  bvt.  lieut.-col.),  Shreveport,  La.,  and  Company  K  (ist 
Lieut.  John  W.  Hicks,  commanding)  to  Fort  St.  Philip,  La. 

During  the  two  years  next  succeeding,  the  regiment  was  employed  on 
duties  connected  with  the  reconstruction  of  the  States  of  Mississippi.  Lou- 


668  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

isiana,  and  Texas,  with  frequent  changes  of  stations  of  companies  within 
the  District  and  Department. 

Colonel  Steele  never  joined,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Watkins  remained 
5n  command  of  the  regiment  until  sudden  death,  at  New  Orleans,  on  the 
29th  of  March,  1868,  terminated  the  career  of  this  brilliant  and  accom- 
plished officer. 

On  March  20,  1868,  Lieut.-Col.  George  Sykes,  5th  Infantiy,  bvt.  major- 
general,  U.  S.  A.,  was  attached  to,  and  took  command  of  the  regiment,  and 
in  August  following  formally  assumed  command  as  its  colonel, — in  succes- 
sion to  Colonel  Frederick  Steele,  whose  death  occurred  on  the  12th  day  of 
January  of  that  year. 

By  G.  O.  No.  17,  A.  G.  O.,  March  15,  1869,  the  regiment  was  transferred 
to  the  Department  of  Dakota,  and  in  compliance  with  this  order  its  com- 
panies, then  widely  scattered  over  the  State  of  Louisiana,  assembled  and 
were  rendezvoused  at  Baton  Rouge. 

On  the  4th  of  April  the  entire  regiment  under  command  of  its  colonel 
(Sykes)  embarked  on  the  steamer  Pauline  Carroll  for  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
where  it  arrived  April  20,  then  proceeded  to  and  disembarked  at  Fort  Snelling, 
Minn.,  where  orders  were  received  for  the  following  assignments  to  stations  : 
Headquarters,  Band  and  Company  E,  to  Fort  Snelling,  Minn. ;  A  and  G  to 
Fort  Ripley,  Minn.  ;  B  and  H  to  Fort  Wadsworth,  Dakota  Ter. ;  C  and  D 
to  Fort  Ransom,  D.  T,  ;  F  and  I  to  Fort  Abercrombie,  D.  T. ;  and  K  to  Fort 
Totten,  D.  T. 

Companies  A  and  G  left  Fort  Snelling  for  Fort  Ripley,  April  29,  1869. 
but  owing  to  the  impassable  condition  of  the  roads  or  trails  by  which  the 
companies  designated  to  garrison  Forts  Abercrombie,  Ransom  and  Wads- 
worth,  were  to  reach  their  stations,  their  movement  was  delayed  until  May 
14,  when  the  six  companies,  B,  C,  D,  F,  H  and  I,  under  command  of  Cap- 
tain H.  G.  Thomas,  proceeded  by  rail  to  St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  and  thence  by 
marching  to  their  posts. 

Company  K  was  detained  at  Fort  Snelling  until  late  in  the  month  of  May, 
when  it  proceeded  by  rail  to  Saint  Cloud,  Minn.,  and  marched  from  that 
point  to  Fort  Totten,  a  distance  of  300  miles.  About  the  same  time  Com- 
pany A  changed  station  from  Fort  Ripley  to  Fort  Totten,  by  marching 
about  260  miles. 

These  stations  were  at  that  date  among  the  most  isolated  and  inacces- 
sible in  the  country.  They  were  located  on,  or  near  the  reservations  and 
lands  on  which  the  savage  bands  of  Sioux  roamed,  or  were  maintained,  and 
in  addition  to  the  probable  restraining  influence  they  had  upon  the  Indians, 
served  as  safeguards  to  the  thousands  of  hardy  settlers  who,  with  the  advent 
of  railways,  have  made  the  Dakotas  the  populous  and  prosperous  States  of 
to-day. 

The  headquarters  of  the  regiment  remained  at  Fort  Snelling  while  the 
companies  garrisoned  these  frontier  posts,  with  occasional  tours  of  detached 
duty  and  changes  to  and  from  regimental  headquarters  and  other  posts  in 
the  Department,  performing  duties  incident  to  service  in  an  Indian  countrw 
On  August  31,  1871,  Company  B  (Captain  J.  C.  Bates)  left  Fort  Wadsworth 
(since  known  as  Sisseton  and   now  abandoned),  escorted  a  wagon  train  to 


TWENTIETH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTR  V.        669 

Fort  Rice,  D.  T.,  and  there  joined  an  expedition  commanded  by  Major 
Whistler,  22d  Infantry,  organized  as  an  escort  to  a  Northern  Pacific  survey- 
ing party,  and  as  a  part  of  this  escort  marched  to  the  Yellowstone  River. 
It  returned  to  Fort  Wadsworth,  October  26,  having  marched 660  miles. 

In  1872  and  1873  Company  K  was  in  the  field  for  several  months  as  an 
escort  to  the  Northern  Boundary  Commission  ;  and  in  the  following  year 
(18741,  Company  I  was  attached  to  and  formed  a  part  of  the  command  of 
General  Custer,  for  the  exploration  of  the  Black  Hills  country.  Other  com- 
panies had  frequent  but  less  extended  tours  of  detached  duty,  on  expedi- 
tions of  minor  importance. 

The  transfer  of  the  regiment  from  the  Department  of  Dakota  to  the  De- 
partment of  Texas  was  announced  in  General  Orders  from  the  Division  of 
the  Missouri,  dated  December  3,  1877.  The  movement  commenced  about 
the  middle  of  the  month,  the  companies  marching  to  the  nearest  point  at 
which  railway  transportation  could  be  taken,  and  proceeding  thence  by 
battalions  to  stations  assigned  them  in  the  Department  of  Texas  as  follows : 
Col.  Sykes  with  headquarters,  band  and  companies  B,  D,G,  I  and  K,  to  Fort 
Brown,  Texas  ;  Co.  A  (Captain  Patterson)  to  San  Antonio,  Texas  ;  and  Com- 
panies C,  E,  F  and  H,  with  Lieut.-Col.  L.  C.  Hunt  in  command,  were  or- 
dered to  take  station  at  Fort  Clark,  which  was  reached  from  the  railway 
terminus  (San  Antonio)  by  a  march  of  126  miles. 

This  portion  of  the  regiment,  owing  to  the  impassable  condition  of  the 
roads  from  heavy  rains  during  the  last  ten  days  of  December,  1S77,  and 
early  part  of  January,  1878,  w^as  detained  in  San  Antonio  from  January  2 
until  the  21st,  and  did  not  reach  Fort  Clark,  its  station,  until  the  29th.  The 
colonel,  with  headquarters,  band  and  the  companies  assigned  to  Fort 
Brown  (with  the  exception  of  Co.  K),  reached  their  station  about  January  i, 
1878,  Company  K  a  few  days  later. 

Companies  C,  E,  F  and  H  formed  a  part  of  the  expeditions  which  on  two 
occasions  in  1878  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  in  pursuit  of  cattle  thieves;  and, 
during  the  autumn  of  1879  and  winter  of  1880,  with  a  company  of  the  24th 
Infantry  and  the  mounted  company  of  Seminole  Scouts,  occupied  the  then 
Indian  country  south  of  Fort  Davis  and  between  the  Rio  Grande  and  Pecos 
Rivers,  and  opened  a  military  road  from  San  Philipe  northwest  across  Devil's 
river,  through  Painted  and  Pecos  Canon,  to  a  point  near  Maxon's  Springs. 
materially  shortening  the  wagon  route  from  Clark  to  Fort  Davis. 

In  1880  some  changes  of  stations  of  companies  were  made  ;  Company  A 
from  San  Antonio  to  Fort  Brown,  and  Companies  C,  E,  F  and  H.  marching 
from  Fort  Clark  to  Fort  Mcintosh,  and  in  February  1881.  F  and  H,  from 
Mcintosh  to  Fort  Ringgold. 

The  death  of  Colonel  Sykes,  who  had  held  uninterrupted  command  of 
the  regiment  for  more  than  twelve  years,  occurred  at  Fort  Brown  on  the 
8th  of  February,  1880.  He  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  El  well  S.  Otis,  pro- 
moted from  Lieut.-Col.  22d  Infantry,  who  joined  at  Fort  Brown  and  as- 
sumed command  of  the  regiment  on  the  31st  day  of  March,  1880. 

The  transfer  of  the  regiment  from  the  Department  of  Texas  to  the  De- 
partment of  the  Missouri  was  announced  in  General  Orders  from  the  Divi- 
sion of  the  Missouri  of  date  October  16,  1881,  and  under  Special  Orders  N' 


670  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

133,  Department  of  Texas,  it  moved  as  follows:  Companies  C  and  E  left 
Fort  Mcintosh  November  i,  and  having  been  assigned  to  station  at  Fort 
Dodge,  Kansas,  proceeded  direct  to  that  post  b}'  rail  via  San  Antonio.  On 
Nov.  5,  the  band,  then  temporarily  at  Fort  Rinog()ld,  with  Companies  F  and 
H,  left  that  post  by  steamboat,  proceeded  to  Brownsville,  thence  to  Point 
Isabel,  where  the  six  companies  from  Fort  Brown  had  preceded  them.  The 
battalion, — then  consisting  of  headquarters,  band  and  Companies  A,  B,  D,  F, 
G,  H,  I  and  K,  under  command  of  Major  C.  R.  Layton,  20th  Infantry, — em- 
barked on  the  evening  of  November  7  on  board  the  steamer  /.  C.  Harris 
which  sailed  on  November  8,  and  arrived  at  Galveston  on  the  loth.  From 
there  they  proceeded  by  rail  to  stations  assigned  them  by  S.  O.  No.  233,  De- 
partment of  Missouri,  November  12,  1881,  as  follows:  Headquarters,  band 
and  Companies  F  and  H,  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas  ;  Company  D,  Fort 
Dodge,  Kansas  ;  Companies  B  and  K,  Fort  Gibson,  I.  T. ;  Company  A,  Fort 
Wallace;  and  Companies  B  and  I,  and  F,  Fort  Hays,  Kansas.  By  the  15th 
of  November  all  had  reached  their  stations. 

The  regiment  remained  in  this  department  (Missouri)  until  the  spring 
of  1885,  and  all  the  companies,  with  the  exception  of  B  and  K,  had  one  or 
more  change  of  station  within  the  department.  These  companies  were  in 
the  field  during  the  troubles  in  the  Indian  Territory  in  March,  April  and 
May,  1S83,  when,  under  the  command  of  Captain  J.  C.  Bates,  20th  Infantry, 
Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel,  the  capture  of  all  insurgent  Creek  Indians  was 
completed.  The  companies  then  returned  to  their  station  (Fort  Gibson) 
having  marched  a  distance  of  375  miles.  In  January  and  February,  1885, 
Companies  C  and  D  (which  had,  on  the  abandonment  of  Fort  Dodge  in  June, 
1882,  changed  station  to  Fort  Reno,  I.  T.)  were  in  the  field  engaged  in  re- 
moving intruders  and  trespassers  from  the  public  lands  in  Oklahoma,  and 
in  the  performance  of  this  duty  marched  188  miles.  No  other  field  service 
of  importance  was  performed  by  companies  of  the  regiment  in  the  depart- 
ment of  the  Missouri. 

In  compliance  with  G.  O.  No.  44,  A.  G.  O.,  April  9,  1885,  and  G.  O.  No. 
2,  Headquarters  Division  of  the  Missouri,  April  29,  1885,  the  regiment  was 
again  transferred  to  the  Department  of  Dakota,  and  on  May  20,  the  entire 
regiment  having  rendezvoused  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  proceeded  by 
rail  to  Bismarck,  D.  T.,  where  it  arrived  on  May  23,  and  on  the  same  day 
embarked  on  steamers  Helena,  Batchelor  and  Rosebud,  for  the  upper  Mis- 
souri country.  The  headquarters,  band,  and  Companies  A,  B,  C,  E,  F,  H, 
I  and  K,  took  post  at  Fort  Assiniboine,  Mont.,  which,  after  disembarking 
at  Coal  Banks,  was  reached  by  a  march  of  40  miles.  Companies  D  and  G, 
under  command  of  the  major  (Bates)  disembarked  at  Rocky  Point  and 
marching  about  fifty  miles,  reached  Fort  Maginnis,  to  which  post  they  had 
been  assigned,  thus  relieving  at  these  posts  the  entire  Eighteenth  Infantry, 
which  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  Missouri,  using  in  its  jour- 
ney to  Bismarck  the  boats  by  which  the  Twentieth  Infantry  had  made  the 
trip  up  the  Missouri  River.  Bythe  loth  of  June,  1885, the  headquarters  and 
companies  were  at  their  stations. 

In  October,  1S85,  Company  I  marched  from  Fort  Assiniboine  to  Sweet 
Grass  Hills  and  returned  to  post.     Distance  marched,  144  miles.     Company 


TWENTIE  TH  REGIMENT  OF  IN  FA  NTR  Y.       67 1 

D,  as  escort  to  paymaster,  marched  from  Fort  Maginnis  to  Custer  Station, 
and  returned  to  its  post  on  the  i6th  of  November,  18S5,  having  marched 
220  miles.  In  August,  1886.  Company  G  changed  station  from  Fort  Ma- 
ginnis to  Camp  Poplar  River,  Mont.,  by  marching  about  fifty  miles  to  the 
Missouri  River  (Rocky  Point),  thence  by  boat;  and  in  the  same  month. 
Company  I  changed  station  from  Fort  Assiniboine  to  Camp  Poplar  River, 
marching  to  Claggett  (60  miles),  thence  by  boat  to  its  station.  During  the 
months  of  October  and  November,  1886,  short  tours  of  detached  duty  were 
performed  within  thirty  or  forty  miles  of  the  post  by  Companies  A,  C  and 
K.  Company  B.  Captain  McCaskey  commanding,  left  Fort  Assiniboine 
May  27,  1887,  and  marched  to  Sweet-Grass  Hills,  where  it  remained  in 
camp  until  October,  returning  to  its  post  on  the  17th  of  that  month,  having 
marched  140  miles.  Companies  E  and  H  performed  short  tours  of  detached 
service  in  the  months  of  August  and  September,  1887.  In  the  spring  of 
1888  Companies  A,  F  and  K  performed  a  tour  of  twenty  days  detached 
duty,  and  commenced  the  construction  of  a  dam  on  Beaver  Creek,  about 
eight  miles  above  the  post,  for  the  storage  of  water  from  which  the  post 
might  be  supplied  in  seasons  of  excessive  drought.  On  June  i.  Company 
A  left  Fort  Assiniboine  for  Fort  Maginnis,  changing  station,  and  marched 
126  miles.  Company  D  left  Maginnis  on  the  same  date  for  Fort  Assin- 
iboine, where  it  arrived  and  took  station  June  8,  having  also  marched  126 
miles. 

In  September,  1888,  a  practice  march  of  73  miles  with  camps  of  instruc- 
tion lasting  23  days  was  participated  in  by  the  band,  Companies  B,  C,  D,  E, 

F,  H  and  K,  from  Fort  Assiniboine,  and  similar  instruction  was  given 
companies  of  the  regiment  stationed  at  other  posts.  This  was  repeated  in 
the  fall  seasons  of  1889-90-91  and  92,  throughout  the  Department,  undei 
orders  from  its  commander. 

During  the  fall  of  1888  and  summer  of  18S9,  all  the  companies  of  ih* 
regiment  performed  short  tours  of  detached  service.  On  the  i6th  of  October, 
1889,  Company  F  changed  station  from  Fort  Assiniboine  to  Camp  Poplar 
River,  Montana;  and  Company  G,  on  the  17th,  left  Camp  Poplar  kiver  for 
Fort  Assiniboine,  taking  station  there  October  18,  both  movements  by  rail. 
Company  A  changed  station  from  Fort  Maginnis  to  Assiniboine  and,  un^ 
der  the  same  order.  Company  C  moved  from  Fort  Assiniboine  to  Fort  Bu- 
ford,  North  Dakota.  Company  A  reached  Fort  Assiniboine  May  28,  1890, 
having  marched  118  miles,  and  Company  C  arrived  ?.l  Buford  the  sam( 
date,  by  rail  295  miles. 

Companies  I  and  K  were  skeletonized  under  G^r.<ral  Orders  No.  76,  A 

G.  O.  series  of  1890,  the  officers  transferred  to  ot.ier  companies  from  which 
officers  were  absent  on  extended  tours  of  detJ^ched  service,  or  long  leave  of 
absence,  and  the  enlisted  men  distributed  avnong  the  remaining  companies 
of  the  regiment.  By  the  disbandment  of  Company  I  at  Camp  Poplar 
River,  that  garrison  was  reduced  to  01. e  company,  and  on  the  i8th  of  Sep- 
tember Company  C,  under  orders  of  the  Pepartment  commander,  left  Fort 
Buford  and  marched  to  Camp  Po^^lar  River,  63  miles,  taking  station  there 
September  21,  1890. 

On  November  29.  1S90,  C(  ^'ipaniej:  G  and  H,  under  command  of  Captain 


Gy2  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

A.  A.  Harbach,  20th  Infantry,  left  Fort  Assiniboinc  en  route  by  rail  to 
Fort  Keogh,  Mont.,  equipped  for  participation  in  the  campaign  then  being- 
inaugurated  against  unruly  Sioux  Indians. 

The  battalion  reached  Fort  Keogh  on  December  2,  went  into  camp 
near  that  post,  and  remained  until  December  31,  when  it  was  attached  to 
the  command  of  Colonel  A.  K.  Arn.old,  ist  Cavalry,  and  on  that  date 
marched  with  it  en  route  to  the  Little  Missouri  River,  which  was  reached 
on  January  9,  1891,  and  a  camp  established  from  which  the  country  could 
be  patrolled.  This  was  maintained  until  the  22d  of  January,  when,  under 
orders  from  the  Department  commander,  camp  was  broken  and  the  com- 
mand returned  to  Fort  Keofh,  where  it  arrived  on  the  29th  and  remained 
until  the  3d  of  February,  1891,  when  the  battalion  returned  by  rail  to  Fort 
Assiniboine,  Montana,  haying  travelled  11 84  miles  by  rail,  and  marched 
26S  miles. 

In  the  summer  following.  Company  I  was  reestablished,  as  an  Indian 
company,  under  War  Department  Orders  of  March  9,  1891,  and  assigned  to 
station  at  Camp  Poplar  River.  Enlistments  of  Indians  for  this  company 
were  made  from  the  Sioux  at  the  Poplar  River,  and  Gros  Ventres  and  Assin- 
iboines  at  the  Fort  Belknap  Agency,  and,  when  the  number  necessarj'^  for 
its  organization  seemed  assured  Company  F  was  ordered  from  Camp  Pop- 
lar River  to  Fort  Buford,  and,  proceeding  by  rail,  took  station  there  May  21, 
1891.  A  few  weeks  later,  it  again  changed  station  to  Fort  Assiniboine, 
where  it  arrived  by  rail  on  the  21st  of  July,  1891.  Since  that  date  no 
changes  have  taken  place,  nor  have  any  tours  of  detached  service  been  per- 
formed by  companies  beyond  the  usual  fall  manoeuvres  in  September  of  1891 
and  1892.  The  regiment  is  now, — March,  1893, — stationed  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  Dakota,  the  Headquarters,  Band,  and  Companies  A,  B,  D,  F,  F,  G 
and  H,  at  Fort  Assiniboine,  Montana,  commanded  by  Lieut.-Colonel  Evan 
Miles,  2oth  Infantry.  Companies  C  and  I  at  Camp  Poplar  River,  Mont., 
commanded  by  Major  Lloyd  Wheaton,  20th  Infantry. 


TWENTY-FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  CAPT.   FRED.   H.  E.  EBSTEIN,  2ist  U.  S.   Infantry. 

THE  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Infantry  was  called  into  existence  by 
Presidential  order  of  May  4,  1861,  confirmed  by  Act  of  Congress  of 
July  29,  1861,  as  the  Second  Battalion  of  the  Twelfth  Regiment  of 
Infantry.  Although  Major  Richard  S.  Smith  and  other  officers 
were  appointed  and  assigned  to  the  battalion  soon  after,  it  was  not  until 
May,  1862,  that  the  organization  of  the  first  four  companies  was  accom- 
plished at  Fort  Hamilton,  New  York  Harbor.  These  companies,  namely, 
A,  Captain  Anderson,  B,  Captain  Dallas,  E,  Captain  Ouimby,  and  G,  Cap 
tain  Pennington,  were  at  once  despatched  to  the  field  and  arrived.  May  26, 
at  Harper's  Ferry,  where  they,  together  with  several  companies  of  the 
Eighth  Infantry,  were  formed  into  a  provisional  battalion  under  Captain 
Thomas  G.  Pitcher,  Eighth  Infantry.  The  very  ne.xt  day  the  battalion  re- 
ceived its  baptism  of  fire  in  a  skirmish  on  the  picket  linewitli  "  Dick  "  Tay- 
lor's Brigade  of  Jackson's  Corps.  At  Cedar  Mountain,  August  9,  1862,  the 
battalion  opened  the  fight  as  skirmishers,  and  later  covered  the  retreat, 
meeting  with  heavy  loss.  Captain  Pitcher  having  been  wounded  early  in 
the  action,  the  command  of  the  battalion  fell  to  Captain  Thomas  M.  An- 
derson. When  the  army  fell  back  to  the  line  of  the  Rappahannock  the 
companies  were  engaged  in  skirmishes  at  Rappahannock  Ford,  Sulphur 
Springs  and  Waterloo  Bridge.  About  this  time  Companies  C.  Captain 
King,  and  D,  Captain  Dunn,  which  had  been  organized  at  Fort  Hamilton, 
joined  the  battalion,  which  from  this  time  on  formed  a  separate  organiza- 
tion under  Captain  Anderson.  From  Waterloo  Bridge  a  forced  march  was 
made  to  Warrenton  Junction,  where  a  large  amount  of  abandoned  property 
waf  destroyed  and  another  skirmish  took  place.  The  battalion  was  present 
at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  (second),  but  was  not  actively  engaged— and  at 
Chantilly.  When  the  army  retired  to  the  Potomac  the  battalion  formed  the 
rear  guard,  fighting  all  day  against  rebel  cavalry  and  artillery.  The  following 
month  the  battalion  joined  the  First  Battalion  and  both  became  part  of  the 
First  Brigade  (Buchanan),  Second  Division  (Sykes),  Fifth  Army  Corps 
(Porter).  Thereafter  both  battalions  served  together  and  participated  in  the 
battles  of  South  Mountain,  Antietam  and  Snicker's  Gap.  At  Fredericksburg 
the  battalion  covered  the  retreat  of  the  5th  Corps,  and  was  the  very  last  to 
recross  the  river. 

In  the  fall  of  1862  Companies  F,  Captain  Putnam,  and  H,  Captain 
Franklin,  were  organized  but  remained  in  garrison  at  Fort  Hamilton. 

In  March,  1863,  owing  to  their  reduced  numbers,  Companies  H,  E  and 
G  were  broken  up,  and  the  enlisted  men  transferred  to  Companies  A.  C  and 
D.  These  companies,  togetherwith  those  of  the  First  Battalion,  which  had 
been  in  like  manner  consolidated,  then  formed  one  organization,  although 

673 


6/4  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

retaining  their  distinct  battalion  designations.  They  participated,  under 
command  of  Major  Smith,  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  and  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Dunn,  in  that  of  Gettysburg. 

Companies  F  and  H,  Captain  Franklin  in  command,  were  part  of  the 
force  sent  to  quell  the  draft  riots  in  New  York  City,  July  13  to  20,  1863,  and 
had  encounters  with  the  rioters  in  2d  Avenue,  22d  Street  and  other  places, 
killing  many.  These  two  companies,  in  September,  1863,  were  sent  to  the 
field,  and  with  the  remainder  of  the  battalion  were  present  in  the  actions  at 
Bristoe  Station,  October  14,  Rappahannock  Station,  November  7th  and  Mine 
Run,  November  27. 

In  the  campaign  of  1864  the  battalion  took  part  in  the  battles  of  the 
Wilderness  and  Laurel  Hill,  May  8  to  13,  sustaining  heavy  loss.  It  was  fur- 
ther engaged  near  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  May  14  and  exposed  to  fire 
of  artillery  and  sharpshooters  May  13  to  19  while  in  trenches  and  on  picket. 
May  22  and  23  it  crossed  the  North  Anna  River,  engaging  and  repulsing  the 
enemy,  and  on  the  29th  and  30th  was  skirmishing  at  Tolopotomoy  Creek. 
June  I  to  5  it  was  engaged  in  skirmishes  near  Bethesda  Church  and  swamp 
north  of  the  Pamunky  River,  and  June  17  it  arrived  in  front  of  the  enemy's 
v/orks  at  Petersburg.  The  battalion  was  again  in  action  on  June  18  at  Pe- 
tersburg, on  the  2ist  on  Jerusalem  plank  road  and  on  the  30th  before  Peters- 
burg. 

War  Department  orders  of  July  30,  1864,  disbanded  Companies  A,  C,  D,  F 
and  H  and  transferred  the  enlisted  men  to  the  ist  Battalion.  The  other  com- 
panies having  previously  been  disbanded,  the  2d  Battalion  here  ceased  to  exist 
asan  organization  and  so  remained  unorganized  until  September,  1865,  when 
Companies  A  and  B  were  again  formed  at  Fort  Hamilton.  By  the  end  of 
December  the  battalion  had  been  completely  reorganized  and  its  eight  com- 
panies, in  command  of  Captain  Thomas  M.  Anderson,  were  serving  at  Camp 
Winthrop,  near  Richmond,  Virginia. 

The  Act  of  Congress  approved  July  28,  1866,  transformed  the  battalion, 
by  the  addition  of  two  new  companies,  into  the  Twenty-iirst  Regiment  of  In- 
fantry. Regimental  headquarters  were  established  at  Petersburg,  Virginia, 
and  the  following  were  appointed  field  officers  of  the  new  regiment  : 
Colonel  George  Stoneman,  Lieutenant-Colonel  S.  S.  Carroll,  Major  Dickinson 
Woodruff.  The  latter,  in  regimental  orders  dated  Petersburg,  December  9, 
1866,  assumed  command  of  the  new  organization,  the  company  officers  of 
which  were ; 

Captains  :  Thomas  S.  Anderson,  Thomas  S.  Dunn,  Henry  R.  Putnam, 
Walter  S.  Franklin,  Henry  E.  Smith,  Robert  L.  Burnett,  Evan  Miles, 
W.  McC.  Netterville. 

First  Lieutenants:  Madison  Earle,  Thomas  L.  Alston,  E.  B.  Knox,  George 
H.  Burton,  George  G.  Greenough,  V.  M.  C.  Silva,  William  Crosby,  Alfred 
S.  Newlin. 

Second  Lieutenants:  John  F.  Cluley,  Thomas  E.  Lawson,  B.  H.  Rogers, 
Thomas  F.  Riley,  Thomas  Rafferty,  E.  W.  Stone. 

Companies  I  and  K  were  organized  at  Petersburg  in  January,  1S67,  and 
Captains  W.  P.  Wilson  and  W,  McK.  Dunn,  Jr.,  appointed  to  command 
them. 


TWENTY-FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.     G-jt, 

During  the  next  two  years  the  regiment  remained  in  Virginia  (then  the 
First  Military  District),  engaged  in  the  varied  duties  pertaining  to  the  re- 
construction period.  The  companies  were  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
in  temporary  camps  in  different  portions  of  the  State.  Thus,  companies 
occupied  Richmond,  Petersburg.  Fredericksburg,  Winchester.  Yorktown, 
Farmville,  Williamsburg,  Norfolk.  Huguenot  Springs  and  Fort  Monroe 
during  the  period  named. 

Under  the  Act  of  Congress,  approved  March  3.  1S69.  the  Thirty-second 
Regiment  was  consolidated  with  and  became  part  of  the  Twenty-first.  The 
former  (which  had  originally  been  the  third  battalion  of  the  Fourteenth  In- 
fantry) was  stationed  in  Arizona  and  thither  the  Twenty-first  was  ordered 
to  proceed.  The  regiment  left  Richmond  April  12,  1869,  and  was  forwarded 
from  Omaha  in  two  battalions  to  San  Francisco  over  the  then  just  com- 
pleted Union  and  Central  Pacific  Railroads,  being  the  first  troops  that  made 
the  transcontinental  journey  entirely  by  rail.  The  regiment  remained  at 
the  Presidio,  California,  until  June,  when  the  various  companies  were  put 
en  route  for  their  stations  in  Arizona  and  the  consolidation  thus  finally 
completed.  At  this  time  the  regiment  numbered  1180  in  enlisted  men. 
The  officers  were  : 

Colonel  George  Stoneman,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Frank  Wheaton,  Major 
Milton  Cogswell,  Adjutant  George  H.  Burton,  Quartermaster  John  L. 
Johnston. 

Company  A. — Captain  Patrick  Collins,  ist  Lieut.  T.  F.  Riley,  2d  Lieut. 
John  M.  Ross. 

Company  B. — Captain  Henry  E.  Smith,  ist  Lieut.  B.  H.  Rogers,  2d 
Lieut.  W.  L.  Sherwood. 

Company  C. — Captain  W.  H.  Brown,  ist  Lieut.  W.  McK.  Owen,  2d 
Lieut.  E.  B.  Rheem. 

Company  D. — Captain  Thomas  S.  Dunn,  ist  Lieut.  J.  H.  Purcell,  2d 
Lieut.  James  Riley. 

Company  E. — Captain  Evan  Miles,  ist  Lieut.  V.  M.  C.  Silva. 

Company  F. — Captain  H.  R.  Putnam,  ist  Lieut.  R.  Pollock. 

Company  G. — Captain  R.  L.  Burnett,  ist  Lieut.  W'.  T.  Dodge,  2d  Lieut. 

E.  R.  Theller. 

Company  H. — Captain   R.  F.  O'Beirne,  ist   Lieut.  J.  F  Cluley.  2d   Lieut. 

F.  H.  E.  Ebstein. 

Company  L— Captain  W.  McC.  Netterville,  ist  Lieut.  G.  W.  Evans,  2d 
Lieut.  James  Calhoun. 

Company  K. — Captain  George  M.  Downey,  ist  Lieut.  J.  F.  Lewis,  2d 
Lieut  W.  J.  Ross. 

Regimental  Headquarters  were  located  at  Drum  Barracks,  California, 
and  the  companies  were  distributed  to  Camps  Reno,  Goodwin,  Verde,  Bowie, 
Lowell,  McDowell,  Date  Creek  and  Crittenden,  all  in  Arizona.  During  the 
three  years  following,  the  regiment  was  actively  employed  in  scouting  after 
Indians,  escorting  mails,  building  wagon  roads  and  erecting  public  buildings, 
all  of  the  above-named  posts  having  been  constructed  or  reconstructed  en- 
tirely by  the  labor  of  the  troops.  As  an  illustration  of  the  danger  attend- 
ing the  escorting  of  the  United  States  mails  it  may  be  mentioned  that  no 


(y7^  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

less  than  fifteen  enlisted  men  of  the  regiment  were  killed  at  divers  times  by 
attacks  from  Indians  while  on  this  duty.  In  April,  1870,  Company  A,  un- 
der Captain  Collms,  overtook  and  attacked  a  party  of  hostile  Apaches  near 
Pinal  Creek,  killing  eleven  and  capturing  four.  The  following  month 
Company  B  had  an  encounter  with  a  party  of  Apaches  in  Tonto  Basin,  kill- 
ing several.  In  July  Lieut.  Cluley,  with  a  detachment  of  Company  H,  sur- 
prised a  hostile  rancheria  near  Date  Creek,  killing  two  Indians.  The  fol- 
lowing November  Companies  A,  E,  G  and  I  established  a  camp  in  the  Pinal 
Mountains,  remaining  there  until  July,  1871.  In  the  latter  month,  while  on 
the  march  to  Camp  Bowie,  Co-npany  G,  Lieut.  Theller  commanding,  had  an 
engagement  with  the  Indians  and  repulsed  them,  after  a  sharp  fight,  with  a 
loss  of  15  killed  and  a  number  wounded.  The  troops  lost  1  killed  and  3 
wounded.  Colonel  Stoneman  was  retired  August  16,  1871,  and  Colonel 
Robert  S.  Granger  succeeded  him. 

In  1872  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  Colum- 
bia and  distributed  to  stations  as  follows  :  Headquarters  and  B,  C  and  I, 
Fort  Vancouver,  Wash.  Terr.;  A,  Camp  Harney,  Oregon  ;  D,  Camp  Warner, 
Oregon  ;  E,  Fort  Colville,  W.  T.;  F,  Fort  Klamath,  Oregon  ;  G,  Fort  Lapwai, 
Idaho  ;  H,  Camp  San  Juan  Island,  W.  T.,  and  K,  Fort  Boise,  Idaho. 

Hardly  had  the  regiment  reached  its  new  stations  when  hostile  acts  of 
the  Modoc  Indians  in  southern  Oregon  called  into  the  field  the  available 
troops  in  Oregon,  Washington  and  California.  A  battalion  consisting  of 
Companies  B  and  C  (to  which  Company  I  and  a  portion  of  Company  F  were 
subsequently  added),  under  command  of  Major  Edwin  C.  Mason,  left  Fort 
Vancouver,  December  3,  1872,  for  field  service.  The  battalion  had  to  march 
a  distance  of  250  miles  to  reach  the  Lava  Beds,  a  rugged  and  much  broken 
stretch  of  volcanic  rock  formation  located  on  the  banks  of  Tule  Lake,  in 
southern  Oregon,  in  which  the  Modocs  under  •'  Captain  Jack  "  had,  after 
barbarously  murdering  the  unprotected  settlers  of  that  region,  taken  up  an 
impregnable  position.  Lieut.-Col.  Frank  Wheaton  was  in  command  of  the 
troops  sent  to  subdue  these  turbulent  Indians.  On  January  17,  1873,  he 
attacked  the  Modoc  stronghold  with  his  entire  force,  consisting,  besides 
Major  Mason's  battalion,  of  several  troops  of  the  First  Cavalry  and  some 
companies  of  Oregon  and  California  volunteers.  Owing  to  the  rough  nature 
of  the  ground  to  be  passed  over,  the  inaccessibility  of  the  Indian  position 
and  the  prevalence  of  a  thick  fog,  the  attack  was  unsuccessful  and  the  troops 
were  forced  to  withdraw.  The  small  battalion  of  the  Twenty-first  (Company 
I  had  not  yet  joined)  lost  in  killed  5  and  in  wounded  8  enlisted  men.  The 
following  officers  participated  in  the  engagement :  Lieut.-Col.  Wheaton, 
Major  Mason,  Captain  Burton,  Lieutenants  Boyle,  Ross,  Rheem  and  Moore. 
Additional  troops  were  hurried  forward,  but  it  was  not  until  after  the 
treacherous  murder  of  Brig.-Gen.  E.  R.  S.  Canby  in  a  peace  council  that 
active  operations  were  resumed.  On  April  1 1  First  Lieutenant  William  L. 
Sherwood,  while  receiving  a  flag  of  truce,  was  treacherously  fired  upon,  re- 
ceiving two  wounds,  of  which  he  died  a  few  days  later.  The  battalion  was 
engaged  in  a  skirmish  April  12.  and  in  the  three  days'  fight  which  resulted 
in  driving  the  Indians  from  their  stronghold,  April  17.  After  the  final 
capture  of  the  hostiles  the  troops  were  returned  to  their  posts  by  way  of 


TWENTY-FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTK  V.     677 

Fons  Klamath,  Warner,  Harney  and  Walla  Walla,  making  a  march  of  634 
miles.     The  battalion  had  been  in  the  field  eight  months. 

On  December  10,  1873,  Colonel  Granger  was  retired  from  active  service, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Alfred  Sully,  an  officer  of  long  and  distin- 
guished service. 

During  the  three  years  following,  the  regiment  performed  the  usual  gar- 
rison duties  with  various  changes  of  station  of  the  dilTcrent  companies. 
Thus  companies  were  in  garrison  at  Forts  Townsend,  Walla  Walla,  Stevens 
and  Canby  at  divers  times.  Company  B  garrisoned  Fort  Wrangel,  Alaska, 
when  that  post  was  rc-occupied. 

In  consequence  of  the  sudden  outbreak  of  the  Nez  Perces  Indians  in 
Idaho  in  June,  1877,  thegreatcr  portion  of  the  regiment  was  promptly  ordered 
into  the  field.  First  Lieut.  Edward  R.  Theller,  who  was  attached  to  a  com- 
mand sent  from  Fort  Lapwai  upon  the  first  report  of  massacres  of  citizens  by 
the  hostiles,  was  killed  inaction  at  White  Bird  Canon,  Idaho,  June  17.  The 
companies  of  the  regiment  rendezvoused  at  Fort  Lapwai,  whence  they  took 
the  field  June  22  as  part  of  the  column  under  command  of  General  O.  O. 
Howard.  The  battalion  was  commanded  by  Captain  Evan  Miles  and  con- 
sisted of  Companies  B  (Captain  Jocelyn,  Lieut.  Bailey),  C  (Captain  Burton, 
Lieut.  W^illiams),  D  (Captain  Pollock),  E  (Lieuts.  Pierce  and  Farrow),  H 
(Lieuts.  Haughey  and  Duncan),  I  (Lieut.  Eltonhead).  Major  Mason,  Lieuten- 
ants Ebstein  (R.  O.  M.),  Fletcher  and  Wood  served  as  staff  officers  to  General 
Howard,  and  Captain  Spurgin  commanded  a  company  of  hired  skilled  laborers 
employed  in  clearing  the  difficult  mountain  trails  from  fallen  timber.  The  bat- 
talion was  engaged  in  action  July  1 1  and  1 2  at  the  Clearwater  River,  where  the 
hostiles,  who  fought  with  skill  and  the  utmost  obstinacy  for  two  days,  were 
finally  driven  from  their  position  with  heavy  loss  and  compelled  to  abandon 
their  camp  filled  with  their  effects — blankets,  buffalo  robes  and  provisions. 
The  loss  of  the  battalion  was  eight  enlisted  men  killed  and  Lieutenant  Wil- 
liams and  thirteen  men  wounded.  The  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  Indians  was 
at  once  taken  up  and  continued  with  the  briefest  intermissions  for  needed 
rest,  from  northern  Idaho  across  the  continent  to  within  a  day's  march  of 
the  British  boundary,  where  they  were  finally  overtaken  by  and  compelled 
to  surrender  to  a  command  under  Colonel  (now  General)  Nelson  A.  Miles. 
The  pursuit  of  the  Nez  Perces,  under  Chief  Joseph,  stands  unequalled  in 
our  military  annals  for  distances  marched,  privations  incurred  and  obstacles 
encountered  and  overcome,  by  foot  troops,  in  pursuit  of  a  wily  foe  amply 
supplied  with  horses  and  bent  upon  escape.  From  the  22d  of  June  to  the 
loth  of  October  the  battalion  was  on  the  march. 

From  Fort  Lapwai,  Idaho,  through  the  rugged  country  of  the  Salmon 
River,  crossing  torrents,  climbing  mountains  and  threading  rocky  defiles; 
over  the  Lolo  trail  into  Montana,  groping  through  fallen  timber  and  dense 
undergrowth  ;  through  the  Bitter  Root  valley,  past  the  Big  Holes  to  Henry 
Lake;  thence  to  the  Yellowstone  River  and  through  the  great  national 
park;  struggling  through  the  forests  and  the  almost  impassable  canons  of 
Clark's  Fork,  crossing  with  difliculty  the  Musselshell,  marching  through 
Judith  Basin  to  the  Missouri  River  and  beyond  this  river  to  the  vicinity  of 
Bear  Paw  Mountain — this  was  the   march   of  the   battalion,  a  distance  of 


6/8  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

1632  miles.  With  insufficient  clothing  and  camp  equipage,  frequently  on 
reduced  rations,  the  battalion  in  its  march  crossed  three  times  the  chain  of 
mountains  which  constitute  the  great  continental  divide,  and  it  may  be 
noted,  to  the  credit  of  the  regiment,  that  during  the  five  months  of  this 
trying  field  service  not  a  single  desertion  occurred  among  the  enlisted  men 
of  these  six  companies. 

Between  July  27th  and  October  loth  the  battalion  had  marched,  includ- 
ing all  halts  and  stoppages,  1321  miles— or  an  average  of  17.61  miles  per 
day  during  75  consecutive  days.  The  troops  returned  to  their  stations  on 
the  Pacific  coast  via  the  Missouri  River,  Omaha  and  San  Francisco,  reach- 
ing Vancouver  Barracks  early  in  November. 

The  outbreak  of  the  Bannocks  and  Pi  Utes  m  June,  1878,  called  the  en- 
tire regiment  (except  Company  F)  into  the  field.  A  detachment  of  75  men 
under  Captain  Patrick  Collins  was  dispatched  at  once  from  Fort  Boise  to 
the  scene  of  trouble  in  southern  Idaho.  Meanwhile  the  companies  from 
Vancouver  Barracks  (B,  D,  G,  H  and  I)  were  marching  from  Umatilla, 
Oregon,  in  the  direction  of  Boise  City.  These  were  subsequently  joined  by 
Companies  E  and  K  from  Camp  Harney.  Captain  Evan  Miles  commanded 
the  battalion.  Two  foot  batteries  of  the  Fourth  Artillery,  under  Captain 
Rodney,  and  one  troop  of  the  First  Cavalry  under  Captain  Bendire  were 
added  to  Captain  Miles'  command.  With  this  force  Captain  Miles  suc- 
ceeded in  overtaking  the  hostiles — after  a  forced  march  of  35  miles  in  one 
day — engaging  them  on  July  13th  near  Umatilla  Agency,  Oregon,  and  put- 
ting them  to  flight.  The  following  officers  were  present  in  this  engage- 
ment:  Captains  Evan  Miles  (commanding),  Downey,  Jocelyn,  Spurgin, 
Boyle,  Lieutenants  Haughey,  Ebstein.  Rheem,  Cornman,  Duncan,  Elton- 
head,  Farrow  and  Shofner. 

After  the  action  at  Umatilla  the  battalion,  under  Captain  Miles,  formed 
part  of  Colonel  Frank  Wheaton's  comma  id  and  was  occupied  in  guarding 
and  operating  along  the  Walla  Walla-Boise  stage  road.  The  battalion  was 
at  this  time  mounted  on  Indian  ponies  and  remained  a  mounted  command 
to  the  close  of  the  campaign  in  August,  when  the  companies  were  returned 
to  their  posts. 

Colonel  Sully  died  at  Vancouver  Barracks,  April  27,  1879.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  Henry  A.  Morrow,  a  gallant  and  meritorious  soldier. 

Transferred  in  June,  1884,  to  the  Department  of  the  Platte,  the  regiment 
was  assigned  to  stations  as  follows  :  Headquarters  and  C,  E,  F  and  G  to 
Fort  Sidney,  Nebraska  ;  B  and  I  to  Fort  Steele,  D  and  H  to  Fort  Bridger, 
A  to  Fort  McKinney,  and  K  to  Fort  Russell,  Wyoming.  During  July  and 
August,  1885,  Companies  B,  C,  F,  G,  I  and  K,  under  command  of  Major 
Pearson,  were  in  the  field  in  southern  Kansas  during  a  threatened  outbreak 
of  the  Cheyennes  and  formed  part  of  Colonel  Morrow's  command  of  in- 
fantry and  cavalry  in  camp  at  Crisfield,  Kansas.  In  the  fall  of  the  same 
year  Companies  C,  D  and  H  were  in  the  field  at  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming, 
during  the  anti-Chinese  riots  at  that  place.  Companies  B,  F,  I  and  K,  in 
1S86,  established  and  afterwards  were  part  of  the  garrison  of  Fort  Duchesne, 
Utah.  In  August  and  September,  1887,  Headquarters  and  five  companies 
under  Colonel   Morrow  were  in  camp  of    instruction   near  Kearney,  Ne- 


TWENTY-FIRST  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.    679 

braska ;  the  other  five  companies  under  Major  Andrews  in  a  similar  camp 
in  Strawberry  Valley,  Utah.  For  the  first  time  in  twenty  years  the  entire 
regiment,  in  command  of  Lieut.-Col.  Poland,  was  assembled  for  field  ma- 
noeuvres at  Camp  George  Crook,  near  Fort  Robinson,  Nebraska,  in  the 
summer  of  18S9. 

During  the  Sioux  outbreak  in  the  winter  of  1890-91  the  regiment  was  in 
the  field.  Lieut.-Col.  Poland,  in  command  of  Companies  A,  C,  E  and  G. 
was  ordered  to  Rosebud  Agency,  South  Dakota,  where  they  remained  in 
camp  during  the  inclement  winter.  Major  Andrews,  with  companies  B,  D, 
F  and  H,  went  from  Camp  Douglas,  Utah,  to  Fort  Robinson,  Nebraska, 
where  they  encamped.  Toward  the  end  of  January,  1891,  the  companies 
(with  exception  of  Company  G,  which  remained  at  Rosebud  Agency)  re- 
turned to  their  posts. 

Colonel  Henry  A.  Morrow  died  at  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  January  30. 
1 891,  and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Richard  F.  O'Beirne,  who,  however, 
did  not  live  to  join,  as  colonel,  the  regiment  he  had  left  in  1879  as  a  captain. 
He  died  in  New  York  City,  February  24,  1891.  Colonel  Joseph  S.  Conrad 
was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  regiment  as  of  the  latter  date,  but  after 
a  brief  period  of  duty  with  his  new  command,  died  at  Fort  Randall,  South 
Dakota,  December  4,  1891,  while  on  an  inspecting  tour.  The  regiment  thus 
lost  by  death  three  of  its  commanders  in  the  brief  space  of  eleven  months. 

Colonel  Horace  Jewett  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  regiment  and 
is  its  present  head.  In  the  spring  of  1S92  HeadquarteVs  and  five  companies 
were  transferred  to  the  Department  of  the  East,  and  at  this  date  (May, 
1892)  the  regiment  is  distributed  as  follows:  Regimental  Headquarters  and 
Companies  A,  C  and  E  at  Fort  Niagara,  New  York;  B  and  H  at  F:)rt 
Porter,  New  York  ;  F  and  I  at  Fort  Randall,  South  Dakota ;  G,  Fort  '  id- 
ney,  Nebraska. 


THE    TWENTY-SECOND    REGIMENT    OF   INFANTRY. 

By  captain  OSKALOOSA  M.  SMITH,  C.  S.,  U.  S.  Army. 
(Late  First  Lieutenant  22d  Infantry.) 

THE  22d  Regiment  of  Infantry  was  originally  the  Second  Battalion  of 
the  13th  Infantry,  (a  regiment  of  three  battalions  of  eight  companies 
each)  which  was  organized  by  direction  of  the  President,  May  4,  1861, 
and  confirmed  by  Act  of  Congress  of  July  29, 186 1.  It  became  the  22d 
Infantry  under  the  Act  of  Congress  of  July  28,  1866,  which  act  reorganized 
the  Army  of  the  United  States.  It  is  not  the  intention  in  this  short  sketch  to 
go  into  the  history  of  the  regiment  prior  to  its  reorganization  in  1866,  as  its 
previous  services  will  no  doubt  be  shown  in  the  history  of  the  13th  Infantry, 
further  than  to  say  that  official  records  show  that  during  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion it  participated  in  the  following  battles,  viz. :  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Miss., 
December  29,  1862;  Arkansas  Post.  Ark.,  January  11,  1863;  Walnut  Hills, 
Miss.,  May  19  ;  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  which  culminated  July  4 ;  CoUiers- 
ville,  Tenn.,  October  11;  Missionary  Ridge,  Tenn.,  November  24  and  25, 
1863.  Many  of  the  officers  of  the  original  13th  Infantry  had  varied  and 
peculiar  records,  the  most  noted  and  distinguished  of  which  were  those 
of  the  first  colonel,  William  T.  Sherman,  and  one  of  the  original  captains, 
Philip  H.  Sheridan,  each  of  whom  in  turn  became  General  of  and  com- 
manded the  Army  of  the  United  States. 

In  looking  over  the  names  of  the  original  officers  of  that  regiment,  we 
find  only  three  remaining  upon  the  active  list ;  some  have  been  retired  from 
service,  others  are  in  civil  life,  and  many  have  heard  the  last  tattoo. 

In  the  organization  of  the  22d  Infantry  the  field  officers  were  Brevet 
Major-General  David  S.  Stanley,  colonel  ;  Brevet  Colonel  Elwell  S.  Otis, 
lieutenant-colonel ;  Brevet  Colonel  Alexander  Chambers,  major.  The 
regiment  was  reorganized  in  May,  1869,  by  the  consolidation  with  it  of  the 
31st  Infantry,  under  the  Act  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  1869.  The  field 
officers  remained  the  same  except  that  Brevet  Colonel  Joseph  N.  G.  Whistler 
was  assigned  as  major,  vice  Chambers,  who  was  transferred  to  the  loth 
Infantry. 

The  regiment  no  longer  has  in  its  midst  the  other  field  officers  mentioned. 
Stanley  is  a  brigadier-general,  Otis  is  colonel  of  the  20th  Infantry  and 
Whistler,  who  became  colonel  of  the  15th  Infantry,  is  retired  from 
active  service.  There  were,  as  the  years  passed  on,  numerous  changes 
among  the  field  officers,  but  only  one  in  the  grade  of  colonel.  General 
Stanley  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Peter  T.  Swaine,  who  was  promoted  from 
lieutenant-colonel  15th  Infantry. 

As  the  31st  Infantry,  which  originally  was  the  3d  Battalion  of  the  13th 
680 


TWENTY-SECOND  REG'T  OF  INFANTRY.        68 1 

Infantry,  was  embodied  in  the  22d  Infantry  in  tiie  consolidation  of  1869,  one- 
half  the  ofiice--s  and  all  of  the  enlisted  men  of  the  31st  joining  the  new  22d.  a 
brief  synopsis  of  the  history  of  that  regiment  will  appear  in  these  pages.  The 
consolidation  of  the  companies  of  the  two  regiments  to  form  "  the  new  22d 
Infantry  "  was  effected  by  consolidating  the  companies  of  the  22d — A  and  I 
becoming  A  ;  B  and  K,  B  ;  C  and  F.  C  ;  D  and  E,  D  ;  G  and  H.  H.  31st 
Infantry  Companies  B  and  E.  E  ;  F  and  H,  F  ;  C  and  G,  G  ;  D  and  I,  I  ;  A 
and  K,  K. 

In  April,  1866,  the  2d  Battalion,  13th  Infantry,  was  concentrated  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  Kansas  ;  on  the  26th  of  that  month  it  left  for  the  upper  Mis- 
souri River  taking  station  as  follows  :  Headquarters  and  Companies  A  and 
B  at  Fort  Randall ;  C,  E  and  H,  Fort  Sully  ;  D,  Fort  Dakota  ;  F,  Fort  James  ; 
G,  Fort  Thompson,  all  in  Dakota  Territory.  Companies  I  and  K  were 
organized  at  Fort  Ward,  Bedloe's  Island,  N.  Y.,  October  2,  1866,  (this  after  the 
designation  had  been  changed  to  22d  Infantry)  and  left  the  same  day,  via 
Fort  Leavenworth,  for  Fort  Randall,  where  they  took  station. 

The  3d  Battalion,  13th  Infantry,  was  organized  at  Jefferson  Barracks, 
Missouri,  and  left  that  post  for  the  upper  Missouri  River  April  21.  1866,  tak- 
ing station  :  Headquarters  and  Companies  B,  E,  F,  G  and  H  at  Fort  Rice  ; 
A,  Fort  Sully;  C,  Fort  Buford ;  D,  Fort  Berthold.  all  in  Dakota  Territory. 
Company  C,  at  Fort  Buford,  which  at  that  time  was  nothing  more  than  a 
camp,  had  seventy  enlisted  men,  and  there  were  only  two  officers  with  it — 
Capt.  W.  G.  Rankin  and  Lieut.  H.  H.  Ketchum,  who  was  detached  from  the 
2d  Battalion.  Their  orders  were  to  build  a  post ;  the  only  tools  they  had  to 
do  It  with  were  the  company  axes.  The  second  night  after  arrival  the  camp 
was  attacked  by  Indians,  who  were  driven  away,  but  at  the  expense  of  one 
soldier  wounded.  The  next  day  the  Indians  attacked  and  attempted  to 
drive  off  the  herd  of  beef  cattle,  but  were  repulsed  and  two  Indians  killed. 
The  Indian  attacks  upon  the  camp  were  of  almost  daily  occurrence  during 
the  summer  and  fall.  Parties  of  men  cutting  and  rafting  logs  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  were  often  attacked  and  driven  to  camp,  where, 
being  joined  by  other  men  of  the  company,  the  Indians  were  driven  ofT, 
the  fighting  lasting  from  two  to  six  hours,  often  with  loss  on  both  sides. 

Three  civilian  wood  choppers  in  government  employ  having  been  killed 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  Lieut.  Ketchum.  with  sixty  men,  repaired 
to  the  spot,  drove  off  the  Indians  and  recovered  the  bodies  with  slight  loss  to 
his  detachment.  These  were  trying  times,  for  the  Indians,  having  been 
heavily  reinforced,  boldly  boasted  that  they  intended  to  annihilate  the  sol- 
diers. During  that  winter  the  post  was  besieged  by  Indians  ;  the  troops 
were  virtually  cut  off  from  water  (the  Missouri  River)  and  had  to  sink  wells 
neat  the  quarters.  Several  times  during  the  winter  rumors  reached  the 
States  that  the  garrison  had  been  massacred,  for  in  that  time  only  one  or 
two  mails  had  been  received  at  and  sent  from  the  camp,  so  it  was  spring 
before  the  people  in  the  East  knew  what  the  real  condition  of  affairs  had 
been.  Captam  Rankin's  wife  spent  that  winter  in  camp,  bravely  enduring 
the  hardship  and  danger  mcident  thereto.  Company  I  was  organized  at  Fort 
Wood,  and  K  at  Fort  Columbus,  N.  Y.,  October  3,  1 866  (this  after  the  designa- 
tion had  been  changed  to  31st  Infantry),  leaving  the  same  day  for  Fort  Lea- 


682  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

venworth,  Kansas,  where  they  remained  until  May,  1867,  when  they  moved 
to  Dakota.  Shortly  after  that  the  regiment  was  stationed  with  Headquar- 
ters and  Companies  H  and  I  at  Fort  Stevenson  ;  Companies  A,  D  and  K  at 
Fort  Totten  ;  Companies  B,  C,  E,  F  and  G,  at  Fort  Buford.  That  regiment 
built  the  posts  mentioned,  and  Buford  and  Stevenson,  under  great  difficul- 
ties. The  working  detachments  carried  their  arms  with  them  and  oftentimes 
the  Indians  pounced  upon  them,  causing  them  to  leave  their  work,  fall  into 
line  and  open  fire  upon  the  enemy.  Building  logs  were  obtained  under 
great  hardship  several  miles  distant  from  the  posts,  large  escorts  were  sent 
with  the  wagons,  and  many  men  while  on  that  duty  were  killed  and  wounded 
in  fights  with  the  Sioux  Indians.  The  troops  lived  in  tents  until  late  in  the 
winter  of  1867.  There  was  deep  snow  before  they  moved  into  their  quarters 
and  they  got  in  none  too  soon  at  Stevenson  and  Totten,  as  a  severe  snow- 
storm came  upon  them,  lasting  three  or  four  days ;  the  wind  was  fierce  and 
the  weather  extremely  cold.  Officers  and  soldiers  were  kept  in  their  quar- 
ters for  several  days.  At  Stevenson  the  fuel  in  some  of  the  quarters  gave 
out  and  the  officers  burned  their  furniture  to  keep  from  freezing.  A  wagon 
train  loaded  with  lumber  and  canned  goods  en  route  from  Fort  Abercrombie 
to  Totten  was  forced  to  stop  on  the  Cheyenne  River,  and  to  keep  from 
freezing  and  starving  the  men  burned  the  lumber  and  ate  a  large  quantity 
of  the  canned  articles. 

Mails  were  received  in  the  winter  once  in  ten  days  at  some  of  the  posts  ; 
once  a  month  at  the  more  distant  ones.  They  were  carried  on  sleds  drawn  by 
large  dogs,  usually  three  in  tandem,  half-breeds  being  employed  for  this  serv- 
ice. In  the  summer  they  were  carried  by  soldiers.  It  was  a  very  dangerous 
service  between  Rice,  Stevenson  and  Buford,  and  between  Totten  and  Stev- 
enson. Those  sections  were  infested  by  hostile  Indians  who  oftentimes 
attacked  the  mail  parties  and  many  men  were  killed  in  that  service.  In  the 
beautiful  spring  of  1868,  after  a  hard  winter,  a  party  of  soldiers  left  Totten 
with  the  mail  for  Stevenson,  in  high  spirits,  anticipating  an  enjoyable 
trip  and  a  meeting  with  friends  at  the  distant  post.  About  midway 
between  the  two  posts  the  party  was  attacked  by  a  large  number  of  Sioux 
Indians  and  every  man  killed.  A  rescuing  party  found  their  bodies  stripped 
of  clothing  and  mutilated.  On  June  loth,  the  same  year,  Capt.  Albert  M. 
Powell,  a  brave  and  accomplished  officer  of  the  regiment  who  rendered 
good  service  during  the  war  as  chief  of  artillery  of  the  17th  Army  Corps, 
was  killed  by  being  thrown  from  a  vicious  horse. 

In  the  meantime  the  22d  was  building  Forts  Sully  and  Rice  ;  repairing  and 
adding  new  buildings  to  Fort  Randall  under  difficulties  similar  to  those  above 
recited.  Detachments  also  occupied  Indian  Agencies  where  they  had  to  build 
shelter.  All  of  those  posts  were  from  time  to  time  attacked  by  Indians.  In 
the  summer  of  1868  a  large  number  of  Sioux  Indians  attacked  the  guard  with 
the  cattle  herd  at  Fort  Buford.  The  guard,  including  two  or  three  officers 
who  joined  it  on  horseback,  fought  desperately,  but  were  overpowered. 
Lieutenant  Cusick  having  been  wounded  and  several  rren  killed  or  wounded, 
and  the  cattle  stampeded  and  driven  ofT.  This  was  so  sudden  and  the  work 
so  quickly  done  that  the  infantry  could  not  get  on  the  ground  in  time  to 
take  part  in  it.     Lieutenant  Hogan  followed  the  Indians  with  men  in  wagons 


IWENTY-SECOND  KEG'T  OF  IKFANTRY.       6S3 

(there  were  only  enough  horses  at  the  post  for  a  small  detachment)  and 
had  some  skirmishing  with  them,  but  could  not  recapture  the  cattle. 

At  that  time  there  was  not  one  mile  of  railway  in  Dakota  or  Montana 
and  not  more  than  two  or  three  stage  lines  in  the  two  territories ;  most  of 
the  military  travelling  was  done  with  Government  transportation.  The  rail- 
way had  not  reached  Sioux  City,  Iowa;  St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  75  miles  distant 
from  St.  Paul,  was  the  western  terminus  of  the  railroad  from  that  place. 
At  this  date  everybody  knows  that  there  are  several  thousand  miles  of  rail- 
way in  Montana  and  the  two  Dakotas,  and  all  military  posts  in  those  States 
are  within  reasonable  distance  of  it.  As  an  instance  of  how  difiicult  it 
was  to  go  from  one  post  to  another  in  those  times  when  travelling  with- 
out military  escort,  in  1870  three  otTicers  of  the  22d  Infantry  being  ordered 
from  Fort  Sully  to  Totten,— a  distance,  as  the  crow  flies,  of  about  250 
miles,— had  to  go  via  Sioux  City,  Chicago  and  St.  Paul,  travelling  1633 
miles— 3266  miles  in  the  round  trip.  With  the  railroad  facilities  of  the 
present  day,  the  distance  as  usually  travelled  is  about  450  miles. 

In  the  summer  of  1870  the  17th  Infantry,  under  command  of  General 
T.  J.  Crittenden,  went  up  the  Missouri  River,  and  part  of  the  regiment  took 
station  at  Rice,  relieving  the  companies  of  the  22d  at  that  post.  The  head- 
quarters and  several  companies  of  the  17th  were  stationed  for  some  time  at 
Sully,  and  we  thus  had  two  regimental  headquarters,  including  bands,  at 
the  post,  which  made  it  one  of  the  gayest  and  liveliest  posts  m  the  United 
States.  Finally  that  regiment  took  station  at  posts  along  the  river  above 
Sully,  and  the  22d  occupied  Sully,  under  command  of  the  colonel,  with 
Companies  A,  E,  F  and  H ;  and  Randall,  under  command  of  the  lieutenant- 
colonel,  with  Companies  B,  C,  D  and  G.  Company  I  was  sent  to  Crow- 
Creek  Indian  Agency  and  K  to  Lower  Brule  Agency,  which  are  situated 
about  eight  miles  apart  and  about  midway  between  Sully  and  Randall, 
Crow  Creek  on  the  left  and  Brule  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Missouri.  There 
those  companies  constructed  with  soldier  labor  substantial  one-company 
posts.  At  the  end  of  nine  u.onths  aflairs  were  so  quiet  at  Crow  Creek  that 
Company  I  was  withdrawn  to  Sully,  and  the  military  buildings  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  Indian  Department  for  school  purposes  and  to  this  day  are 
used  in  that  way. 

In  the  fall  of  187.  the  first  expedition  to  the  Yellowstone  River,  as  escort 
to  Gen.  T.J.  Rosser's  surveying  party  of  the  projected  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
way, was  organized  at  and  started  from  Fort  Rice.  The  column  was  composed 
of  Companies  D  and  H.i7th;  B,  20th  ;  and  A,  C.Hand  I,  22d  Infantry  ;  two 
Catling  guns  and  twenty-six  Indian  scouts,  all  under  command  of  Bvt.Col. 
j.  N.  G.  Whistler.  The  transportation  consisted  of  104  wagons.  The  ex- 
pedition marched  from  Rice,  September  9;  reached  the  Yellowstone,  at  the 
mouth  of  Glendive  Creek  near  where  the  town  of  Glendive  is  now  situated, 
October  2;  from  there  returned  to  Rice,  arriving  on  the  i6th,  having 
marched  over  600  miles.  Some  days  the  marches  were  short,  others  as 
many  as  twenty  miles  were  made,  and  from  time  to  time,  a  day  was  spent  in 
camp  resting.  The  companies  returned  to  their  posts  from  Rice  by  steamer, 
resuming  garrison  duty  and  the  ordinary  detached  service  until  July,  1872, 
when  a  larger  expedition  to  the  Yellowstone,  under  command  of  Bvt.  Maj.- 


684  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Gen.  D.  S.  Stanley,  was  organized  at  Fort  Rice.  General  Rosser  continued 
in  charge  of  the  engineers.  The  Headquarters  and  Companies  D,  F  andG, 
22d;  A,  B,  C.  F,  H  and  K,  8th;  A  and  F,  17th  Infantry,  and  ,1  detachment 
of  li.dian  scouts  took  part  in  the  expedition,  which  marched  irom  Rice,  July 
26,  arriving  at  the  mouth  of  Powder  River,  August  18.  On  the  afternoon  of 
that  day  General  Stanley  accompanied  by  several  officers  was  having  a  parley 
with  a  party  of  Indians  headed  by  Gaul,  who  stood  upon  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  river,  when  suddenly  the  Indians  treacherously  opened  fire  upon  the 
<;roup  ;  strange  to  say  not  an  officer  was  hit.  A  detachment  of  troops  rallied 
to  the  spot  and  the  Indians  beat  a  retreat.  Thence  the  command  marched 
back  to  Cabin  Creek,  encountering  the  Indians  in  skirmishes;  OTallon's 
Creek,  August  21  and  22,  and  arrived  at  Rice,  October  15,  except  Captain 
Mmer's  company,  which  was  detained  a  few  days  longer  with  some  of  the 
engineers  and  then  marched  to  that  post.  During  the  summer  the  troops 
had  marched  over  1000  miles.  Among  the  casualties  were  ist  Lieut. 
Eben  Crosby,  17th  Infantry,  killed  by  Indians,  October  5,  and  1st  Lieut. 
Lewis  D.  Adair,  22d  Infantry,  who  served  gallantly  during  the  war  as  an 
officer  of  Ohio  volunteers,  died  the  same  day  of  wounds  received  at  the 
liands  of  the  Indians.  General  Stanley's  colored  servant,  Steve,  a  faithful 
man,  was  killed  about  the  same  time. 

In  May,  1873.  the  third  expedition  to  the  Yellowstone  was  organized  at 
Fort  Rice  and  again  commanded  by  General  Stanley.  The  composition  of 
It  was:  Troops  A,  B,  C,  E,  F,  G,  H,  K,  L,  M,  7th  Cavalry  ;  Companies  C, 
6th;  B,  C,  F,  H,  8th;  A,  D,  E,  F,  H,  I,  9th;  A,  B.  H,  17th  ;  Headquarters 
and  B,  E,  H,  I,  K,  22d  Infantry,  and  a  detachment  of  Indian  scouts.  This 
expedition,  accompanied  by  a  large  wagon  train  loaded  with  supplies,  left 
Rice,  June  20,  arriving  at  the  point  of  crossing  of  the  Yellowstone,  about 
fifteen  miles  above  where  the  town  of  Glendive  is  now  located,  July  31,  thence 
proceeded  up  the  left  bank  of  the  river  as  far  as  Pompey's  Pillar,  but  not 
without  opposition  from  the  Indians,  who  evidently  had  concluded  that  the 
surveying  had  gone  far  enough.  On  August  4th,  just  opposite  to  where  Fort 
Keogh  now  stands,  they  attacked  the  advance  guard,  killing  the  veterinary 
surgeon,  sutler  and  one  soldier  of  the  7th  Cavalry,  which  dashing  regiment 
pursued  the  savages  for  several  miles,  killing  a  number  of  them.  On  August 
nth,  the  Indians  were  again  encountered  by  the  cavalry  opposite  the  mouth 
of  the  Big  Horn  River  and  a  desperate  fight  ensued  with  loss  of  life  on  both 
sides.  Lieut.  Charles  Braden,  7th  Cavalry,  was  severely  wounded.  Lieut. 
H.  H.  Ketchum,  adjutant  22d  Infantry  and  adjutant-general  of  the  expedi- 
tion, who  was  temporarily  with  General  Custer  then  commandingthe  7th  Cav- 
alry, had  his  horse  shot  under  him.  Upon  the  approach  of  the  infantry  the 
Indians  abandoned  the  field.  That  night  the  battalion  of  the  22d  occu- 
pied the  advance  posts  and  exchanged  shots  with  the  Indians,  who 
tried  to  approach  the  camp,  probably  to  stampede  the  horses,  mules  and 
cattle  herd.  During  the  afternoon  of  that  day  the  artillery  detachment, 
which  was  composed  of  men  of  the  22d  and  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Webster,  was  obliged  to  shell  the  timber  along  the  bank  of  the  Yellowstone 
to  dislodge  a  large  body  of  Indians,  who  were  evidently  preparing  to  impede 
the  next  day's  march.     They  v/ere  dispersed  and  seen  again  only  in  small 


TWENT Y-SECOND  REG' T  OF  L\ FA NTR  V.        68 5 

parties,  one  of  which  fired  into  the  camp  at  Pompey's  Pillar  and  then  beat 
a  hasty  retreat,  having?  done  no  damage.  From  Pompey's  Pillar  the  expe- 
dition marched  to  the  Musselshell  river,  thence  to  the  Great  Porcupine, 
following  it  until  the  Yellowstone  was  again  reached.  This  was  a  new  and 
unexplored  country  and  it  was  a  very  diflicult  thing  to  take  a  large  com- 
mand and  wagon  train  through  it.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  hardship, 
especially  from  frequently  having  to  drink  alkaline  water  and  sometimes 
having  no  water  at  all.  The  command  marched  into  Fort  Lincoln,  arriv- 
ing there  September  22d,  thence  the  companies  proceeded  to  their  respect- 
ive stations.  They  had  marched  during  the  expedition  over  twelve  hun- 
dred miles  and  returned  in  excellent  physical  condition. 

The  following  year  was  a  happy  one  to  the  regiment,  as  it  was  ordered 
to  exchange  stations  with  the  ist  Infantry.  This  was  accomplished  in  July, 
and  stations  were  taken  as  follows:  Headquarters  and  Companies  D.  F. 
and  H,  at  Fort  Wayne  (Detroit).  Michigan  ;  A,  Madison  Barracks  (Sackett's 
Harbor).  N.  Y. ;  Band  K,  Fort  Porter  (Buffalo),  N.  Y. ;  C  and  G.  Fort  Brady 
(Sault  Ste.  Marie) ;  E,  Fort  Mackmac ;  I,  Fort  Gratiot,  Mich.  This  was  a  new 
and  happy  experience  for  the  regiment  which  had  been  so  long  on  the  north- 
western frontier,  but  it  was  not  to  last  long  without  interruption.  On  the 
evening  of  September  16  telegraphic  orders  came  for  Companies  A,  B,  D,  F, 
H,  I  and  K  to  repair  without  delay  to  New  Orleans  to  aid  in  maintaining  the 
peace  which  had  been  broken  by  a  complication  of  affairs,  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal elements  being  the  organization  known  as  the  White  League.  The 
companies  were  packed  and  ready  to  start  by  midnight,  and  took  the  train 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  17th.  reaching  New  Orleans  on  the  night  of  the 
3oth.  It  had  been  intimated  that  the  duty  would  be  of  ten  days'  duration, 
instead  of  which  it  lasted  eight  months — until  May.  1S75— the  battalion  quar- 
tering from  time  to  time  in  various  parts  of  the  city  and  at  Greenville,  one 
of  its  suburbs.  Companies  A  and  K  were  for  a  time  at  Jackson  Barracks. 
Early  in  July,  1876,  the  news  of  the  Custer  massacre  was  flashed  through  the 
country,  and  the  22d  Infantry  was  again  placed  under  marching  orders  from 
the  lake  stations  to  go  to  the  field.  Never  before  or  since  were  the  troops  at 
those  stations  sent  on  active  service,  but  it  appeared  to  be  the  fate  of  the  22d 
to  remain  in  repose  for  short  intervals  only.  On  July  4  the  companies  at  Fort 
Wayne  participated  in  the  parade  at  Detroit;  on  the  i  ith,  except  Company  A 
which  remained  at  Wayne,  they  left  to  join  General  Terry's  command  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Rosebud,  Montana,  being  joined  at  Fort  Lincoln  by  the  other 
companies  ordered  out,  the  battalion  then  consisting  of  Companies  E.  F.  G,  H. 
1  and  K.  Lieut. -Col.  E.  S.  Otis  in  command.  In  a  few  days  the  steamboat  Oir- 
ro// was  sent  to  take  the  battalion  and  a  detachment  of  recruits  for  the  7th 
Cavalry  to  the  Rosebud.  On  July  29.  when  the  boat  was  passing  the  mouth  of 
Powder  River,  the  Indians  in  large  number  from  the  right  bank  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone made  a  vigorous  attack  upon  it.  The  troops  responded  promptly 
and  the  boat  was  landed  and  two  or  three  companies  sent  on  shore.  The  fight 
lasted  some  time,  engaged  in  by  the  troops  on  the  boat  as  well  as  those  on 
shore,  until  the  Indians  were  driven  back  into  the  hills,  with  what  loss  we 
never  knew.  Their  camp  was  taken  possession  of  and  burned,  a  few  fire- 
arms and  other  trophies  being  found  and  taken  on  the  boat.     There  were 


686  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARAIY. 

two  or  three  soldiers  slightly  wounded.  On  August  i  the  battalion  arrived 
at  General  Terry's  camp,  where  it  remained  until  the  7th.  The  next  day  it 
marched  with  General  Terry's  command  up  the  Rosebud.  The  valley  of 
the  lower  Rosebud  is  very  rough  and  the  marches  were  short  and  difficult. 
In  the  forenoon  of  the  loth  there  was  great  excitement,  as  a  heavy  dust  was 
seen  rising  some  two  or  three  miles  in  our  front  and  horsemen  riding 
around.  Reports  went  down  the  line  that  we  were  approaching  the  hostiles 
and  an  engagement  was  expected  within  a  few  minutes,  when  W.  F.  Cody 
(Buffalo  Bill)  with  some  Indian  scouts  came  within  recognizmg  distance 
and  informed  us  that  General  Crook's  column  was  marching  down  the  valley. 
That  night  the  two  columns  camped  together.  The  battalion  was  kept  con- 
stantly on  the  march  following  Indian  trails  along  the  Rosebud,  Tongue  and 
Powder  rivers  and  affluent  streams,  then  crossed  to  the  north  side  of  the 
Yellowstone  and  marched  to  the  rugged  ridge  which  divides  its  waters  from 
those  of  the  Missouri.  Seeing  no  signs  of  Indians  it  moved  in  the  direction 
of  Glendive  Creek  and  camped  opposite  the  mouth  of  that  stream  on  the  bank 
of  the  Yellowstone,  August  31,  where  the  campaign  ended.  The  battalion  of 
the  22d,and  Companies  C  and  G,  17th  Infantry,  having  received  orders  to 
remain  in  Montana  during  the  winter,  commenced  constructing  huts  for 
winter  quarters,  some  of  the  companies  being  constantly  on  the  road  escort- 
ing supply  trains  to  the  cantonment  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tongue  River,  now 
Fort  Keogh.  In  September  Companies  E  and  F  were  ordered  to  Custer 
Creek,  and  early  in  October  they  went  to  Tongue  River  for  station. 

On  October  loth  an  escort  to  a  wagon  train,  consisting  of  Companies 
C,  17th,  and  G.  H  and  K,  22d  Infantry,  left  Glendive  for  the  cantonment  on 
Tongue  River;  that  night  camp  was  made  on  Spring  Creek, about  fourteen 
miles  distant.  At  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  the  camp  was  attacked, 
with  a  galling  fire,  by  a  large  number  of  Indians,  which  attack  was  repulsed, 
but  the  mules  became  excited  and  many  of  them  broke  loose,  over  forty  of 
them  escaping  from  the  corral,  and  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians. 
The  train  was  so  crippled  and  the  Indian  force  increased  so  in  numbers  by 
recruits,  that  the  command  was  compelled  to  return  to  Glendive.  Upon  the 
return  of  the  train,  Col.  E.  S.  Otis,  the  commanding  officer  at  Glendive, 
reorganized  it  and  on  the  14th  set  out  with  it  for  Tongue  River,  with  a  com- 
mand consisting  of  Companies  C  and  G,  17th,  and  G,  H  and  K,  22d  In- 
fantry. At  7  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  15th,  fifteen  miles  above  Glen- 
dive, it  was  attacked  by  about  one  thousand  Indians,  and  a  desperate  fight 
ensued  lasting  until  7  o'clock  in  the  evening,  during  which  time  the  train 
advanced  several  miles  until,  reaching  a  high  plateau,  it  went  into  camp. 
The  Indians  practised  every  artifice  to  capture  the  train,  among  other 
things  setting  the  prairie  on  fire,  through  which  the  troops  and  train  had  to 
pass.  Considerable  damage  was  inflicted  upon  the  Indians,  but  the  exact  facts 
were  never  ascertained.  Several  men  of  the  escort  were  wounded,  but 
none  killed.  Private  Donahoe,  Company  G,  who  was  wounded  July  29th. 
was  again  wounded  in  this  fight.  It  was  expected  that  the  Indians  would 
renew  their  attack  in  the  morning,  for  we  knew  they  were  not  far  distant  and 
by  the  first  light  could  see  them  mounted  in  large  numbers  on  our  left  flank. 
Shortly  after  the  journey  had  been  resumed  a  runner  approached  and  left  a 


TWENTY-SECOND  KEG'T  OF  INFANTRY.        6.S7 

written  communication  upon  a  hill  to  the  front,  which  was  taken  to  Colonel 
Otis  by  a  scout  ;   it  read  as  follows  : 

"  Yellowstone. 

"  I  want  to  know  what  you  are  doing  travcUmg  on  this  road.  You  scare 
all  the  bulTalo  away.  I  want  to  hunt  on  the  place.  I  want  you  to  turn 
back  from  here.  If  you  don't  I'll  fight  >ou  again.  I  want  you  to  leave 
what  you  have  got  here,  and  turn  back  from  here. 

"  I  am  your  friend, 

"  Sitting  Bull. 

"  I  mean  all  the  rations  you  have  got  and  sonic  powder.  Wish  you 
would  write  as  soon  as  you  can." 

The  above  was  written  by  a  half  breed  well  known  to  the  22d,  who  harl 
cast  his  fortunes  with  Sitting  Bull. 

Colonel  Otis  sent  word  through  one  of  his  scouts  that  he  intended  to 
take  the  train  through  to  Tongue  River  and  would  be  pleased  to  accommo- 
date them  at  any  time  with  a  fight.  The  Indians  gathered  again  as  if  to 
commence  battle,  when  presently  a  party  bearing  a  flag  of  truce  approached 
our  lines  and  after  a  parley  they  concluded  that  they  were  tired  of  fighting 
and  wished  to  arrange  for  a  surrender.  Colonel  Otis  very  graphically 
describes  this  fight  in  his  official  report,  which  is  published  in  the  annual 
report  of  the  General  of  the  Army  of  1876.  In  concluding  it  he  says  :  "  I  can- 
not speak  too  highly  of  the  conduct  of  both  officers  and  men.  The  officers 
obeyed  instructions  with  alacrity  and  executed  their  orders  with  great 
efficiency.  They  fought  the  enemy  twelve  hours  and  fired  during  that  time 
upwards  of  seven  thousand  rounds  of  ammunition.  They  defeated  a  strong 
enemy  who  had  defiantly  placed  himself  across  our  trail  with  the  deliberate 
purpose  of  capturing  the  train,  and  gave  him  a  lesson  he  will  heed  and  never 
forget." 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  battalion  to  Glendive.  Colonel  Otis  was 
ordered  to  duty  at  regimental  headquarters.  Brevet  Col.  A.  L.  Hough  suc- 
ceeding him  in  command.  In  the  latter  part  of  December,  1876,  Com- 
panies E  and  F  participated  in  General  Miles'  successful  expedition  against 
the  hostile  Indians  who  were  with  Sitting  Bull  and  Crazy  Horse  in  the  Big 
Horn  Mountains.  They  returned  to  Tongue  River  January  18,  1877,  hav- 
ing greatly  suffered  in  their  camps  and  marches  from  the  snow  and  very 
inclement  weather.  There  were  some  casualties  in  those  companies  result- 
ing from  their  fights  with  Indians,  the  most  distressing  being  the  severe 
wound  of  Private  Bernard  McCann,  Company  F,  from  which,  after  great 
agony,  he  died  the  next  day. 

In  March,  1877,  Companies  G  and  H  marched  through  deep  snow  to 
Tongue  River,  joining  the  garrison  at  that  place  for  duty. 

On  April  30th,  Companies  E,  F,  G  and  H,  together  with  two  companies 
of  the  5th  Infantry,  four  troops  of  the  2d  Cavalry  and  Lieutenant  Casey's 
scouts,  made  up  of  men  of  the  5th  and  22d  Infantry  and  a  few  civilians, 
marched  under  command  of  General  Miles  from  the  cantonment,  the  object 
being  to  attack  a  renegade  band  of  Indians,  chiefly  Minneconjous,  under  the 
leadership  of  Lame  Deer,  which  was  camped  on  the  Rosebud,  over  100  miles 
distant  by  the  detour   which  it   was  necessary   to  make.     At    a  point  on 


688  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Tongue  River,  sixty  miles  from  tlie  cantonment,  the  train  was  corraled  and 
left  under  guard  of  Companies  E  and  H,  5th,  and  G,  22d  Infantry  ;  the 
scouts,  Troops  F,  G,  H  and  L,  2d  Cavalry,  and  Companies  E,  F  and  H,  22d 
Infantry,  with  a  few  pack-mules  to  carry  ammunition  and  rations,  cut  across 
the  Rosebud,  moving  up  that  stream,  and  after  a  very  hard  march  with 
scarcely  a  halt  during  two  nights  and  one  day,  early  on  the  morning  of  May 
7th  surprised  and  attacked  the  Indians  near  the  mouth  of  Muddy  Creek, 
now  called  Lame  Deer,  an  affluent  of  the  Rosebud,  a  beautiful  valley 
where  the  Northern  Cheyenne  Agency  is  now  located.  Lieutenant  Casey, 
with  his  detachment  closely  following  him,  was  the  first  to  dash  through 
the  slumbering  camp,  surround  and  take  possession  of  the  herd  of  450 
ponies.  He  was  quickly  followed  by  Lieutenant  Jerome,  who  headed  a 
troop  of  the  2d  Cavalry,  then  followed  the  rest  of  the  cavalry.  The  Indians 
opened  fire,  which  was  responded  to  by  the  troops.  As  soon  as  possible 
they  were  called  upon  to  surrender.  Lame  Deer  and  Iron  Star,  his  head 
warrior,  appeared  desirous  of  doing  so,  but  the  Indians  again  commenced 
firing  upon  the  troops,  which  ended  the  peace-making;  the  fight  was  re- 
sumed and  they  were  driven  from  the  camp.  Fourteen  of  them  were  killed, 
including  Lame  Deer  and  Iron  Star,  450  ponies  and  the  entire  camp  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  troops,  among  whom  there  were  several  killed  and  wounded. 

The  battalion  of  '.he  22d  hearing  the  firing  in  front,  quickened  its  march, 
arriving  upon  the  scene  shortly  after  the  engagement  and  immediately  took 
posts  surrounding  the  camp.  Firing  between  the  troops  and  Indians  was 
kept  up  the  entire  night,  so  there  was  very  little  sleep  in  camp.  The  next 
morning  after  burning  the  captured  camp,  the  troops  started  back  toward 
Tongue  River,  every  infantry  soldier  being  mounted  on  a  captured  pony, 
besides  which  there  was  a  herd  of  them  to  be  driven.  That  night  the  Indians 
made  another  attempt  to  recapture  their  ponies,  but  they  were  driven  off  by 
the  rifles  of  the  troops,  and  the  ponies  were  successfully  taken  in  to  the 
cantonment,  where  they  were  used  for  several  years  in  mounting  the  infantry. 

Company  E  returned  to  the  cantonment,  but  F,  G  and  H  made  a  scout,  in 
company  with  the  2d  Cavalry,  toward  the  Little  Big  Horn,  returning  to  the 
cantonment  May  31st.  Companies  I  and  K  leftGlendive  May  25th,  reaching 
Tongue  River  by  steamer  on  the  27th,  and  soon  thereafter  the  battalion  was 
again  consolidated  under  command  of  Colonel  Hough.  About  this  time 
however  it  was  understood  that  the  Indian  hostilities  had  ended  and  that  the 
22d  would  return  to  its  eastern  station.  Colonel  Hough  was  ordered  to  his 
post,  Fort  Mackinac,  and  the  companies,  under  command  of  Col.  H.  M. 
Lazelle,  ist  Infantry,  together  with  a  troop  of  7th  Cavalry  and  two  com- 
panies of  the  ist  Infantry,  left  by  boat  June  i6th,  arriving  at  the  mouth  of 
Powder  River  the  same  day,  thence  a  long  scout  was  made  toward  the  Black 
Hills  country.  The  trail  of  Lame  Deer's  band  was  struck  and  followed  in  a 
northerly  direction  for  several  days,  the  troops  getting  so  close  upon  the 
band  at  one  time  that  the  scouts  under  Lieutenant  Casey  were  attacked  by 
a  large  number  of  them,  one  Indian  being  killed.  Their  camp  was  located 
in  the  bad  lands  of  the  Little  Missouri  near  Sentinel  Buttes,  to  which  place 
the  expedition  made  an  all  night  march  but  the  Indians  had  taken  the 
alarm  and  escaped.     At  that  point  Colonel  Lazelle  relieved  the  battalion, 


TWENTY-SECOND  REG' T  OF  INFANTRY. 


689 


and  under  command  of  Bvt.  Major  C.  J.  Dickey,  it  made  a  famous  marcli  to 
Fort  Abraham   Lincoln. 

Upon  arrival  at  Lincoln  we  were  made  glad  by  an  order  to  proceed  to 
our  stations  by  steamer  from  Duluth,  but  before  nhe  symposium  which  was 
necessary  under  such  good  news  was  finished,  the  order  was  chan^jed  and  the 
battalion  was  drected  to  repair  forthwith  to  Chicago  to  aid  in  suppressing 
the  railroad  riots,  where  it  arrived  on  the  25th  and  again  fell  under  command 
of  Colonel  Hough.  It  remained  there  several  days,  until  quiet  was  restored, 
being  stationed  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  and  was  then  ordered  to  Wilkes- 
Barre,  Pa.,  owing  to  the  disturbed  condition  of  the  mining  districts.  The 
battalion  then  under  command  of  Colonel  Otis  consisted  of  Companies  A, 
B,  C.  half  of  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I  and  K.  They  remained  there  until  October 
when  they  were  ordered  to  their  proper  stations.  During  the  time  from 
August,  1S76,  toJuly,  1S77,  the  battalion  that  went  to  Montana  marched 
upward  of  three  thousand  miles. 

In  1879  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Department  of  Texas  and  started 
for  that  department  in  April.  While  en  route,  on  account  of  some  Indian 
difficulties,  Companies  D,  E,  F  and  K,  under  command  of  Colonel  Hough, 
were  ordered  to  take  station  at  Fort  Gibson,  Indian  Territory,  and  the  other 
companies  would  no  doubt  have  been  stopped  also,  but  they  were  in  advance 
and  had  already  reached  Texas.  The  colonel,  lieutenant-colonel  and  Com- 
panies B,  C,  H  and  I  were  assigned  to  Fort  McKavett,  A  to  Fort  Griffin. 
Fort  McKavett  was  made  sad  and  gloomy  July  4th,  by  the  death  of  Capt. 
T.  H.  Fisher,  a  very  popular  officer  in  the  regiment.  Early  in  the  summer 
Company  E  went  to  Vinita,  I.  T.,  and  K  to  Coffeeville,  Kansas,  where  they 
remained  until  October,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  boomers  out  of  Oklohoma 
and  to  protect  the  inhabitants  from  the  robbers  who  infested  that  part  of 
the  country. 

In  the  fall  of  1879  ^  general  war  with  the  Ute  Indians  in  Colorado  was 
anticipated  and  the  companies  at  Gibson  under  command  of  Col.  Hough 
were  ordered  to  go  there.  They  went  to  Alamosa,  Colorado,  by  rail,  thence 
they  marched  over  the  mountains  to  Animos,  where,  together  with  two 
troops  of  the  9th  Cavalry  and  four  companies  of  the  1 5th  Infantry,  they  went 
into  a  camp  of  observation  under  command  of  Col.  G.  P.  Buell  to  prevent  the 
Southern  Utes  from  joining  the  Northern  Utes  at  Ouray.  In  January,  18S0. 
the  companies  of  the  22d  were  ordered  back  to  Gibson,  and  on  account  of 
deep  snow  in  the  mountains,  they  were  compelled  to  march  to  Santa  Fe, 
New  Mexico,  where  they  met  with  a  grand  ovation.  From  that  place  they 
went  by  rail  to  Gibson,  having  marched  over  five  hundred  miles.  From 
Fort  Gibson  they  went  by  rail  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  where  Company  E 
took  station.  Companies  D  and  K  marched  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
miles  to  Fort  Clark,  where  they  took  station,  regimental  headquarters  and 
Company  H  having  some  time  before  been  ordered  to  that  post. 

The  regiment  remained  in  Texas,  serving  at  several  different  posts,  and 
doing  much  scouting,  until  November,  18S2,  when  it  was  ordered  to  the 
Department  of  the  Missouri  :  Headquarters  and  Company  E  at  Santa  Fe, 
N.  M.;  A,  Fort  Garland  ;  B,  G,  H  and  K,  Fort  Lewis  ;  C.  D,  F  and  I,  Fort 
Lyon,  all  in  Colorado. 


690  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S,  ARMY. 

The  regiment  campaigned  and  changed  stations  a  good  deal  in  the  De- 
partment of  the  Missouri  until  May,  1888,  when  it  was  removed  to  the  De- 
partment of  Dakota,  Headquarters  and  Companies  A,  B,  C,  D,  F,  H  and  K 
taking  station  at  Fort  Keogh,  Montana,  E  and  G  at  Fort  Totten  and  I  at 
Fort  Abraham  Lincoln,  Dakota. 

The  companies  were  not  in  the  "  coflfee  cooling  business,"  but  were  from 
time  to  time  scouting  or  camping  at  agencies  where  the  Indians  were  rest- 
less or  were  thought  to  be  preparing  to  go  upon  the  war  path.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1890  there  was  an  uprismg  of  the  Indians  at  Pine  Ridge  and  Rose- 
bud Agencies,  South  Dakota.  Companies  A,  B,  D,  G  and  H  were  ordered  into 
the  field  and  campaigned  more  or  less  all  of  that  winter,  sometimes  in  very 
inclement  weather.  Company  D,  under  command  of  Lieut.  J.  G.  Ballance, 
made  an  extraordinary  march  to  the  relief  of  Captain  Fountain's  troop, 
8th  Cavalry,  reported  to  have  been  surrounded  by  500  Indians  at  Cane  Hills, 
South  Dakota.  On  December  23d,  at  7.45  p.  M.,  it  started  upon  its  march 
in  a  wind  and  snow  storm,  from  Beisigl's  ranch,  reaching  New  England  City, 
a  distance  of  63  miles,  at  i  o'clock  a.  m.,  the  25th,  29X  hours ;  it  was  neces 
sary  to  make  a  halt  there  to  rest  and  thaw  out  the  half  frozen  men.  In  a 
few  hours  the  march  was  continued  22  miles,  when  a  portion  of  Captain 
Fountain's  troop  was  met,  which  reported  the  safety  of  the  troop,  and  the 
company  then  returned  to  the  New  England  City.  In  the  meantime 
Companies  C  and  K  had  hard  tours  of  duty  at  the  Cheyenne  Agency.  Mon- 
tana. 

In  December,  1890,  Lieut.  E.  W.  Casey,  who  commanded  a  company  of 
Cheyenne  scouts  which  he  had  organized  by  authority  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment under  plans  originated  by  himself,  marched  from  Keogh  to  the  thea- 
tre of  hostilities,  and  on  January  7,  1891,  was  camped  on  White  River,  near 
the  mouth  of  White  Clay  Creek,  not  far.  distant  from  the  Pine  Ridge 
Agency — and  the  hostile  camp.  Early  that  morning  several  of  the  Sioux 
had  entered  his  camp  and  held  a  friendly  talk  with  him.  At  9  o'clock  he 
started  out  with  two  of  his  scouts  to  examine  the  hostile  camp  and  when 
within  a  short  distance  of  it  was  brutally  murdered  by  a  Brule  Sioux 
(Plenty  Horses)  belonging  to  that  camp,  who,  in  a  cowardly  manner,  shot 
him  from  the  rear.  Casey  was  a  brave  and  energetic  officer  ahd  an  enthusi- 
astic friend  of  the  Indian.  He  originated  the  plan  of  organizing  them  into 
military  companies,  believing  that  by  it  much  would  be  done  to  elevate  and 
civilize  them  and  looked  forward  to  the  realization  of  his  efforts.  He  died 
before  he  had  reached  the  meridian  of  his  strength,  full  of  intellectual  vigor 
and  generous  impulses,  and  as  most  of  us  might  wish  to  die  —in  harness.  It 
was  some  time  after  the  close  of  hostilities  before  the  companies  returned 
to  their  stations— July,  1891,  found  them  all  back  at  their  posts. 

Pursuant  to  G.  O.  76,  Headquarters  of  the  Army,  July  21,  1890,  Com- 
panies I  and  K  ceased  to  exist.  The  officers  were  assigned  to  companies, 
replacing  absent  officers,  the  enlisted  men  were  transferred  to  other  com- 
panies and  the  company  records  were  laid  away  in  the  archives  of  the  adju- 
tant's office.  Company  I  has  since  been  resuscitated  and  is  now  being  re- 
cruited as  an  Indian  company. 

During  its  varied  service  the  22d  has  come  in  contact  with  nearly  every 


TWENTY-SECOND  REG' T  OF  INFANTR  Y.       69 1 

regiment  in  the  Army  and  its  relations  with  other  troops  have  uniformly  been 
pleasant.  It  has  always  been  a  regiment  of  great  esprit  de  corps  and  the 
officers  are  proud  to  have  the  number  of  the  regiment  upon  their  com- 
missions. Under  the  Act  of  Congress  approved  October  i,  1S90,  no  more 
commissions  for  the  regiment  will  be  issued,  an  officer  will  be  in  the  22d 
Infantry  by  assignment  only  and  may  be  transferred  to  another  regiment  at 
any  time. 

The  entire  regiment  is  now  stationed  at  Fort  Keogh,  Montana.— the  first 
time  it  has  ever  been  united  at  a  post. 


THE  TWENTY-THIRD  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  Lieutenant  J.  K.  THOMPSON,  23D  TI.  S.  Infantry. 

BY  the  Act  of  Congress  approved  June  26,  1812,  twenty-five  regi- 
ments of  infantry  were  provided  for.  Where  the  23d  Regiment 
was  recruited  is  at  present  in  doubt,  but  it  is  thought  that  it  was  re- 
cruited by  Major  J.  R.  Mullany  near  Canandaigua,  N.  Y.  It  took 
part  during  the  three  years  of  the  war  of  181 2  in  many  of  the  battles  and 
campaigns  in  New  York  and  Canada. 

By  the  Act  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  181 5,  the  army  was  reduced 
and  the  23d  Infantry  was  consolidated  with  the  6th,  i6th,  22d  and  32d,  to 
make  the  present  Second  Infantry. 

Pursuant  to  the  President's  proclamation  of  May  4,  1861,  confirmed  by 
Act  of  Congress  approved  July  29,  1861,  the  Fourteenth  U.  S.  Infantry  was 
organized.  Its  second  battalion  was  recruited  at  Fort  Trumbull,  Conn., 
under  Lieutenant  Colonel  (afterwards  Major  General)  John  F.  Reynolds,  in 
the  summer  of  1861,  but  on  April  30,  1862,  its  title  was  changed  from  the 
Second  to  the  First  Battalion,  Company  C  of  the  Third  becoming  C  of  the 
Second  Battalion. 

The  new  second  battalion  was  recruited  at  Fort  Trumbull,  Conn.,  under 
Major  G.  R.  Giddings,  in  the  spring  of  1862,  and  this  battalion  now  consti- 
tutes the  23d  Infantry. 

In  May,  1862,  the  2d  Battalion,  14th  Infantry,  joined  a  provisional  divi- 
sion under  General  Sturgis  in  the  defenses  of  Washington,  and  until  June 
30  was  camped  at  Tenally  Town,  D.  C,  and  Clouds  Mills,  Virginia.  July  i, 
1862,  the  2d  Battalion  was  embarked  on  schooners  and  sent  via  the  Poto- 
mac River,  Fort  Monroe  and  the  James  River  to  join  the  ist  Battalion.  It 
joined  at  Harrison's  Landing  July  5,  1862,  where  Captain  (afterwards  brig- 
adier general)  D.  B.  McKibbin  was  assigned  to  its  command. 

From  this  time  on,  it,  or  some  of  its  companies  with  the  rest  of  the  14th 
Infantry,  formed  part  of  the  5th  Corps  which  took  its  share  in  the  cam- 
paigns and  battles  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  history  of  the  14th 
Infantry  has  already  been  well  told  by  Colonel  T.  M.  Anderson  in  the  Jour- 
nal OF  The  Military  Service  Institution  of  July,  1890. 

In  the  last  week  in  July,  1865,  the  2d  Battalion,  under  the  command  of 
Major  Louis  H.  Marshall,  sailed  from  New  York  City  via  Aspinwall  en  route 
to  San  Francisco,  where  it  arrived  about  the  ist  of  September,  and  a  fort- 
night later  was  sent  to  the  Department  of  Columbia  with  headquarters  at 
Vancouver. 

The  Act  of  Congress  approved  July  28,  1866,  reorganized  the  army,  and 
by  the  following  general  order,  the  2d  Battalion  of  the  14th  became  the  23d 
Regiment  of  Infantry : 

"  I.  Under  the  act  of  July  28,  1866,  the  designatic  and  organization  of  the  regi- 
692 


TWENTY  THIRD  REG'T  OF  INFANTRY.  693 

ments  by  which  the  military  peace  establishment  is  increased  and  fixed  will  be  as  fol- 
lows :  The  provisions  of  this  oider  are  in  accordance  with  the  condition  of  the  army 
on,  and  are  of  eflfect  from  the  21st  day  of  September,  1S66. 

"  II.  The  10  old  regiments  of  infantry  will  retain  their  designation.  The  ist  bat- 
talion of  the  3-battalion  regiments  will  retain  the  designation  of  the  regiment  to  which 
they  belong  and  under  the  new  organization  will  be  the  nth,  12th,  I3ih.  14th,  15th, 
l6th,  17th,  iSth,  19th  regiments  of  infantry.     *     *     « 

"  The  2d  battalions  of  the  same  regiments  will  under  the  new  organization  become 
respectively  the  20th,  21st,  22d,  23d.  24th,  25th,  26th,  27th,  28th  regiments  of  in- 
fantry.    *     *     *  " 

Companies  "  I  "  and  "  K  "  were  organized  at  Davids  Island,  New  York 
Harbor,  by  Orders  No.  177,  G.  R.  S.,  New  York  City,  December  10,  1866,  and 
these  companies,  under  the  command  of  ist  Lieutenant  (now  Captain) 
O.  W.  Pollock,  left  New  Yoik  City,  December  11,  1866,  for  Aspinwall,  en 
route  to  San  Francisco.  They  arrived  at  San  Francisco,  December  31.  1866, 
and  were  stationed  about  San  Francisco  harbor  until  March,  1867,  at  which 
time  they  were  sent  to  join  the  regiment  in  the  Department  of  the  Co- 
lumbia. 

Since  1867  the  companies  of  the  regiment  have  been  stationed  in  Ore- 
gon, Alaska,  Washmgton,  Idaho,  Arizona,  Wyoming,  Nebraska,  Kansas, 
Colorado,  Indian  Territory,  New  York,  Michigan  and  Texas,  and  during 
this  time  parts  of  the  regiment  have  taken  part  in  numerous  Indian  scouts 
and  a  number  of  Indian  fights. 

By  the  provisions  of  G.  O.  76,  A.  G.  O.,  July  21,  1890,  companies  I  and  K 
were  skeletonized,  and  the  regiment,  now  composed  of  eight  companies,  is 
at  present  stationed  at  Fort  Sam  Houston  and  Fort  Bliss,  Texas. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  14  battles  and  engagements  in  which  a  part 
or  the  whole  of  the  23d  Infantry  was  engaged  during  the  War  of  181 2-1  5: 

Oueenston  Heights,  October  13,  '12;  Black  Rock,  November  28, '12; 
Fort  George,  U.C,  May  27,  '13;  Stony  Point  and  Sacketts  Harbor,  N.  Y., 
May  29, '13;  Stony  Creek,  U.  C,  June  6, '13  ;  Beaver  Dams,  U.C,  June  24, 
'13;  Out  Post  affair,  Fort  George,  U.  C,  August  24,  '13;  La  Colle  Mill, 
Canada,  March  30,  '14;  Fort  Erie,  U.  C,  July  3,  "14;  Chippewa,  U.  C,  July 
5,  '14  ;  Lundy's  Lane  (Niagara  Falls),  July  25,  '14;  Assault  on  Fort  Erie,  U. 
C,  August  15, '14;  Siege  of  Fort  Erie,  U.  C,  August  15  to  September  17, 
'14;  Sortie  from  Fort  Erie,  September  17,  '14. 

{Disbanded  May  ly,  iS/j.) 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  39  battles  and  engagements  in  which  the 
whole  or  a  part  of  the  2d  Battalion,  14th  Infantry,  and  the  whole  or  a  part 
of  the  23d  Infantry  were  engaged  : 

Siege  of  Yorktown,  Va.,  April  4  to  May  4,  '62  ;  Gaines  Mills,  Va.,  June  27, 
'62  ;  Malvern  Hill,  Va..  July  i,  '62  ;  2d  Bull  Run,  Va.,  August  29  and  30,  "62  ; 
Antietam,  Md.,  September  17,  '62;  Snickers  Gap,  Va.,  November  3  and  4, 
'62;  Fredericksburg,  Va..  December  13.  '62;  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  3 
and  4,  '63  ;  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  2  and  3,  '63  ;  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  5,  '64; 
Laurel  Hill,  Va.,  May  8  to  13,  '64  ;  Spottsylvania.  Va.,  May  14.  '64;  North 
Anna  River,  Va.,  May  24,  '64;  Bethesda  Church,  Va.,  June  i  and  3, '64; 
Petersburgh,  Va.,  June  18  and  21. '64;  Weldon  R.  R..  Va.,  August  19  and 


694  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

21,  '64;  Chapel  House,  Va.,  October  i,  '64;  Hatchers  Run,  Va.,  October  27 
'64:  Jordan  Creek,  Oreg.,  February  23,  '66;  Owyhee  Canon,  Idaho,  Mav 
27, '66 ;  Battle  Creek,  Idaho,  July  6,  '66;  Near  Camp  C.  F.  Smith,  Oreg., 
November  i,  '66;  South  Fork  Malheur  River,  Oreg.,  July  15,  '67;  Infernal 
Caverns,  California,  September  25  to  27,  '67;  Dunder  and  Blixin  Creek, 
Oreg.,  March  14,  '68  ;  Near  Camp  Three  Forks,  Owyhee,  Idaho,  April  17,  '68  ; 
South  Warner  Mountains,  Oreg.,  April  29, '68 ;  Snake  Canon,  Idaho,  June 
9  and  24,  '68  ;  Battle  Creek,  Idaho,  June  24,  '68  ;  Juniper  Caiion,  Idaho,  July, 
'68;  Little  Salmon  River,  Idaho,  July  22,  '68;  Near  Camp  Three  Forks, 
Owyhee,  Idaho,  July  24  to  August  2,  '68  ;  Juniper  Mountains,  Idaho,  August 
8  to  September,  '68;  Red  Rock  Mountains,  Arizona,  December  ii,'72; 
Mazatzal  Mountains,  Arizona,  December  13,  '72;  Mazatzal  Mountains, 
Arizona,  May  9  and  26,  '74 ;  Tonto  Basin,  Arizona,  February  and  March, 
'73 ;  Head  of  Cave  Creek,  Arizona,  March  and  April,  '73  ;  Grace  Creek, 
Nebraska,  April  28,  '76. 


THE    TWENTY-FOURTH    REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY. 

By  Lieutenant  H.  W.  HOVEV,  Twenty-Fourth  U.  S.  Infantry. 

THE  present  24th  Infantry  is  an  example  of  the  injustice  done  to  reg- 
iments of  a  standing  army  by  the  statutes  of  a  republic  not  forced 
by  its  surroundings  to  maintain  a  large  military  organization.  The 
laws  governing  the  consolidation  of  regiments  at  the  conclusion  of 
our  wars,  during  which  the  number  of  organizations  has  been  increased, 
have  resulted  in  stamping  out  regimental  traditions  in  many  organizations, 
and  have  left  this  one  without  any,  although  its  number  has  been  borne 
twice  by  regiments  in  the  regular  establishment,  which  after  honorable  ser- 
vice have  been  consolidated  with  others,  thereby  losing  all  identity,  and  for- 
feiting records  which  would  have  given  honor  to  them  in  history. 

The  existing  24th  can  therefore,  under  the  conditions  of  its  organization 
claim  for  itself  none  of  the  honors  of  war  won  by  its  predecessors ;  and, 
except  for  the  war  records  of  officers  who  have  served  or  are  now  serving 
in  it,  and  by  the  honorable  service  of  the  few  enlisted  men  who  served  in 
the  late  war,  it  can  present  but  a  short  history  of  duties  performed,  often 
under  adverse  circumstances  but  always  cheefully  and  uncomplainingly. 

Under  the  Act  of  July  28,  1866,  the  38th  and  41st  Regiments  of  Infantry 
were  organized  both  to  consist  of  colored  men.  All  of  the  officers  in  both 
regiments  except  the  chaplains  had  seen  service  during  the  War  of  the  Re- 
bellion either  with  the  regular  or  volunteer  forces,  and  all  but  one  had  been 
breveted  for  services  performed  under  perilous  or  other  entitling  condi- 
tions. Of  the  38th  Infantry,  Brevet  Major  General  \Vm.  B.  Hazenwas  col- 
onel, Brevet  Major  General  Cuvier  Grover,  lieutenant  colonel,  and  Brevet 
Colonel  Henry  C.  Merriam,  major.  Of  the  ten  captains  who  were  assigned 
to  the  regiment  at  or  near  the  time  of  its  organization  there  are  now 
in  active  service  but  three,  and  but  five  of  the  eighteen  lieutenants. 

The  41st  Infantry  was  commanded  by  Brevet  Major  General  Ronald  S. 
Mackenzie,  with  Brevet  Brigadier  General  Wm.  R.  Shafter,  lieutenant  col- 
onel, and  Brevet  Brigadier  General  Geo.  W.  Schofield,  major.  Of  the  ten 
captains  assigned  to  it  at  or  near  its  organization  but  two  are  now  in  active 
service,  and  but  four  of  the  eighteen  lieutenants. 

The  38th  was  distributed  along  the  transcontinental  railroads  then  build- 
ing, and  in  New  Mexico,  and  the  41st  was  in  Louisiana  and  Texas  during 
the  same  period.  The  work  performed  by  these  regiments  is  a  part  of  the 
history  of  the  departments  in  which  they  served. 

Under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1869.  the  38th  and  41st  Regiments  were  con- 
solidated and  became  the  24th  Infantry,  and  as  thus  reestablished  has 
since  continued  in  service.  Under  this  reorganization  Ronald  S.  Mack- 
enzie became  colonel,  William  R.  Shafter,  lieutenant  colonel,  and  Henrv  C 
Merriam,  major.     Of  the  captains  assigned  to  the  new  regiment  there  are 

695 


696  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

in  active  service  at  this  writing,  six,  but  two  only  serving  in  it ;  and  of  the 
twenty  lieutenants  there  are  also  six,  but  four  only  remaining  in  it.  A  few 
of  the  enlisted  men  who  served  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  or  in  the  3Sth 
ot  41st  Regiments  may  still  be  seen  in  its  ranks. 

The  regiment  was  in  Texas  from  1869  to  1880  and  at  some  time  during 
that  period  the  several  companies  were  stationed  at  all  or  nearly  all  of  the 
many  posts  and  permanent  camps  in  that  great  State. 

The  duties  falling  to  it  were  many,  consisting  of  expeditions  against 
Indians  over  the  staked  plains  and  other  sections,  guarding  strategic  points, 
building  roads,  hunting  horse  thieves,  and  m  other  ways  performing  ardu- 
ous service  which  brought  no  fame,  but  required  of  its  officers  and  men 
constant  vigilance,  discretion  and  care  in  the  performance  of  the  service  ; 
and  it  thus  aided  in  clearing  western  Texas  of  Indians,  opening  the  coun- 
try to  settlers.  On  December  15,  1870,  Gen.  Mackenzie  was  assigned  to 
the  4th  Cavalry  and  Bvt.  Maj.-Gen.  Abner  Doubleday  succeeded  him  as 
colonel,  remaining  in  that  position  until  December,  1873.  when,  upon  his 
retirement,  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  Joseph  H.  Potter  became  the  colonel. 

In  the  autumn  of  1880  the  regiment  changed  to  Indian  Territory  and 
the  several  companies  were  stationed  at  Forts  Supply,  Reno,  Sill,  Canton- 
ment on  the  north  fork  of  the  Canadian  River,  and  again  a  part  of  it  in 
Texas  at  Fort  Elliot.     During  this  time  no  campaign  service  fell  to  its  lot. 

In  April,  1886,  Col.  Potter  having  been  appointed  a  brigadier  general, 
Col.  Zenas  R.  Bliss  succeeded  him  and  is  still  in  command  of  the  regiment. 

In  June,  1888,  the  regiment  moved  to  the  Department  of  Arizona  with 
headquarters  and  three  companies  at  Fort  Bayard,  N.  M.,  the  remainder  of 
the  companies  being  distributed  in  Arizona  at  San  Carlos,  Forts  Grant  and 
Thomas,  and  for  nearly  four  years  they  performed  all  the  infantry  duty  at 
these  posts.  The  duty  at  San  Carlos  was  particularly  trying  under  circum- 
stances of  danger  and  discomfort,  but  no  serious  trouble  with  the  Indians 
occurred  to  require  unusual  work,  and  the  only  incident  of  note  was  the 
light  of  Paymaster  Wham's  escort,  composed  of  men  of  the  24th  Infantry 
and  loth  Cavalry,  who  when  attacked  by  a  gang  of  robbers  made  a  brave 
stand  for  which  medals  of  honor  or  certificates  of  merit  were  given  accord- 
ing to  rank. 

The  companies  of  the  regiment  which  had  been  distributed  at  the  before- 
mentioned  posts  were  in  1892  sent  to  Fort  Huachuca,  and  as  two  companies 
had  in  the  meantime  been  skeletonized,  the  regiment  now  became  equally 
divided,  with  headquarters,  D,  E,  F  and  G,  at  Fort  Bayard,  N.  M.,  and 
Companies  A.  B,  C  and  H  at  Huachuca,  where  at  this  writing  they  still 
remain. 


TWENTY-FIFTH    REGIMENT   OF  INFANTRY. 

By  LIEUT.  GEO.  ANDREWS. 

25TH  U.  S.  Infantry. 

THE  Act  of  July  28,  1866,  added  to  the  nineteen  regiments  of  infantry 
then  in  service,  "  Eight  new  regiments  of  ten  companies  each,  four 
regiments  of  which  shall  be  composed  of  colored  men."  Accord- 
ingly the  38th,  39th,  40th  and  41st  were  so  composed,  while  the 
42d,  43d,  44th  and  45th  were  designated  Veteran  Reserves.  The  eighteen 
regiments  between  the  19th  and  38th  were  provided  by  erecting  the  second 
and  third  battalions  of  each  of  the  three-battalion  regiments  (nth  and  19th, 
inclusive)  into  separate  regiments.  The  same  Act  contained  the  following 
provision,  which  has  not  since  been  modified  :  "  The  President  may,  by  and 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  appoint  a  chaplain  for  each 
regiment  of  colored  troops." 

The  Act  of  March  3,  1869,  provided  for  the  consolidation  of  the  forty- 
five  regiments  into  twenty-five,  and  also  that  "The  enlisted  men  of  two 
regiments  of  infantry  shall  be  composed  of  colored  men."  General  Orders 
issued  from  Army  Headquarters  in  May,  1S69,  directed  the  "Twenty-fifth 
Infantry  (colored),  to  be  composed  of  the  39th  and  40th  Regiments,"  and 
ordered  "The  39th,  now  in  North  Carolina,  will  be  relieved  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible and  will  proceed  to  New  Orleans,  there  to  be  consolidated  with  the 
40th,  now  in  the  Department  of  Louisiana.  The  field  oflicers  will  be: 
Joseph  A.  Mower,  colonel  ;  Edward  W.  Hinks,  lieutenant-colonel  ;  Zenas 
R.  Bliss,  major."* 

The  25th  Infantry  of  1866  conveyed  its  personnel  to  the  i8th  ;  probably 
its  records  and  colors  were  returned  to  the  War  Department.  Althougii 
from  a  legal  standpoint  the  25th  Infantry  has  had  a  continuous  existence 
since  1866,  it  is  evident  that  for  all  purposes  of  tradition,  the  present  regi- 
ment sprang  into  existence  in  1869,  and  has  no  connection  with  any  regi- 
ment that  has  previously  borne  the  number.  The  regiment  is,  therefore, 
the  lineal  descendant  of  the  39th  and  40th  Regiments. 

By  the  end  of  April,  1869,  the  organization  of  the  regiment  had  been 
completed  and  the  special  return  shows  a  full  complement  of  officers  and 
1045  men.     Colonel  (and  Bvt.  Major-General)  Mower  was  commanding  the 


*  The  first  regiment  of  this  number  and  name  was  raised  in  Connecticut  and  organized  under 
the  Act  approved  June  26,  1812  ;  it  was  discontinued  by  the  Act  approved  March  3,  1815.  The 
officers  retained  in  service  were  transferred  to  other  regiments  May  17,  and  the  rest  discharged 
June  15,  1815,  with  three  months'  pay.  From  brevets  conferred  upon  its  officers  it  would  appear 
ihat  the  regiment  participated  in  the  battles  of  Chrystler's  Fields,  Upper  Canada,  Nov  11.  1813; 
Chippewa  Falls,  U.  C,  July  5,  1814,  and  Niagara  Falls  iLundy's  Lane)  U.  C.  July  25,  1814. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Act  of  July  28,  1866,  the  2d  Battalion  of  the  16th  Infantry  was  con- 
stituted the  25th  Regiment,  which  was  merged  in  the  iSth  by  the  Act  of  March  3,  1869. 

697 


698  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  U.  S.  ARMY. 

1045  men.  Colonel  (and  Bvt.  Major-General)  Mower  was  commanding  the 
Department  of  Louisiana  with  headquarters  at  New  Orleans ;  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  (and  Bvt.  Brigadier-General)  Hinks  commanded  the  regiment  with 
headquarters,  Companies  D,  G  and  K,  at  Jacl<son  Barracks,  La,  ;  Major  (and 
Bvt.  Lieut. -Col.)  Bliss  with  Companies  E,  F  and  I  garrisoned  Ship  Island, 
Miss. ;  Company  A  was  at  Fort  Pike,  La.  ;  Companies  B  and  H  at  Fort 
Jackson,  La.  ;  Company  C  at  Fort  St.  Philip,  La.  By  the  end  of  the  year, 
532  men  had  been  discharged  by  expiration  of  service  alone,  and  as  little 
recruiting  was  done,  the  effective  had  fallen  to  about  500  men,  from  which 
it  has  not  since  varied  materially. 

General  Mower  died  at  New  Orleans  January  6,  1870,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Colonel  (and  Bvt.  Major-General)  J.  J.  Reynolds  who  was  placed  m  com- 
mand of  the  Department  of  Texas  the  following  April,  without  having 
joined  the  regiment.  In  May,  1870,  the  regiment  was  on  its  way  to  that 
department,  going  by  steamer  to  Indianola,  Texas,  thence  marching  to 
San  Antonio.  Colonel  Bliss  with  Companies  B,  C  and  G  arrived  at  the 
latter  place  on  June  3  and  encamped  at  San  Pedro  Springs  where  they  were 
joined  by  the  rest  of  the  regiment,  under  General  Hinks,  on  the  9th.  The 
march  to  stations  began  June  22d.  The  main  body  took  the  Fort  Clark 
road,  while  Companies  C  and  H  diverged  on  the  road  to  Fort  McKavett.  At 
Rio  Frio,  Companies  E  and  I  marched  for  Fort  Duncan,  under  Colonel 
Bliss.  July  found  Headquarters,  Companies  D  and  F  established  at  Fort 
Clark  ;  Company  K  at  Fort  Stockton  ;  Companies  A  and  G  at  Fort  Davis; 
Company  B  did  not  reach  its  distant  station.  Fort  Quitman,  until  August. 

In  December,  1870,  General  Reynolds  transferred  to  the  3d  Cavalry  and 
General  Hinks  retired  from  active  service ;  they  were  succeeded  by  Colonel 
John  D.  Stevenson  and  Lieut.-Col.  George  L.  Andrews  ;  the  latter  becom- 
ing colonel  of  the  regiment  January  i,  1871,  vice  Stevenson  resigned. 
Colonel  Andrews  joined  the  regiment  at  Fort  Clark  June  19,  1871.  In 
May,  1872,  the  regiment  marched  to  Western  Texas  and  established  its 
headquarters  at  Fort  Davis.  Company  I,  Captain  Lawson  commanding, 
participated  in  the  engagement  with  Indians  at  Wichita  Indian  Agency,  Ind. 
Ter.,  Aug.  22  and  23,  1873,  having  one  man  wounded.  Company  B,  Captain 
Bentzoni  commanding,  was  with  General  Mackenzie's  expedition  mto 
Mexico  in  June  1878. 

The  history  of  the  ten  years"  service  in  Texas  is  the  record  of  a  con- 
tinuous series  of  building  and  repairing  of  military  posts,  roads  and  tele- 
graph lines  ;  of  escort  and  guard  duty  of  all  descriptions  ;  of  marchings  and 
counter-marchings  from  post  to  post,  and  of  scouting  for  Indians  which  re- 
sulted in  a  few  unimportant  skirmishes. 

In  April,  1880,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Department  of  Dakota, 
exchanging  with  the  ist  Infantry.  Headquarters  and  four  companies  took 
station  at  Fort  Randall,  S.  D.,  in  June  and  remained  there  until  the  arrival 
of  the  15th  Infantry  in  November,  1882,  when  they  were  transferred  to  Fort 
Snelling,  Minn.,  relieving  the  7th  Infantry.  During  this  period  four  com- 
panies were  stationed  at  Fort  Meade,  S.  D.,  and  two  at  Fort  Hale,  S.  D.  The 
latter  post  was  abandoned  in  May,  1884,  and  the  garrison  transferred  to 
Fort  Sisseton,  N.  D. 

In  May,  1888,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  Montana,  exchanging  sta- 


TWENTY-FIFTH  REGIMENT  OF  INFANTRY.     rx)r, 

tions  with  the  3rd  Infantry.  Headquarters  and  four  companies  were 
located  at  Fort  Missoula,  while  four  companies  went  to  Fort  Shaw  and  two 
to  Fort  Custer. 

In  September,  1890,  companies  I  and  K  were  skeletonized  pursuant  to 
orders  from  the  War  Department.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Van  Horn,  with  com- 
panies C,  E,  F  and  H,  arrived  at  Fort  Keogh  the  last  of  November.  1890. 
and  remained  there  in  camp  until  February  5,  1891,  when  they  returned  to 
their  stations,  nothing  further  having  been  required  of  them  during  that 
short  but  eventful  campaign  against  the  hostile  Sioux. 

Of  the  original  officers  of  the  regiment  there  are  now  but  six  on  the 
rolls,  viz. :  Captains  John  W.  French,  Charles  Bentzoni  (Bvt.  Lieut.-Col.), 
and  Gaines  Lawson  (Bvt.  Lieut.-Col.),  and  2d  Lieutenants  (now  captains) 
David  B.  Wilson,  Owen  J.  Sweet  and  Henry  P.  Ritzius.  It  may  also  be  in- 
teresting to  note  that  Colonel  Andrews,  who  has  been  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment for  over  twenty  years,  is  the  only  colonel  who  ever  commanded  it ; 
that  during  its  22  years  of  existence,  the  whole  regiment  has  been  together 
but  fourteen  days,  and  that  but  one  captain  (Van  Valzahj  has  attained  ais 
majority  by  regular  promotion. 


}|ppendlx 


APPENDIX. 


I. 

CIRCULAR— PUBLICATION  COMMITTEE. 

The  Military  SER\^CE  Institution, 

Governor's  Island,  N.  Y.  H.,  Nov.  id,  1S89. 

Sir, — Although,  by  its  varied  services  in  War  and  in  Peace,  the  Regular 
Army  of  the  United  States  has  exerted,  during  the  past  century,  no  small 
influence  upon  the  development  of  the  country,  no  record  of  these  services  has 
appeared  in  a  compact  and  accessible  fonn.  Many  isolated  facts  and  references 
are  scattered  through  the  annual  reports  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  Congressional 
Documents,  War  Records,  etc.,  but,  so  wide  is  the  dispersion,  that  it  is  believed 
the  official  history  of  their  own  organizations  can  be  but  imperfectly  known  to 
many  officers. 

With  a  view  to  supplying,  to  a  certain  extent,  this  deficiency,  the  Militarj' 
Service  Institution  proposes  to  undertake  the  publication,  in  its  Journal,  of  a 
series  of  Historical  Sketches  of  the  Regiments,  Staff  Corps,  and  Staff  Departments 
of  the  Army.  Each  record  will  be  separately  headed  and  the  pages  will  be 
electrotyped,  so  that  when  completed  the  sketches  can  be  reprinted  and  bound 
in  one  volume  ;  each  Headquarters,  Post  Library,  and  Officer  of  the  Anny  can 
thus  be  supplied  at  little  cost,  with  what  can  hardly  fail  to  be  a  valuable  work 
of  reference. 

The  Publication  Committee  requests  your  co-operation  in  its  attempt  to 
obtain  accurate  and  trustworthy  data  for  the  record  of  your  Regiment.  They 
may  be  secured,  if  you  approve  of  the  plan,  by  your  selecting  and  designating 
an  officer  willing  to  undertake  the  work,  and  placing  him  in  conununication 
with  the  Secretary  of  the  Institution,  who  will  furnish  every  assistance  in  his 
power. 

Each  sketch  should  contain  a  brief  account  of  the  origin  and  circumstances 
attending  the  establishment  of  the  organization,  the  dates  of  important  changes 
and  events,  list  of  battles,  names  of  connnanding  officers,  together  with  parti- 
cular mention  of  brilliant  actions,  distinguished  individuals,  and  especially  of 
publications  (stating  edition  and  page)  where  such  records  may  be  found  more 
fulh'  detailed.     Each  sketch  should  be  limited  to  about  6,500  words. 

(Signed)  H.   L.  ABBOT, 

Col.  Engrs.,  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.  U.S.  A., 

Chairman,  Publication  Committee. 

Note. — A  copy  of  tliis  circular  was  addressed  to  each  Chief  of  Staff-Corj's  ai'd  Regimental  Com- 
mander. 


;o4  APPENDIX. 

II. 

EXTRACT  FROM  THE  MINUTES  OF  A  MEETING  OF  THE  PUBLICA- 
TION COMMITTEE  HELD  JULY  i8,   1S90. 

RESOIvVED,  That  the  work  of  supervising  the  production,  editing  and  ar- 
ranging for  serial  publication  of  material  for  the  "  Historical  Sketches  of  the 
Army  of  the  U.  S."  (begun  in  No.  45  of  this  Journal)  shall  be  entrusted  to  a 
Special  Committee  of  two  members  of  the  Institution  to  be  designated  by  the 
Chairman  of  the  Publication  Committee  ;  said  special  committee  to  be  governed 
by  the  provisions  of  the  Circular  of  November  10,  1S89,  to  Commanding  Officers, 
covering  the  aggregate  number  of  words  for  the  entire  work,  and  to  report 
progress  from  time  to  time. 

The  Chair  announces  the  following  "Special  Committee  on  Historical 
Sketches  ' '  : 

Gen.  Theo.   F.  Rodenbough,  U.  S.  Army, 

Major  William  L.   Haskin,  First  Artillery. 

(Signed)  HENRY  L.  ABBOT, 

Chairman. 


III. 

THE  FIRST  INFANTRY. 

In  glancing  over  the  article  on  The  First  Regiment  of  Infantry,  on  page 
407,  I  notice  a  few  errors. 

The  First  Infantry  battalion  did  «c»i?  form  a  part  of  the  "third"  brigade, 
which  was  Deitzler's,  but  the  First  Brigade,  Sturgis'.  The  company,  attached 
to  the  battalion,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Henry  Clay  Wood,  was  composed 
of  recruits  for  the  Mounted  Riflemen  and  First  and  Second  Dragoons.  If  it  is 
the  wish  to  be  strictly  accurate,  and  more  in  detail,  the  battalion  deployed  into 
line  of  battle  with  a  strength  of  291  men.  Cos.  B,  C,  and  D,  ist  Infantry, 
numbered  225  men,  and  had  11  men  killed,  and  2  officers  and  30  men  wounded. 
The  company  of  Rifle  and  Dragoon  recruits  numbered  66  men,  and  had  9  men 
killed  and  i  officer  and  24  men  wounded.  The  conflict  lasted  six  and  a  half 
hours,  etc.  Captains  Plummer,  Gilbert,  and  Huston,  and  Lieutenant  Wood 
were  mentioned  for  conspicuous  gallantry  and  highly  meritorious  conduct  from 
the  beginning  to  the  close  of  the  battle  ;  Plummer,  Gilbert  and  Lieutenant  Wood 
being  wounded. 

H.   CLAY  WOOD, 

Colonel,  U.  S.  A. 
New  York,  May  6,  1895. 


IV. 

THE  SEVENTH  INFANTRY. 

I  desire  to  invite  attention  to  an  error  in  the  "Historical  Sketch  of  the 
7th  Infantry,"  where  it  says  :  "  At  ten  o'clock,  on  the  following  morning,  General 


APPEXDIX.  ;o5 

Howard  arriveil  with  part  of  his  ooiiiinaiui,  and  thus  saved  from  entire  annihila- 
tion the  remainder  of  the  rei^iment.  "      (Battle  of  the  Big  Hole. ) 

Any  officer  who  had  the  honor  to  be  present  on  that  (jccasion  knows  that 
General  Howard  did  not  arrive  nntil  twenty-four  hours  later  than  he  is  repre- 
sented as  appearing  on  the  field  ;  and,  creditable  as  were  his  efforts  to  reach 
the  command,  it  was  surgeons,  not  fighting  men,  that  were  needecl. 

General  Howard  himself,  page  609,  Volume  I.  Report  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  1877,  says  :  "  I  was  intensely  anxious  for  Gibbon's  command  till  I  came 
in  sight  of  it  between  nine  and  ten  the  next  day.  (Aug.  nth.)  His  wagons 
were  near  his  fortified  camp,  his  men  were  bathing  and  washing  their  clothes 
at  the  creek,  and  the  horses  grazing  quietly  in  the  bottom.  There  was  no  sign 
of  an  enemy  in  the  vicinity." 

General  Howard's  picture  of  peace  and  confidence  shows  that  General 
Gibbon  and  his  command  were  not  saved  from  "entire  annihilation,"  but 
securely  resting  on  a  battle-field  where  they  had  suffered  a  greater  per  centum 
of  loss  than  that  of  the  Light  Brigade  at  Balaklava,  and  from  which  they  had 
driven  the  enemy  after  inflicting  upon  him  a  loss  in  killed  and  mortally  wounded, 
numbering  more  than  Gibbon  led  into  the  fight. 

C.  A.  WOODRUFF, 

Major  C.  S.,  U.  S.  A. 


V. 

THE  FOURTEENTH  INFANTRY. 

As  Colonel  Anderson,  in  his  historical  sketch  of  the  14th  Infantry,  does  not 
advert  to  the  combat  which  took  place  at  the  Peach  Orchard,  Gettysburg,  July 
4th,  and  in  which  his  regiment  took  part — a  combat  that  was  continued,  later, 
as  "  picket-firing  " — a  few  pertinent  facts  may  not  come  amiss. 

Pretty  early  in  the  forenoon  of  July  4th,  the  First  Regular  Brigade,  under 
Gen.  H.  Day,  was  ordered  to  the  front,  to  "feel"  the  enemy:  leaving  the 
position  occupied  during  the  3d,  in  rear  of  the  Little  Round  Top,  by  the  road 
leading  to  the  Orchard,  the  column,  just  before  reaching  the  Wheat  Field,  was 
deflected  to  the  right  to  secure  the  shelter  of  the  woods  ;  reaching  the  outer 
end  of  the  woods  the  brigade  was  fonned  in  two  lines — the  first,  composed  of 
the  3d,  4th  and  6th  Infantry,  commanded  by  Captain  (now colonel  1  Bootes,  and 
the  second,  composed  of  the  12th  and  14th  Infantry,  I tfiink,  by  Major  Giddings, 
and,  covered  by  Captain  Thatcher's  Co.  of  the  14th,  advanced  in  this  order  toward 
the  Emmittsburg  Turnpike — the  skirmishers  penetrating  the  Peach  Orchard, 
the  first  line  halting  at  its  edge,  and  the  second,  in  the  open  space  intervening. 

Stray  bullets  had  been  falling  amongst  the  troops  before  leaving  the  woo<ls 
— one  wounding  Lieutenant  Crowley.  4th  Tnfantr}- — and  as  soon  as  the  skir- 
mishers emerged  from  its  shelter,  a  brisk  exchange  of  fire  began,  which  was  kept 
up  for  about  an  hour,  after  halting  ;  men  detached  from  the  flank  companies  of 
the  6th  and  14th.  meanwhile  replying  to  the  fire  from  the  left,  opened  by  cover- 
ing parties  of  the  enemy,  ensconced  behind  stone  walls  and  small  redan  shajied 
shelters  made  of  stones  and  fence  rails. 

About  II  o'clock,  finding  the  lines  exposed  to  enfilading  artillery,  the 
brigade  was  ordered  to  retire,  which  it  did  under  fire  from  a  rebel  batterv  posted 
45 


;o6  APPENDIX. 

near  the  Fairfield  road,  and  which  was  answered  by  the  Federal  battery  on 
Little  Round  Top — this  being  the  last  artillery  firing  at  Gettysburg.  Almost 
reaching  its  original  position,  the  column  faced  about  and  proceeded  to  establish 
a  "  picket  line  " — really  a  line  of  skirmishers  in  groups — along  the  edge  of  the 
woods  to  the  left  of  the  Wheat  Field,  through  the  "  Devil's  Den,"  and  along 
the  open  crest  of  Plum  Creek,  between  the  two  Round  Tops.  As  soon  as  the 
rain,  which  had  been  falling  in  torrents,  ceased,  picket  firing  began,  which 
lasted  till  after  dark,  the  14th  Infantry,  if  not  the  last,  certainly  among  the 
last,  who  fired  upon  the  enemy  at  Gettysburg. 

During  the  night  of  the  4th  the  last  Confederates  left,  and  early  on  the 
morning  of  the  5th  a  skirmish  line  was  advanced — Benedict's  Company  of  the 
4th,  and  Company  "  I,"  6th  Infantry,  being  part  of  the  force  from  the  "  Devil's 
Den"  to  a  point  beyond  the  Emmittsburg  Turnpike,  and  near  the  Fairfield 
road,  a  force  of  Confederate  cavalry  and  artillery  being  reported  in  sight  on  the 
latter  road. 


FT.  Gibson,  I.  T.,  July  28,  1890. 


J.  P.  SCHINDEL, 

Capt.  6th  Infantry, 


VI. 
DATES  OF  IMPORTANT  CAMPAIGNS,  Etc. 

1790-1795.  War  with  Northwest  Indians,  Miamis,  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Potta- 
watomies,  Shawnees,  Chippewas  and  Ottawas,  September  1790, 
to  August  1795. 

1791-1794.  Whiskey  Insurrection  in  Pennsylvania. 

1S06.  Sabine  Expedition,  Louisiana. 

1S11-1813.  War  with  Northwest  Indians,  November,  181 1,  to  October,  1813. 

1812.  Seminole  disturbances,  Florida. 

1812-1815.  War  with  Great  Britain,  June  18,  1812,  to  February  17,  1815. 

1813-1814.  Creek  Indian  War,  Alabama. 

1817-1818.  Seminole  or  Florida  War,  November  20,  1817,  to  October  31,  1818, 

1823.  Campaign  against  Blackfeet  and  Arickaree  Indians,  Upper  Missouri 

River. 

1827.  Le  Fevre  Indian  War,  or  Winnebago  Expedition,  Wisconsin  (no 

fighting),  June  to  September,  1827. 

1832.  Black  Hawk  War,  April  26,  to  September  21,  i  S3  2. 

1835-1842.  Seminole  or  Florida  War,  December  28,  1835,  to  August  14,  1842. 

1836-1S37.   Creek  disturbances  in  Alabama,  May  5,  1836,  to  September  30,  1S37. 

1836-1837.  Southwestern  Frontier  (Sabine)  disturbances  Louisiana  and  Arkan- 
sas (no  fighting),  April,  1836,  to  June,  1837. 

1836-1839.   Cherokee  disturbances  and  removal. 

1838-1839.  New  York,  Aroostook  and  Canada  (Patriot  War)  Frontier  distvurb- 
ances  ( no  fighting. ) 

1846-1848.   Mexican  War,  April  24,  1846,  to  May  30,  1S4S. 

1846-1847.   New  Mexico  Expedition,  June  30,  1S46,  to  February  13,  1848. 

1848.  Cayuse  War,  Oregon,  Oregon  Volunteers. 

1849-1861.  Navajo  troubles.  New  Mexico. 


APPIiXDlX.  -07 

1849-1S61.  Continuous  disturbances  with  Conianchcs,   Cheyenne,    Lipan,   :in<l 

Kickapoo  Indians  in  Texas. 
1S50.  ritt  River  Expedition,  CaHfornia,  April  2.S.  to  vSeptember  13,  1850. 

1851-1852.  Yuma  Expedition,  California,  December,  1851,  to  April,  1S52. 
1S51-1S56.   Rogue   River,  Yakima,  and   Klikilat   Indian   Wars  in  'ori.-gon  au.l 

Washington. 
1855.  Winnas    Expedition    against    Snake    Indians,   Oregon,    May  24,    to 

Septembers,  1855. 
1855.  Sioux  Expedition,  Nebraska  Territory,  June  to  October,  1S55. 

1S55.  Yakima  Expedition,  Washington  Territory,  October  1 1,  to  N(neml>er 

24,  1855. 
1855-1S56.  Cheyenne  and  Arapahoe  troubles. 

1S55-1857.  Seminole  or  Florida  War,  December,  1855,  to  SeiHember,  1857. 
1S57.  Gila  Expedition,  New  Mexico,  April  16,  to  Sepember  16,  1857. 

1857-1858.  Utah  Expedition. 
1857-1858.   Kansas  Border  troubles. 
1858.  Expedition  against  Northern  Indians,  Washington  Territory,  July 

17,  to  October  17,  1S58. 
185S.  Puget  Sound  Expedition,  Washington  Territorv,  August  10,  to  Sept, 

23,  1S58. 

1S5S.  Spokane,   Coeur  d'Alene  and  Paloos  Indian  troubles,   Washington 

Territory. 

1858.  Navajo  Expedition,  New  Mexico,  September  9,  to  December  25,  1858. 
185S-1859.  Wichita  Expedition,  Indian  Territory,  September  11,  1S5S,  to  De- 
cember, 1859. 

1859.  Colorado  River  Expedition,  California,  February  r  i,  to  A])ril  28,  1859. 
1859.  Pecos  Expedition,  Texas,  April  16,  to  August  17,  1859. 

1859.  Antelope  Hills  Expedition,  Texas,  June  10,  to  vSeptember  23,  1S59. 

1859.  Bear  River  Expedition,  Utah,  June  12,  to  October  18,  1S59. 

1859-1860.  Cortina  troubles  on  Texas  and  Mexican  border. 
i860.  Kiowa  and   Comanche   Expedition,    Indian   Territon,-,   May  8,    to 

October  ir,  i860. 
i860.  Carson  Yallej*  Expedition,  Utah,  ]\Iay  14,  to  July  15,  i860. 

1860-1861.   Navajo  Expedition,  New  Mexico,  September  12,  i860,  to  February 

24,  1861. 

1861-1S90.   Apache  Indian  War  and  troubles  in  Arizona  and  New  Mexico. 
1861-1866.  War  of  the  Rebellion,  April  19,  1861,  to  August  20,   1S66.     Actual 

hostilities,  however,  commenced  upon  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter. 

April  12,  186 1,  and  ceased  by  the  surrender  of  the  Confederate 

forces  under  General  Kirby  Smith,  May  26,  1865. 
1862-1867.  Sioux  Indian  W^ar  in  Minnesota  and  Dakota. 
1863-1869.  War   against   the   Cheyennes,    Arapahoes,    Kiowas  and  Comanche 

Indians  in  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  and  Indian  Territory. 
1865-1868.   Indian  War  in  Southern  Oregon  and  Idaho,  and  Northern  California 

and  Nevada. 
1865-1866.   Fenian  Raid,  New  York  and  Canada  Border  disturbances. 
1867-1881.   Campaign  against  Lipan,  Kiowa,  Kickapoo  and  Comanche  Indians 

and  ^Mexican  Border  disturbances. 
186S-1869.   Canadian   River  Expedition,    New  Mexico,   November  5,    1S68.    to 

February  13,  1S69. 


70S  APPENDIX. 

1S71.  Yellowstone  Expedition,  August  28,  to  October  25,  1S71. 

1S72-1S73.  Modoc  Campaign,  November,  1872,  to  June,  1873. 

1573.  Yellowstone  Expedition,  Dakota,  June  4,  to  October  4,  1S73. 
1S74-1875.  Campaign  against  Kiowas,   Cheyennes,  and  Comanche  Indians,  in 

Indian  Territory,  August  i,  1874,  to  February  16,  1S75. 

1574.  Sioux  Expedition,  Wyoming  and  Nebraska,  Februar}^  13,  to  Augiist 

19,  1874. 
1S74.  Black  Hills  Expedition,  Dakota,  June  20,  to  August  30,  1S74. 

1874.  Big  Horn  Expedition,  Wyoming,  August  13,  to  October  10,  1874. 

1875.  Expedition  against  Indians  in  Eastern  Nevada,  September  7,  to  27, 

1875. 

1876.  Powder  River  Expedition,  Wyoming,  November  i,  to  December  31, 

1876. 
1S76-1877.  Big  Horn  and  Yellowstone  Expedition,  Wyoming  and   Montana, 

February  17,  1876,  to  June  13,  1877. 
1S76-1879.   War  with  Northern  Cheyenne  and  Sioux  Indians,  in  Indian  Territory, 

Kansas,  Wyoming,  Dakota,  Nebraska,  and  Montana. 
1S77  Eabor  strikes  in  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  July  to  October,  1877. 

1877.  Nez  Percez  Campaign,  June  to  October,  1S77. 

1878.  Bannock  Campaign,  May  to  September,  1878. 
1878.  Piute  Indian  troubles,  in  Nevada  and  Idaho. 

1878,  Ute  Expedition,  Colorado,  April  3,  to  September  9,  1878. 

1879-1894.  Disturbances    of    settlers    in    Indian    and    Oklahoma   Territories, 

"  Oklahoma  Boomers,"  and  the  Cherokee  strip  disturbances. 
1879-1880.  Ute  Indian  Campaign  in  Colorada  and  Utah,  September  21,  1879,  to 

November  8,  1880. 
1885.  Chinese  Miner  and    Labor   troubles  in   Wyoming,   September  and 

October,  1885. 
1890-1891.  Sioux   Indian  disturbances  in   South  Dakota,   November,   1890,  to 

January,  1891. 
1891-1893.   Garcia  troubles,  Texas  and  Mexican  Border  disturbances. 
1892.  Miner  disturbances  in  Idaho,  July  to  November,  1892. 

1894.  "Industrial  Army,"   "  Commonwealers,"   "Coxeyites,"    and  labor 

disturbances. 
1894.  Railroad,   Pullman   and  Labor   strikes   extending   from  Illinois  to 

Pacific  Coast,  June  to  August,  1894. 


APPENDIX. 


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7IO  APPENDIX. 

THE  SEVENTH  INFANTRY.* 

The  order  for  the  abandonment  of  the  post  was  issued  by  Major  Lynde 
about  eight  o'clock  p.  M.,  on  the  evening  of  July  26th,  1861,  and  was  in  terms 
as  follows  :  "  In  accordance  with  the  orders  of  the  Department  Commander, 
this  post  will  be  abandoned  this  evening."  Many  of  the  officers  and  their 
families  were  at  supper  when  they  received  the  order. 

They  got  up  from  their  tables,  leaving  nearly  everything  in  their  houses. 
Only  one  or  two  wagons  were  allowed  each  company  for  officers  and  men.  The 
laundresses  and  their  children  were  concentrated  in  a  few  wagons  at  the  head 
of  the  train.  The  terms  of  the  order  left  it  beyond  the  power  of  the  senior 
officers  to  dispute  it.  The  command  started  about  one  A.  M. ,  following  the  road 
along  the  Rio  Grande  to  Las  Cruces,  and  thence  easterly  to  the  Organ  Moun- 
tains, about  twenty  miles  distant,  San  Augustine  Springs  being  at  the  foot  of  the 
easterly  slope,  possibly  three  or  four   miles  from  the  crest. 

Shortly  after  sunrise,  the  heat  became  so  oppressive  that  many  of  the  men 
fell  out  of  the  ranks  exhausted.  The  water  in  their  canteens  was  soon  used  up, 
and  the  mesquite  bushes  afforded  no  protection  from  the  frightful  heat.  By 
eleven  o'clock  there  was  practically   no  organized  command. 

The  writer,  with  I  Company,  had  charge  of  the  train,  and  succeeded  in 
getting  the  loaded  wagons  more  than  half-way  up  the  mountain.  Major 
Lynde's  wagons  and  those  used  by  the  laundresses,  being  light,  got  to  the 
Springs  early  in  the  afternoon.  The  mules  hauling  the  loaded  wagons,  being 
utterly  used  up,  were  unhooked  and  sent  forward  to  water.  I  got  about  a 
hundred  canteens,  with  which  I  went  forward  in  an  old  buggy.  Having  filled 
them,  I  returned  and  gave  them  to  the  half -dazed  men  stumbling  on  their  way 
to  the  Springs. 

When  I  arrived,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  crest  of  the  mountain,  the  head 
of  the  mounted  Texas  force  appeared. 

I  turned  back  down  the  mountain  with  the  horses  at  a  run,  and  found  about 
ten  men  of  my  company  who  had  already  aligned  themselves  with  the  other 
companies.  My  recollection  is  that  there  were  ninety  men  of  the  regiment  in 
line.  There  would  have  been  no  question  of  their  resisting  to  the  last  man, 
except  that  back  of  them,  huddled  around  the  Springs,  there  were  thirty  or 
forty  officers'  and  soldiers'  wives  and  children,  who  would  have  been  nearly  all 
killed  or  wounded  at  the  first  volley  from  the  Texas  forces,  so  short  was  the 
range. 

The  whole  responsibihty  rested  upon  Major  Lynde  for  getting  the  command 
into  the  position  which  made  resistance  almost  impossible.  Those  in  the  ranks 
encumbered  by  the  women  and  children,  the  remainder  scattered  for  miles 
lying  dazed  on  the  ground  or  struggling  along  the  road,  all  overcome  by  the 
terrific  heat,  were  captured  by  the  Texans  as  they  advanced.  Space  will  not 
allow  for  more  details,  nor  for  any  mention  of  the  troops  of  the  Rifle  Regiment 
under  command  of  Captain  Alfred  Gibbs.  The  surrender  was  not  due  to  any 
want  of  skill,  nerve  or  discipline  on  the  part  of  the  officers  or  men  of  the 
Seventh  Infantry,  except  their  commander  ;  nor  was  there  any  time  that  the 
second  in  command.  Captain  Joseph  H.  Potter,  could  have  intervened  to  have 
arrested    Major   Lynde    up   to   the   time   that   the   surrender   was   practically 

complete. 

FRANCIS  J.   CRILLY, 

Late  Brevet- Colonel  U.  S.  Army. 


INDEX. 


Abbot,  C.  W.,  Jr.  Lieut.,  555,  572,  636. 

Abbot,  H.  L.,  Hvt.  Brig.-Gen.,i  11,703,704. 

Abercrombie,  Capt.,  405. 

Abercrombie,  J.  J.,  Gen.,  473. 

Abert,  W.  S.,  232,  234. 

Abrahams,   A.    D.,    Quartermr-Gen.,  47. 

Adair,  L.  D.,  Lieut.,  648,  649,  653,  6S4. 

Adams,  H.  H.,  Lieut.,  654. 

.\dams,  John,  ...  33 ;   President,  45. 

.\dams,  Sam.,  Sergt.,  219. 

.Vddison,  Lieut.,  19S. 

Adjutant-General,  Aide-de-Camp,  3,  4,  5. 

Ahapopha,  Lake,  Engagement  at,  353. 

Alabama,  Gov.  of,  313. 

Alataya,  419. 

Alburtis,  Lieut.,  417,  418. 

Albuquerque,  538. 

Alden,  Col.,  463. 

Aldie,  349. 

Ale.xander,  Major,  274,  276. 

Ale.xander,  E.  B.,  Capt.,  Bvt.  Lieut. -Col., 

Gen.,   436,   437.   43S,   439,  441,    531, 

S3-'  533-  535'  536.  537. 
Alexandria,  580. 
Allen,  Capt.,  324. 
.•\.llen,  E.  L.,  Surgeon,  467. 
Allen,  G.  W.,  Major,  417. 
Allen,  H.  T.,  Lieut.,  191. 
Allen,  J.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Allen,  L.  C,  Adjt.,  633. 
.\llen,  R.,  Lieut.,  315. 
Allen's  Farm,  360. 
Allyn,  A.  W.,  Capt.,  630. 
Almy,  A.,  ist  Lieut.,  228,  630. 
Alsoto,  Chief,  270. 
Alton,  111.,  575. 
Alvord,  B.,  Paym.-Gen.,  no. 
Alvord,  H.  E.,  Lieut.,  290  ;    Capt.,  291. 
American  Horse  Chief,  207. 
American  Regiment,  ist. 
Ames,  Lieut.,  379 ;    Capt.,  547. 
Amick,  M.  J.,  Lieut.,  290. 
■  Amiss ville,  321,  324. 
Ammen,  J.,  Gen.,  307 
Amoi-y,  Lieut.,  214. 
Amosville,  234. 
Ampudia,  Gen.,  458. 
.Anderson,  Capt.  (12th  Inf.),  565,  595. 
Anderson,  G.  B.,  Gen.,  178,  593. 
Anderson,  G.  T.,  Capt.,  211. 
Anderson,  J.  W.,  Capt.,  416,  421. 
Anderson,  J.,  Lieut.,  654. 
Anderson,  L.  S.,  Capt.,  319. 


634' 


Anderson,    R.,  Gen.,   306,  233>  339. 

613. 
Anderson,  R.  H.,  Gen.,  178. 
Anderson,  S.  H.,  Capt.,  174. 
Anderson,  T.  M.,  Capt.,  559  ; 

586,  705. 
Andrews,  Capt.  (6th  Inf.),  484 
Andrews,  G.,  Lieut. -Col.,  491. 
Andrews,  G.,  Lieut.,  697. 
Andrews,  G.   L.,  Col.,  580,  58 

636,  698. 
Andrews,  G.  P.,  Lieut.,  340 ;    Capt., 

346. 
Andrews,  T.,  Paym.-Gen.,  109. 
Angeles,  Los,  157. 
Angel  Island,  374. 
Ansart,  F.,  Capt.,  332. 
Antietam,  55,  93,  235,  306,  307,  321, 

3-4>  338'  349'  360,  361.  364.  365. 

407.  425-  445'  464.  5^7-  552,  595. 

658,  693. 
Apache  Campaign,  374. 
Apache  Caiion,  472. 
Apache  Indian  E.xpedition,  524,  529. 
Apache  Wars,  148,  159,  176. 
Applegate,  D.  W.,  Lieut.,  566. 
Appomato.x,  164,  178,  223,  240,  306, 

32  5'  3(^3^  370,  396- 
Arbuckle,   M.,    Lieut.-Col,  74,  433  ; 

510. 
Archer,  S.  B.,  Major,  27,  28;  Capt., 
Archer,  Capt.,  (5th  Inf.)  472. 
Arkansas  Post  Battle,  577,  680. 
.•\rmes,  G.  A.,  Capt.,  290,  291. 
Armistead,  L.  A.,  Lieut.,  485;    Gen., 
Armistead,  W.  K.,  Col,  332. 
Armour,  Sergt.,  243. 
Armstrong,  F.  C,  Lieut.,  317 
Armstrong,  J.,  Capt.,  401. 
.\rmy  of  Cumberland,  371,  3S5,  3S7, 
Army  of  Florida,  404. 
Army  of  the  James,  396. 
Army  Medical  Museum,  95. 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  396,  407,  591. 
Arnold,  A.  K.,  Col.,  172. 
Arnold,  I.,  Lieut.,  369. 
Arnold,  L.  G.,  Lieut.,  38,  315;  Gen., 

Capt,,  322. 
Arnold,  R.,  Capt.,  377,  394. 
Arpieka,  Chief,  354. 
Arthur,  President,  59. 
Articles  of  War,  33. 
Artillerists  and  Engineers,  Corps  of, 


340, 


Col,  216, 


635' 
342, 


322, 
370, 
635. 


Col, 
332. 


Gen.,  17S. 


307: 


712 


INDEX. 


Artillery  Corps  of  Instruction,  329,  -i^i-^. 
Artillery   School,  319,  325,375. 
Artillery,  301. 

First  Regiment,  301. 

Second  Regiment,  312. 

Third  Regiment,  328. 

Fourth  Regiment,  351. 

Fifth  Regiment,  376. 
Ash,  Capt.,  231. 
Ashby,  J.,  Capt.,  174. 
Ashland,  349. 
Ashley,  Gen.,  4S1. 
Assinniboine,  Fort,  655,  670. 
Atkinson,  B.  W.,  Lieut.,  497. 
Atkinson,   H.,    Col.,  480;  Gen.,  404,  456, 

467,  481,485.  497- 
Atlanta  Campaign,  323,  622,  651. 
Atlanta,  430,  44S,  661. 
Atlixco,  340. 
Augur,  C.  C,  Major,  575  ;  Col.,  561,  566, 

567  ;  Gen.,  463,  584. 
Augur  Camp,  565. 
AuHck,  Chief,  416. 

Auman,  Wm.,  Capt.,  580  ;  Lieut.,  580. 
Austine,  G.  P.,  Capt.,  341. 
Averell,  Lieut.,  200,  232;  Gen.,    201,  321, 

391.  392.   557- 
Avery,  E.,  Dep.  Com. -Gen.,  69. 
Aylett,  Wm.,  Dep.  Com.-Gen.,  69. 
Ayres,  R.  B.,  Col,  326;   Lieut.,  335,   339, 

340;  Capt,  377,  380,  381,  393;  Gen., 

548,  561,  597. 
Ayres,  Robt.,  Lieut.,  660. 


B. 


Bachelder,  R.  N.,  Lieut. -Col.,  Quarter- 
master-Gen., 60. 

Backenstos,  J.  B.,  Capt.,  193,  195  ;  Lieut., 
197. 

Backus,  Col.,  443.  492. 

Bacon,  J.  M.,  Capt.,  282,  284,  285  ;  Lieut., 
4S8,  596. 

Bad  Ax,  Battle  of  the,  404. 

Bailey,  C.  M.,  Lieut.,  618  ;  Major,  628. 

Bailey,  G.  D.,  Lieut.,  325. 

Bainbridge,  Capt.,  385,  436;  Lieut.,  596. 

Baird,  A.,  Col.,  29;  Insp.-Gen.,  32;  Uiv., 
387  ;  Gen.,  309,  649  ;  Lieut.,  477. 

Baker,  D.,  Lieut.-Col.,  482. 

Baker,  E.  L.,  364. 

Baker,    E.    M.,    Capt.,    162,   164;  Major, 

583- 
Baker,  Lieut.,  (3d  Cav.,)  200,  201. 
Baker,  R.  L.,  Capt.,  127;  Major,  1S2,  190. 
Balaklava,  225. 
Balch,  Lieut.,  131. 
Balder,  Lieut.,  236. 
Balding,  Lieut.,  467. 
Baldwin,  Capt.,  (loth  Cav.),  292. 
Baldwin,  F.  D.,   Lieut.,  474,  476;  Capt., 

478. 
Baldwin,  IL  FL,  Lieut.,  384,  395. 
Baldwin,  J.  H.,  Lieut.,  654. 


Baldwin,  Lieut.,  (6th  Cav.),  243. 

Baldwin,  Thos.,  Sergt.,  354. 

Baltimore,  551. 

Ballance,  J.  G.,  Lieut.,  690. 

Ball,  Capt.,  180,  181,   188;  Lieut.,  178. 

Bancroft,  E.  A.,  Capt.,  374  ;  Lieut.,  366. 

Bankhead,    Capt.,    292  ;    Col.,    316,    317, 
318,  y:,2,  473- 

Bankhead's  Expedition,  354. 
\  Banks'  Corps,  364,  365. 
i   Banks'  Ford,  382. 
I   Banks,  Gen.,  395,  520,  559,  595. 

Barber,  Lieut.,  580. 
!   Barber,  M.,  Adj.,  630,  633. 
:   Barber's  Cross  Roads,  234,  240,  324. 

Barbour,  J.  Hon.,  74,  76. 

Barbour,  P.  N.,  Capt.,  437. 

Barden,  T.  C,  Lieut.,  2S2. 

Barker's  Mills,  390. 

Barnard,  Gen.,  128. 

Barnes,  J.  K.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  93-96. 

Barnhart,  Lieut.,  654. 

Barnitz,  Capt.,  251,  253. 

Barrett,  W.  W.,  1st  Lieut.,  630. 

Barri,  T.  O.,  Capt.,  552,  580. 

Barriger,  J.  W.,  Bvt.  Brig.-Gen.,  67. 

Barry,  T.  H.,  Capt.,  413. 
!   Barry.  W.  F.,  Gen.,  320,  325,  397. 
;   Bartholomew,  \V.  H.,  Capt.,  630. 

Bardett,  C.  G.,  Col..  530. 

Bascom,  Capt.,  503. 

Basinger,  Lieut.,  314. 

Bassford,  Capt.,  273. 

Batchelder,  Lieut.,  180. 

Bates,  A.  E.,  Major,  173;  Capt.,  180,  183. 

Bates,  J.  C,   Capt.,  667,  669,  670;  Col, 

431- 
Bates,  Kinzie,  Lieut.,  407. 
Bates,  Lieut,  (nth  Inf.),  547,  552 
Bates,  Mr.,  145. 
Bates,  R.  F.,  Lieut.,  654. 
Baton  Rouge,  La.,  404,  456,  667. 
Battery  Logan,  410. 
Battle  Cree\,  Battle,  694. 
Battle  Mt.,  324 

Baxter,  J.  H.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  96. 
Bayard,  Geo.  D.,  Lieut.,  211. 
Bayard,  W.,  Capt.,  282. 
Baylor,  Lieut.,  131. 
Baylor,  Lieut.-Col.,  C.  S.  A.,  501. 
Beall,  B.  L.,  Capt.,  174,  175;  Col.,  159. 
Beall,  Wm.  D.,  Col.,  432. 
Beall,  W.  N.  R.,  Gen.,  473;  Lieut.,  211. 
Bealton,  321. 

Bean,  Capt.  (15th  Inf.),  627. 
Bean,  Jesse,  Capt.,  153. 
Bean,  J.  L.,  Capt.,  174. 
Bear  Creek,  448. 
Beardslee,  144. 

Beaumont,   E.  B.,  Col.,  216;  Capt.,  217. 
Beauregard,    Gen.,    120,    147,    564,   616; 

Lieut.,  588. 
Beaver  Dam  Creek,  Va.,  37S. 
Beaver  Dam  Station,  Va.,  i6i. 
Beaver  Dams,  N.  C,  Battle,  693. 


INDEX. 


713 


Beck,  W.  H.,  Lieut.,  291,  393,  394. 
Beecher,  H.  B.,  Lieut.,  370,  371,  390,  396. 
Bee,  B.  E.,  Capt.,  43S,  531,  533,  534. 
Belknap,    W.   G.,   Col.,  471  ;  Capt.,  645  ; 

Major,  434,  513,  514. 
Belle  Plain,  234. 
Bell,  B.  F.,  Lieut.,  291. 
Bell,  J.  M.,  Lieut.,  251. 
Bell,  James,  Pvt.,  50S. 
Bell,  J.  R.,  Col.,  Insp.-Gen.,  8,  26. 
Bell,  Capt.  {4th  Art.),  351  (isth  Inf.),  618. 
Bell,  J.    D..  Lieut.  (7th  Cav.),  263   (iSth 

Inf.).  653. 
Bellows,  Lieut.,  596. 
Belton,   Francis  S.,    Capt.,    312;    Assist. 

Insp.-Gen.,   27  ;  Col..  339,  340,  350. 
Bender,  G.,  Capt.,  467. 
Benet,  .S.  V.,  Lieut.,  130;   Major,  135. 
Benham,  I).  W.,  Lieut.,  644. 
Benicia  Barracks,  159,  343,  524. 
Benjamin,  Calvin,  Lieut.,  356. 
Benjamin,  S.  N.,  Lieut.,  323. 
Benner,  H.  H.,  Lieut.,  5S4,  654. 
Bennett,  Capt.,  475,  478. 
Bennett,  Lieut.,  533,  649. 
Bennett,  Quartermaster-Sergt,  641. 
Benson,  Capt.  (2d  Art.),  324,  325. 
Benson,  Lieut.  (4th  Cav.),  219. 
Benson's  Mills,  427. 
Benteen,  F.  W.,  Capt.,  250,  251,  258. 
Bentick,  Col.,  591. 
Bent,  Governor.  158. 
Bentley,  W.,  Lieut. -Col.,  498. 
Benton  Brigade,  410. 
Benton,  Lieut.,  129,  135. 
Benton,  Sergt.,  590. 
Benton's  Mill,  235. 
Benton,  T.  H.,  Hon.,  78,  231. 
Bentzoni.,    Sergt.,    546  ;  Lieut.,  547,  552  ; 

Capt.,  699. 
Bermuda  Hundred,  346,  363,  370,  390. 
Bernard,  Capt.,  16S,  170. 
Berry ville,  363,  391. 
Best,  C.  L.,  Col.,  375. 
Bethseda  Church.  ^49,  362,  390.  5S0,  693. 
Betts,  W.  H.,  Lieul..  304. 
Beverly  Ford,  160.  17S,  324,  364,  365. 
Beverly  House,  390. 
Beyer,  Capt.,  2S0. 
Bickham,  Lieut.,  659. 
Bicklev,  A.  \V.,  Lieut.,  493. 
Biddle',  J..  Capt.,  16S;  Col.,    287;  Major, 

242,  162. 
Biddle,    J.  (4th  Art.),   Capt.,   351  ;    Asst. 

Insp.Clen.,   27. 
I'ig  liend  Engagement,  448. 
Big  Bethel  Battle,  143,  325,  363. 
Big  Creek,  Skirmish  at,  431. 
Bigelow,  J.,  Lieut.,  288. 
Big  Foot,  Chief,  264. 
Big  Hole,  1 89,  509. 
Big  Horn  E.xpedition,  185,  256,  640. 
Big  Timbers,  Battle  of,  448- 
Big  Wahoo  Swamp,  Battle  of,  315. 
Billings,  J.  S.,  Major,  95. 


Billy  Bowlegs,  Chief,  513. 

Bingham,  Lieut.,   179. 

Birkhimer,  \V.  E.,  Lieut.,  328. 

Birney,  J.  G.,  Gen.,  390,  282. 

Birney's  Div.,  348. 

Piisbee,  Lieut.,  C52. 

Bishop,  Sergt.,  359. 

ISishop's  I'alace,  Engagement,  499. 

Bissell,  Daniel,  Gen.,  403. 

Bissell,  L.,  Major,  552. 

Blackburn's  Ford,  345. 

Black,  Capt.  (17th  Inf.),  638. 

Black,  H.  M.,  Col.,  654. 

Black  Hawk  War,  53,  88,   352,   404,  415, 

456,  467. 
Black  Hills  Expedition,  639. 
Black  Horse,  Chief,  294,  475. 
Black  Mts.,  luigagement  at,  276. 
Black  Rock,  Battle,  693. 
Blackwater,  370. 
Blackwater  River  Skirmish,  213. 
Bladensburg,  8. 

Blaine.  E.,  Dep.  Com.-Gen.,  69. 
Blair,  Lieut.  (15th  Inf.),  626. 
Blair's  Cross  Roads,  348. 
Blake,  C,  Lieut.,  467. 
Blake,  E.  D.,  Capt.,  520. 
Blake,  G.  A.  IL,  Col.,  160. 
Blake,  J.  E.,  Lieut.,  114. 
Blanchard,  (2d  Cav.),  Lieut..  178. 
Blicker,  J.,  Dep.  Com.-Gen.,  69. 
Bliss,  Capt.  (4th  Inf.),  463. 
Bliss,  Major,  (ist  Inf.),  404. 
Bliss,  Z.  R.,  Col.,  696,  697,  698. 
Blockson,  Lieut.  {6th  Cav.),  246. 
Bloody  Knife,  .Scout,  260,  581. 
Blue  Gap,  Skirmish  at,  364. 
Blue  Water,  Battle  of,  358,  532. 
Blunt,  M.  M.,  Capt.,  558,  559,  595. 
Bodamer,  J.  A.,  Lieut.,  290. 
Boehm,  Capt.  (4th  Cav.),  216. 
Boice,  T.  A.,  Capt.,  2S2. 
Bomford,  Capt.    (8th  Inf.),  515,  516,  5i7,* 

518,  521,  523. 
Bomford,    (i.,  Lieut.-Col.,   126,  127,  130; 

Col.,  303. 
Bonaparte,  J.  X.,  Lieut..  200. 
Bonneville,  B.    L.  E.,   Col..  434,  442,  443, 

444.  4««.  S^o. 
Boone,  Nathan,  Capt..  153. 
Booneville,  322. 
Boonesboro,  321,  324,  349,  365. 
Bootes,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  198,  705. 
Bordeaux,  Neb.,  Camp  of  Ins.,  at,  524. 
Borden.  Lieut.  (5th  Inf.),  190. 
Boston  Charlie,  168. 
Bosworth,  G.  B.,  Lieut.,  2S2. 
Bottom's  Bridge,  366. 
Bourke,  Capt.  (3d  Cav.),  199,  204. 
Boustler,  C.  G.,  Col.,  586. 
Bowie  Camp,  245. 
Bowen,  E.  C,  Lieut.,  565,  566. 
Bowen,  I..  Lieut.,  305. 
Bowen,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),   200. 
Bowman,  C.  S.,  Lieut.,  408. 


7H 


INDEX. 


Bowman,  J.  M.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Boyce,  Lieut.,  537,  539. 
Boyd,  J.  P.,  453,  454. 
Boydton  Plank  Road,  321,  369. 
Boynton,  E.  C,  Lieut.,  304,  305. 
Brackett,  A.  G.,  Col.,  180,  207. 
Braden,  C,  Lieut.,  256,  684. 
Bradford,  Capt.  (19th  Inf.),  663. 
Bradford,  Lieut.  (Ord.  Dept.),  135. 
Bradley,  Capt.  (2d  Inf.),  415. 
Bradley,  J.  H.,  Lieut.,  653,  654. 
Bradley,    L.    P.,   Col.,    450;    Lieut.-Col., 

529,  584. 
Bradley,  Lieut.  {7th  Inf.),  1S5,  507,  509. 
JJrady,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  600. 
Brady,  H.,  Col.,  415,422. 
Bragg,  B.,   Lieut.,  333.  336;    Capt.,   337, 

33S,   341 ;  Gen.,   368,    385,    388,  620, 

645,  647,  649. 
Bragg's  Battery,  356,  35S. 
Brainard,  D.  L.,  Lieut.,  1S8,  192. 
Branch,  Gen.,  591. 
Brand,  Lieut.  (iSth  Inf.),  644,  649. 
Brandy  Station,   160,   237,  321,  325,    349, 

365- 
Brannan,  J.  M.,  Col.,  374;  Gen.,  307,  375  ; 

Lieut.,  305. 
Bratling,  F.,  Corp.,  272. 
Bray  ton,  G.  M.,  612. 
Brazos  River,  284. 
Brearly,  Col.,  74. 

Breckenridge,  Gen.,  C.  S.  A.,  614. 
Breckinridge,  J.  C,  Col.,  Insp.-Gen.,  32. 
Brent,  Lieut.  (4th  Art.),  353. 
Brent,  Lieut.  (iSth  Inf.),  653. 
Brent,  R.,  Paym.-Gen.,  104,  106. 
Brett,  Lieut.  (2d  Cav.),  190,  191. 
Brewerton,  H.  F.,  Lieut.,  392. 
Breyfogle,  R.  C,  Lieut.,  566. 
Brice,  B.   W.,   Paym.-Gen.,  106,  109,  no. 
Bridge  Creek,  367. 
Bridgewater,  322,  363, 
Brigade  Major,  3. 
Brigadier-General,  7,  39,  40,  41. 
Brinkerhoff,  H.  R.,  Capt.,  610. 
Brinley,  Lieut.  (2d  Inf.),  424. 
Brisbin,    J.  S.,    Capt.,    232;     Col.,    172; 

Major,  292. 
Bristoe  Station,  360,  361,  562. 
Bristol,  Capt.,  472. 
Britton,  T.,  Lieut.,  495. 
Broadhead,   Lieut,   (14th   Inf.),   594,  596, 

600. 
Broad  Run,  364. 
Bronson,  N.,  Lieut.,  496. 
Brooke,  Lieut.,  4S4. 
Brooke,  G.  M.,  Col.,  467,  471. 
Brooke,  J.  R.,  Col.,  449,  450,   584;  Gen., 

264,  265,  266. 
Brooks,  Baxter,  631. 
Brooks,  E.  J.,  Lieut.,  501,  502. 
Brooks,  H.,    Col.,   359;    Lieut,  315,  317; 

Gen.,  373,  415. 
Brooks,  Lieut.  (2d  Inf.),  415. 
Brotherton,  Capt.,  262. 


Brown,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  594,  597. 

Brown,  Capt.  (15th  Inf.),  625. 

Brown,  E.  A.,  Lieut.,  23. 

Brown,  F.  H.,  Capt.,  653. 

Brown,  Fort,  270. 

Brown,    H.,  Capt.,   595;  Gen.,  377,    397; 

Lieut.,  337;   Major,  318,355. 
Brown,  J.,  Gen.,  23,403,  352. 
Brown,  J.  H.,   Lieut.,  339. 
Brown,  L.  F.,  Lieut.,  620,  649,  650. 
Brown,  Major  (5th  Cav.),  227. 
Brown,  Major  (7th  Inf.),  499,  514. 
Brown,  N.  W.,  Paym.-Gen.,  no. 
Brown's  Cross  Roads,  368. 
Brown,  S.  H.,  Lieut.,  232. 
Browne,  J.  B.,  Capt.,  153. 
Brownell,  Lieut.,  547. 
j   Browning,    G.    L.,    Capt.,    506;     Lieut., 

589- 
Brownlow,  Capt.,  415. 
Bruen,  L.  B.,  Major,  555,  558,  562.  564. 
Bruns,  Lieut.,  318. 
Brunton,  \V.  B.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Brush,  D.  H.,  Lieut.,  256. 
Bryan,  Lieut.,  533. 
Bryant,  M.,  Capt.,  495. 
Bryant,  T.  S.,  Lieut.,   174. 
Buchanan,  R.  C,  Col.,  547,  550,  556,  561, 

586,  591,  592    593,  597  ;   Gen.,  463. 
Buchanan,  President,  58. 
Buchanan,  W.,  Dep.  Com. -Gen.,  68,  69. 
j  Buckland  Mills,  325,  365. 
Buckner,  Gen.,  613. 
Buckner,  S.  B.,  Lieut.,  4S8. 
Buckton  Ford,  392. 
Budd,  C.  \Y.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Buell,  G.    P.,    Col.,  627,    663-689;    Gen., 

141,  367,  385,  387,  632,  643,  645,  646, 

657;  Lieut.,  131,  439. 
Buena  Vista,  304,  316,  356,  357,  418. 
Buffalo  Barracks,  417. 
Buffalo  Creek  Engagement,  448. 
Buffalo  Hump,  223. 
Buffum,  Lieut.,  625. 
Buford,  Gen.,  29,  178,  179,  235. 
Bull  Run,  Piattle  of,  46,  223,  306,  307,  308, 

320,  322,  323,  324,  325,  345,  347,  361, 

364,  376,  378.  397.  407,  422,  425,  444, 

445,  520,  549,  552,  557.  635.  693. 
BuUis,  Lieut.,  295. 
Bullitt,  Lieut.,  216. 
Bullock,  E.  D.,  Lieut.,  174. 
Bunker  Hill,  Va.,  363. 
Burbank,  S.,  Capt.,   467,    594,  600  ;   Col., 

426,  429. 
Burbeck,  H.,  Major,  301 ;  Col.,   549,  575, 

599 ;  Lieut.,  596. 
Burbridge,  G.  S.,  Major,  193. 
Burd,  Capt.,  351. 
Burgen,    I.    H.    K.,    Lieut ,    1^3;    Capt., 

158. 
Burgovne,  Gen.,  33. 
Burkei  Lieut.  (jd'^Inf.),  42S. 
Burke,    M.,    Capt.,    336,   339,  341  ;    Col., 

556. 


INDEX. 


715 


Burke,  M.  J.,  Capt.,  304.  305. 

Burkettsville,  322. 

Burlington,  Vt.,  S7. 

Burnett,  R.  L.,  Lieut.,  560. 

Burnett's  Ford,  y}^. 

BurnViam,  Capt.  (15th  Inf.),  627. 

Burnham,  H.  M.,  Lieut.,  3S7,  388;  Capt., 

397,  627. 
Bumside,  Gen.,   234,    -^^n,  366,  3S0,   560; 

Capt.,  2S2. 
Bumside's  Campaign,  34S,  347,  446. 
Burns,  T.,  Lieut.,  325. 
Burns,  W.  W.,  Gen.,  473. 
Burrill,  J.,  Mr.,  43. 
Burris,  Col.,  408. 
Burton,  U.  S.,  Col.,  377. 
Bush,  J.  C,  Lieut.  (5th  Art.),  376. 
Bush,  J.  C,  Lieut,  (ioth  Inf.)  538,  539. 
Bushnell,  D.,  Capt.,  116. 
Butler,  B.  F.,  Hon.,  78. 
Butler,  E.,  Capt.,  Major-Insp.,  5,22. 
Butler,  Gen.,  144,  337,  370. 
Butler,  L  H.,  Lieut.,  323,  324. 
Butler,  Lieut.  (3d  Inf.),  447. 
Butler,  T.,  Col.,  414.  453- 
Butterfield,  D.,  Col.,  473,  555,  561. 
Buzzard  Roost  Gap,  367. 
Byrne,  E.,  Capt.,  290. 
Byrnes,  R.  Gen.,   221. 


Caballo  Mts.,  Engagement  in,  286. 
Callabosa  River,  340. 
Capron,  A.,  Capt.,  265. 
Carroll,  H..  Capt.,  2S2,  2S4. 
Catlin,  L.,  Major,  612. 
Cavalry,  151. 

First    Regiment,  153. 

Second,         "         173. 

Third,  "         193. 

Fourth,         "         211. 

Fifth,  "         221. 

Sixth,  "         232. 

Seventh,       "         251. 

Eighth,         "         268. 

Ninth,  "         280. 

Tenth,  "         28S. 

Cedar  Creek,  163,  325. 
Cerro  Gordo,  Siege,  499. 
Chaffee,  A.  R.,  Lieut.,  135,  236,  237,  244, 

248. 
Chalfin,  Capt.,  383;  Capt.  S.  F.,  377. 
Chalmers,  Gen.,  577. 
Chamherlin,  Capt.,  415. 
Chambers,  A.,  Col.,  639,  641,  651,  680. 
Chambers,  T.,  Col.,  404. 
Chambliss,  Lieut.,  200,  221,  225. 
Champion  Mills,  576,  577. 
Chancellorsville,   145,  306.  307,  308,  348, 
360,  361,  362,  369,  382,  427.  446,  464. 
504,  538,  549,  552,  561-  693. 
Chandler,  Robt.,  Capt.,  580. 
Chandler,  Capt.  (3d  Inf.),  439. 


Chandler,  D.,  Lieut.,  467. 

Chandler,  J.  G.,  Major,  59. 

Chantilly,  322,  364,  369. 

Chapal  House,  Battle,  694. 

Chapel  Hill,  Skirmish  at,  368. 

Chapin,  R.  H.,  Capt.,  269. 

Chapman,  W.,  Capt.,  470,  471 ;   Col,  557, 

559.  591- 
Charleston,  S.  C,  333. 
Charleston,  Va.,  234,  240. 
Charlestown,  W.  Va.,  360,  364. 
Charlotte  Harbor,  404. 
Charlotte  Pike,  36S. 
Chase,  Hon.  S.  P.,  588,  611. 
Chassus  Store,  Skirmish,  386. 
Chateaugay  River,  Battle  of,  456. 
Chattahoochie,  323. 
Chattanooga,  366,  368,  385,  387,  647,  650, 

651,  659. 
Chapultepec,  304,  317,  320,  340,  357,  421, 

439,  460,  488,  500,  526,  587,  611. 
Chester  Gap,  321. 
Cheyenne  Agency,  554. 
Chicago  Fire,  522. 
Chickahominy,    370,  371,   424,  463,    538, 

548,  551,  556,  564  . 
Chickamauga,    215,    336,   367,    368.    371, 

385-  Z^l^  397.  44S,  495'  540,  619,  624, 

627,  649,  659. 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  577,  680. 
Chief,  Joseph,  169,  191,  373. 
Chihuahua  troops,  413. 
Childs,  T.,  Col.,  305,  355,  43S,  515. 
Chilson,  Capt.,  272. 
Chipman,  Capt.,  547. 
Chippewa,  302,  586,  587,  693. 
Choctaw  Nation,  406,  433. 
Choisy,  Capt.,  5S9,  600. 
Cholera  at  Panama,  461. 
Christopher,  J.,  Capt.,  654, 
Chrystler's  Fields,  302,  456,  586. 
Chrysty,  W.,  Sergt.,  291. 
Chubb,  St.  J.  C.  Capt.,  634. 
Church,  A.  E.,  Lieut.,  333,  Benjamin,  S4. 
Churchill  Barracks,  567. 
Churchill,  Lieut.,  336. 
Churchill,  Major.  28. 
Churubusco,  304,  317,  339,  420,  421,438, 

439.  459.  4^6,  526. 
Cilley,  J.,  I.ieut.,  467. 
Cilley,  Greenleaf,  Lieut.,  268,  269. 
City  of  Me.xico,  440. 
Civil  War  (see  Rebellion). 
Claflin,  I.  W.,  Lieut.,  232;  Capt.,  236. 
Claiborne,  T.,  Lieut.,  194,  196.  201. 
Clapp,  W.  IL,  Lieut.,  552,  630,  633. 
Clark,  J.  C,  Capt.,  364. 
Clark,  W.  P.,  Lieut.,  188,  189,  190. 
Clarke,  N.  S.,  Col.,  511,  512,467,469,  485. 
j   Clarke,  A.  P.,  Lieut.,  296. 
Clarke,  Capt.  (3d  Inf.),  435,  531. 
Clarke,  H.  F.,  Lieut.,  317,321. 
Clay,  Henry,  316. 
Clay,  J.  K.,  Lieut.,  589,  597,  600. 
Clear%vater,  Skirmish  at,  373,  374. 


yi6 


INDEX. 


Cleburne,  Gen.,  647. 

Clendenin,  D.  B.,  Col.,  192. 

Clifford,  Lieut.,  135. 

Clift,  Capt.,  57S,  580,  581,  5S2. 

Clinch,  Gen.,  314,  334. 

Clinton,    W.,    Lieut.,    531;     Capt.,    539; 

Major,  580,  581.     . 
Clitz,  H.  B.,  Major,  555,  557,  562,  591,  593. 
Cloman,  S.  A.,  Lieut.,  413. 
Closson,  H.  W.,  Col.,  375. 
Clode,  Mr.,  33. 

Clous,  J.  W.,  Lieut.-Col.,  U.  S.  M.  A.,  33. 
Clover  Hill,  239,  396. 
Clyman,  J.,  Lieut.,  133. 
Coacooche,  Chief,  572. 
Coal  Region  Strike,  326. 
Coates,  Sergt.,  213. 
Cochran,  M.  A.,   Col.,  497  ;    Major,  570, 

571- 
Cochrane,  J.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  86. 
Codding,  M.  O.,  Lieut.,  580. 
Cody,  W.  F.,  227,  686. 
Coe,  J.  N.,  Lieut.,  552. 
Colburn,  A.  B.,  Lieut.,  211  ;   Capt.,  213. 
Cold  Harbor,  306,  321,  323,  369,  390,  391, 

42S. 
Cold  Spring,  201. 
Cole,  R.  G.,  Lieut.,  520. 
Coleman,  Lieut.,  198,  625. 
Collady,  Lieut.,  295. 
Colliersville,  Battle,  577,  6S0. 
Collins,  Lieut.  (14th  Inf.),  594,  596. 
Collins,  J.  B.,  Lieut.,  491,  591  ;  Capt.,  597, 

60c. 
Colonial  Army,  328. 
Colonies,  Army  of,  67. 
Colt,  P.,  Dep.  Com.-Gen.,  69. 
Columbia,  369. 
Columbia  Barracks,  199,  462. 
Columbia  River,  402. 
Compton,    Col,    219,    220;    Major,    242, 

243- 
Confederate  Army,  141,  307. 
Congress,    i,   2,  3,  14,   21,  23,  31,  33,  39, 

40,  41,  42,  44,  47.  53'  58>  60,  61,  64, 

67,  73,  80,  91,  loi,  104,  126,   127,  153, 

174.  376. 
Conn.  Heavy  Artillery,  547-  548- 
Conrad,  Capt.,  627. 
Conradi,  J.  H.,  Pvt.,  219. 
Constant,  J.,  Col.,  432  ;    Lieut.-Col.,  4S0, 

489. 
Continental  Army,  i,  2. 
Contreras,    304,    339,    356,  4i9'  420,  438, 

486,  526. 
Converse,  O.  J.,  Lieut.,  208,  209,  268. 
Conway,  Gen.,  12. 
Cook,  Lieut.  (2d  Cav.),  190. 
Cooke,  Capt.  (3d  Cav.),  251,  258,  259. 
Cooke,  J.  R.,  Lieut.,  5:0. 
Cooke,  P.  St.  G.,  Lieut.,  153,  482;   Col., 

176,   225,   232,  234,  378;  Gen.,  178, 

179,  190. 
Cook's  Mills,  466,  586. 
Coolidge,  Lieut.,   509. 


Cooley,  F.  M.,  Capt.,   552,  630. 
Cooney,  M.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Cooper,  Bvt.-Col.,  Asst.  Insp.-Gen.,  29. 
Cooper,  Lieut.  (loth  Cav.),   295  ;    Capt., 

296. 
Cooper,  W.,  Major,  251. 
Coppee,  H.,  Lieut.,  530. 
Coppihger,    J.    J.,    Capt.,   589,    594,    597, 

600;  Col,  655. 
Corcoran,  Gen.,  363. 
Corinth,  214,  323,  367,  36S,  407,  409,  644, 

645- 
Cornell,  E.,  Col,  Insp.,  20. 
Cornwallis,  Surrender  of,  20. 
Corps  of  Artillery,  301,  313,  402. 
Corpus  Christi,  336,  355. 
Cortelyou,  D.  H.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Cortinas,  305,  519. 
Cosby,  Gen.,  221. 
Coster,  Lieut.,  557. 
Couch,  Gen.,  323;  Div.,371. 
Coulter,  \V.  A.,  Lieut.,  566. 
Counselman,  T.  H.  B.,  Lieut.,  653,  654. 
Cowles,  W.  H.,  Quartermaster,  633. 
Cox,  C.  G.,  Capt.,  291. 
Crabb,  G.  \V.,  Lieut.,  379. 
Craft,  E.  R.,  Lieut.,  394. 
Craft,  Father,  265. 
Craig,    H.    K.,    Col,  127,    131,  133,   135, 

Craig^L.  S.,  Col,  441. 

Craig,  Capt.  (3d  Inf.),  439. 

Craig,  J.,  Lieut.,  467. 

Craig,  P.  O.,  Lieut.,  325. 

Craig,  R.,  Lieut.,  432. 

Craig,  S.  H.,  Sergt.,  219. 

Craigie,  D.  J.,  Lieut.,  566. 

Cram,  G.  C,  Capt.,  232,  234,  236. 

Crane,  C.  H.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  96. 

Crane,  J.,  Col,  328;  Major,  352. 

Cranston,  A.,  Lieut.,  373. 

Crawford,  Hon.  G.  W.,  79. 

Crawford,  S.  W.,  Col,  429;  Major,  575. 

Crawford,    Capt.  (loth    Cav.),    207,    208, 

209, 296. 
Crazy  Horse,  687. 
Creek  Country,  53. 
Crees,  190. 
Crilly,  Lieut.,  502. 
Crispin,  Lieut.,  131,  135. 
Crittenden,  G.  B.,  Gen.,  193,  201,  644. 
Crittenden,    T.    L„    Gen.,    3S7,  614.  638, 

639,  683. 
Crittenden,  E.  W.,  Lieut.,  211. 
Crittenden,  J.  G.,  Lieut.,  260. 
Crittenden  Barracks,  429. 
Crittenden  Corps,  367. 
Crittenden,  Fort,  471. 
Crofton,  R.  E.  A.,   Col.,  5S4,  627  ;   Capt., 

618,  639,  660. 
Croghan,  G.,  Gen.,  28,  404. 
Crook,  Gen.,  184,  186,  187.  204,  205,  206, 

208,  209,  227,  22S,  229,  248,  391,  392, 

463,  475.  507.  508,  529,  686. 
Crosby,  Lieut.,  200. 


INDEX. 


Crosby,  E..  Lieut.,  6S4. 

Crosby,  F.  B.,  Lieut.,  366. 

Crosby,  J.  S.,  Col.,  253. 

Crosman,  Lieut.,  637. 

Cross,  T.,  Major,  54  ;  Col.,  A.  Q.  M.  G., 

458- 
Cross,  C  E.,  Col.,  119. 
Crow  Ageucy,  450. 
Crow  Creek,  448. 
Cro.xton's  Brigade,  371. 
Cuft's  Brigade,  371. 
Culpepper,  160,  iz\,  323,  349,  3S3. 
Cumberland,  Army  of  the,  646. 
Cumming,  A.,  Gov.,  535. 
Cumming,  A.,  Lieut.,  531,  537. 
Cumming,  W.,  Quartermaster-Gen.,  50. 
Cummings,  Col.  (4th  Inf.),  416. 
Cummings,  Capt.  (15th  Inf.),  625,  659. 
Cunningham,  Lieut.,  536. 
Cunningham,  T.,  Pvt.,  195. 
"  Curry's,  The,"  543. 
Curtis,  Lieut.,  270;    Capt.,  622,   623,  625; 

J.,  612,  615. 
Cusack,  P.,  Lieut.,  2S2,  2S4. 
Gushing,  T.  H.,  Major,  5,  23. 
Gushing,  A.  H.,  Lieut.,  360. 
Gushing,  H.  C,  Lieut.,  367. 
Gushing.  H.  B.,  Lieut.,  205. 
Gushing,  S.  T.,  Lieut.,  135. 
Gushing,  Rev.  C.,  636. 
Cusick,  Lieut.,  682. 
Custer,  Gen.,  161,  164,  184,   185,  206,  221, 

229,  251,  252,  253,  256,    257,  258,  259, 

506,  639,  669,  684. 
Custer,  T.,  Lieut.,  251,  257,  259. 
Custer  Massacre,  411,  475. 
Cutts,  R.,  Supt,  48. 
Cutts,  J.  M.,  Capt.,  667. 
Guyler,  J.,  Dep.  Com. -Gen.,  68. 
Guyler,  J.  M.,  Surgeon,  96. 


Dabney's  Mill,  208. 

Dade,  Major  (2d  Art.),  314,457. 

Dade,  Lieut.,  174. 

Dade  Massacre,  333. 

Dake,  A.  D.,  Lieut.,  467. 

Dakota,  Dept.  of,  168. 

Dallas,  A.  J.,  Major,  562. 

Dallas,  Battle  of,  215,  323. 

Daniels,  Lieut.,  11,  317. 

Danvers,  Sergt.,  411. 

Darr,  F,  J.  A.,  Lieut.,  570 

Darrington,  Col.,  455. 

D'Arendt  Baron,  Col.,  13. 

Davenport,  Col.,  404,  405 ;  Col.  W.,  485. 

David's  Island,  522. 

Davidson,  J.  W.,  Gen.,  159,  178, 189,  250, 

290,  293,  294. 
Davidson,  F.  S.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Davidson,  Lieut.  (2d  Inf.),  416,  41S. 
Davis,  B.  F.,  Capt.,  160. 


Davis,  II.  T.,  Capt.,  290. 

Davis,  J.  C,  Gen.,  307. 

Davis,  Jefferson.  153,  208,  211,  221. 

Davis,  Jeff.,  Legion,  160. 

Davis,  j.  M.,  Capt.,  Asst.  Insp.-Gen..  27, 

29. 
Davis,  J.  M.,  Capt.  (2d  Inf.),  415. 
Davis,  Murray,  Capt.,  269, 
Davis,  N.  H.,  Lieut.,  415,418  ;  Lieut.-Col., 

30.  32- 
Davis,  T.,  Lieut.,  194. 
Davis,  \V.,  Capt.,  219. 
Davis,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  19S. 
Davis,  Lieut.  (i8th  Inf.),  649. 
Davis,  Fort,  296. 
Davis,  Pvt.,  506. 
Davison  Jas.,  Lieut.,  361. 
Dawson,  B.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Dawson,  S.  K.,  Lieut.,  305. 
Dawson,  Major  (19th  Inf.).  659,660,662. 
Day,  II.,  Col.,  492,  549,  599. 
Day,  Lieut.  (9th  Cav.),  286, 
Day,  S.,  Surgeon,  467. 
Deane,  W.  \V.,  Lieut.,  566. 
Dearborn,  II.,  Major-Gen.,  Com.-in-Chief, 

8,  26,  72  ;  Secretary  of  War,  123. 
Dearing,  \V.  C,  Lieut.,  319. 
De  Butts,  H.,  Capt.,  4,  22. 
De  Cole,  Mill,  586. 
De  Coudray,  M.,  Insp.-Gen.  Ord.,  11. 
De  Courcy,  F.  E.,  Capt.,  5S0. 
Deep  Bottom,  161,  238,  321,  322.  364,  369. 
Deep  Creek,  359. 
Deer  Creek  Expedition,  576. 
I^efiance,  Fort,  471. 
De  Grass,  J.  C,  Capt., 
De  Hart,  LI.  V.,  Capt.,  316,  377,  378,  397. 
De  Kay,  D.,  Capt.,  600. 
De  la  Balme,  M.,  Lieut.-Col.,  12. 
Demerest,  Lieut.,  198. 
Denman,  C.  L.,  Lieut.,  194,  196. 
Dennin,  T.  G.,  Sergt.,  406. 
Dennison,  Capt.  (iSth  Inf.),  645,  648. 
Dennison,  N.,  Lieut.,  321,  324. 
Denny,  E.,  Ensign,  3;    Lieut.,  4. 
Dent,  T.  F.,  Capt.,  527. 
De  Rudio,  Lieut.,  25S. 
De  Russy,  G.  A.,  Lieut.,  357;   Gen.,  372, 

375- 
Deshler,  J.,  Lieut.,  531. 
Des  Moines,  Fort,  154. 
De  Trobriand,  P.  R.,  Col,  5S1,  584. 
Detroit  Barracks,  417.  433,  467. 
Detroit,  Skirmish  near,  402. 
Devereau.x,  C.  H.,  Sergt.-Major,  497. 
Devil's  Den.  447. 
Devin,  T.  G.,  Gen.,  163.  207.  268. 
Dewees,  Lieut.,  178    Capt.,  iSo. 
De  Wolf,  Lieut.,    347;  J.    M.,    Surgeon, 

260. 
Diablo,  Chief,  523. 
Dickenson,  G.  W.,  Lieut.,  364. 
Dickey,  C.  J.,  Major,  6S9. 
Difficult  Cafion,  Engagement  at,  276. 
Dilworth,  Lieut.,  405. 


7i8 


INDEX, 


Dimick,  J.,  Major,    304,  305  ;  Col.,   308, 

319;   Capt.,  438. 
Dimmick,  E.  D.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Dimon,  D.,  Capt.,  i. 
Dinwiddle,  C.  H.,  164,  3-i'  3-5'  363- 
Dix,  J.  A.,  Ensign,  5S7  ;  Lieut.,  332. 
Doane,  G.  C,  Lieut.,186,  260, 180,191,192. 
Dod,  A.  B.,  Capt.,  619,  622. 
Dodge,  Henry,  Col.,  153,  154. 
Dodge,  F.,  Lieut.,  232. 
Dodge,  F.  S.,  Capt.,  282,  2S5. 
Dodge,  R.  L,  Col.,  373,  451,  553;  Major 

(i2thlnf.),  566. 
Dodd,  Capt.  (17th  Inf.),  635. 
Doebler,  Lieut.,  596. 
Donahue,  Pvt.,  686. 
Donaldson,  Lieut.  (7th  Cav.),  266. 
Donaldson,  J.  L.,  Lieut.,  305. 
Doniphan,  A.  W.,  Col,  155,  157. 
Doolittle,  Senator,  231. 
Dorst,  Lieut.,  217. 

Doubleday,  A., Gen., 305, 361,  597,634,696. 
Dougherty,  J.,  Capt.,  174. 
Doughty,  J.,  Major,  21,  301. 
Douglas,  H.,  Capt.,  599,  644,  648  ;  Lieut., 

596. 
Douglass,  Capt.,  301. 
Dove,  W.,  E.,  Lieut.,  566,  570. 
Dowall's  Tavern,  446. 
Dowhng,  Lieut.,  637. 
Downey,  Capt.,  597. 
Draft  Riots,  N.   Y.,  447,  464,    521,    562, 

580,  599,  636. 
Dragoons,  153  (see  "Cavalry  "). 
Drewry's  Bluff,  390. 
Drexel  Mission,  266,  287. 
Drifting  Goose,  640. 
Drum,  R.  C,  Gen.,  526. 
Drum,  Lieut.-Col.,  572,  573;  Lieut.,  424. 
Drum,  S.  H.,  Capt.,  357. 
Drury's  Bluff,  306. 
Dry  Springs,  423. 
Dryer,  Lieut.,  198  ;  Capt.,  595. 
Duane,  Lieut.,   118. 
Du  Barry,  B.,  Col,  82;  Lieut.,  12)Z- 
Dubois,  Lieut.,  200. 

Dudley,  N.  A.  M.,  Col,  168,  531,  532,  624. 
Dugan,  Lieut.,  20S. 
Dull  Knife,  207,  218,  663. 
Duncan,  Jas.,  Capt.,  28,  315,  316,  317,  470. 
Duncan,  M.,  Capt.,  153. 
Duncan,  T.,  Lieut.,  194,  201  ;  Major,  202. 
Dunder  and  Blixin  Creek  Fight,  694. 
Dunham,  C,  Lieut.,  531. 
Dunkelberger,  Capt.,  161. 
Dunker  Church,  3S0. 

Dunn,  T.  S.,  Major,  568,  569;   Capt.,  561. 
Dunning,  Gen.,  364. 
Dunning,  S.  V.,  Adjt.,  633. 
Dunovant,  J.,  Capt.,  531,  532,  537. 
Du  Pont,  H.  A.,  Lieut.,   377;  Capt.,  391, 

39^- 
Durham,  C,  Lieut.,  654. 
Dutton,  A.  H.,  Col,  119. 
Dutton,  C.  E.,  Major,  126. 


Eagle  Creek,  450. 

Early,  Gen.,  161,  162,   163,  164,  349,  391 ; 

Lieut.,  333. 
Easley,  T.,  Lieut.,  420,  421. 
Eastman,  J.  E.,  Lieut.,  267,  269. 
Easton,  Capt.,  378. 
Eaton,  A.  B„  Gen.,  81,82. 
Eaton,  J.  H.,  Gen.,  451 
Ebenezer  Church,  369. 
Eckert,  Gen.,  145. 
Eckerson,  Lieut.,  262. 
Edenton  Road,  Skirmish  at,  363. 
Eden  Valley,  270. 
Edgar,  J.  C,  Lieut.,  282. 
Edgerton,  W.  G.,  Capt.,  552. 
Edie,  Lieut.  (Ord.  Dept.),  135. 
Edie,  John  R.,  Major,  612,  621. 
Edson,  Lieut.,  131,  200. 
Edwards,  T.,  Gen.,  33. 
Edwards,  A.  G,,  Lieut.,  153. 
Edwards,  J.,  Capt.,  346,  347. 
Edwards'  Battery,  592. 
Egan,  Gen.,  393. 
Egan,  C.  P.,  Lieut.,  568. 
Egan,  J.,  Capt.,  (2d  Cav.),  iSo,  183. 
Egelston,  R.  S.,  Lieut.,  654. 
Egbert,  Capt.,  566,  568,  570,  572  ;  Major, 

641. 
Elder,  Capt.,  363,  390,  547  ;  Lieut.,  235. 
Election  Troubles,  326. 
Eleventh  Lffantry,  545. 
Elk  Creek,  294. 
Ellingwood,  Lieut.,  425. 
Elliott,  J.  H.,  Major,  251,  252,  253. 
Elliott,  \V.,  Gen.,  194,  207,  652. 
Elliott,  S.,  Lieut.  (4th  Cav.),  219. 
Elhs,  Capt.  (15th  Lif.),  626. 
Elhs,  Fort,  181,  189. 
Ely,  Col,  396. 
Elzey,  A.,  Capt.,  319. 
Emory,  W.   H.,  Major,    211,  232;  Gen., 

240 ;  Col,  407. 
Emucfau,  Battle  of,  432; 
Engineer  Corps,  iii,  125. 
English,  Lieut.,  510. 
Enos,  H.  M.,  Lieut.,  200,  232. 
Equipment  Board,  66. 
Ernst,  Lieut.,  488. 
Erving,  Col,  308,  317. 
Eskridge,  R.  L,  Lieut.,  268. 
Estes,  C.  A.  M.,  Capt.,  654. 
Eustis,  Gen.,  334;  Col,  303,  351,  352. 
Eustis,  Mr.,  76. 
Eustis,  W.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Evans,  Lieut.  (loth  Cav.),  295. 
Evans,  R.  K.,  Lieut.,  572. 
Evans,  Gen.,  221. 
Evans,  Lieut,  (nth  Inf.),  547. 
Evans,  A.  W.,  Capt.,  232. 
Evans,  W.,  Pvt.,  508. 
Everglades,  Florida,  335. 
Ewell,  Gen.,  383,  563. 
Ewell,  T.,  Lieut.,  194,  209  ;  Capt.,  195,  197, 


INDEX. 


719 


Kwen,  C,  Surgeon,  5S2. 

Ewing,  E.  S.,  Lieut.,  630,  633. 

Expedition  to  Mexico,    69S ;  St.    Johns,   1 

41C;  Utaii,  535;  Vicksburg,  575,576. 
Eyster,  Capt.,  652. 


Fairchild's  Ranch,  373. 

Fairfax  Court  House,  224. 

Fair  Oaks,  306,  325,  360,  369,  557,  591. 

Faison,  Lieut.,  412,  413. 

Falling  Waters,  234,  321,  324,  365. 

Falmouth,  366,  38 1. 

Fanning,  Col.  (4th  Art.),  312,  351,  354. 

Farmington,  Skirmish  at,  214. 

Farmington,  323. 

Farmville,  321. 

Farnsworth,  Lieut.  (Sth  Cav.),  272,  276. 

Farragut,  Admiral,  140,  146. 

FarreUy,  P.  A.,  Lieut.,  471. 

Farry,  Lieut.,  339,  340. 

Fauntleroy,  Col.,  137,  158, 159. 

Fechet,  Capt.,  276. 

Fenian  Raid,  310,  397.  464. 

Fenwick,  J.  R.,  Col.,  72,  353. 

Fessenden,  Lieut.  (5th  Art.),  387,  3S8. 

Fessenden,  Capt.  (19th  Inf.),  656. 

Fetterman,  Capt.    (15th  Inf.),  625;  (iSth 

Inf.),  645,  653. 
Field,  Gen.,  178,  221. 
Field,  Capt.  (3d  Art.),  342, 
Field,  Capt.  (4th  Art.),  362. 
Field,  G.  P.,  Capt.,  437. 
Field,  S.  G.,  Lieut.,  2,Zy 
Field,  F.  A.,  552. 

Fifteenth  Infantry,  610,  628. 

Fifth  Artillery,  37'6. 

Fifth  Infantry,  466. 

Finaughty,  M.,  Sergt.,  539. 

Finley,  C.  A.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  90,  91. 

Finley,  Lieut.,  295,  296. 

Finney,  Fort,  4. 

Finerty,  Mr.,  186,  206. 

First  Infantry,  401,  413. 

Fisher's  Hill,  163,  306. 

Fisher,  B.  F.,  Col.,  146. 

Fisher,  J.  II.,  Pvt.,  374. 

Fisher,  Lieut.,  160. 

Fisher,  O.,  Lieut.,  467. 

Fisher,  T.  H.,  Capt.,  689. 

Fisher,  W.  J.,  Lieut.,  539. 

Fitzmorris,  Sergt.,  546. 

Five  Forks,  239,  325,  363. 

Flandreau,  Agent  Indians,  535. 

Fleming,  Edw.,  Adjt.-Gen  ,  i. 

Fletcher,  Capt.,  667. 

Fletcher,  J.  S.,  Capt.,  630. 

Fletcher,  Lieut.  (loth  Inf.),  547. 

Fletcher,  W.,  Lieut.,  552. 

Fletcher,  Sergt.,  547. 

Flint,  F.  F.,  Capt.,  491- 

Flores.  Governor,  157. 

Florida  Territory,  52. 


Florida  War,  154,  17  5'  303-  y:>°<   l>y^  iV:) 

335- 
Floyd,  R  ,  Lieut.,  367. 
Floyd,  Sec'v,  131  ;  Gen.,  137. 
Floyd-Jones,   De   L.,  Col.,  448,  450.  45'. 

546,  547,  660,  661,  662. 
Fogarty,  Lieut.,  659. 
Foote,  R.  W.,  Capt..  490. 
Foote,  Capt.  (r4th  Inf.),  597. 
Forbes,  Lieut.,  622. 
Force,  M.  F.,  Gen.,  614. 
Ford,  L.,  Capt.,  1 53. 
Forney,  J.  H.,  Lieut.,  531. 
Forrest,  Gen.,  215,  216,  387. 
Forsyth,  G.  A.,  Gen.,  218,  257,  2S2,  473. 
Forsyth,  Ci.,  Lieut.  (2d  Drags.),  174. 
Forsyth,  J.   W.,   Major,  290,    292;    Col, 

170,  263,  265,  266;  Gen.,  267. 
Fort  Abercrombie,  639. 

"     Adams,  375,  432- 

"     Andrews,  Battle,  485. 

"     Apache,  172,  570. 

"     Assiniboine,  670. 

"     Atkinson,  405. 

'•     Barrancas,  443. 

"     Bayard,  172,  248,  696. 

"     Belknap,  242. 

"     Bid  well,  168. 

"     Bisland,  306. 

"     Bliss,  200,  479. 

"     Boise,  170. 

"     Bowyer,  Defense  of,  414. 

"     Brady,  415. 

"     Breckenridge,  159. 

"     Bridger,  200. 

"     Brooke,  434,  457- 

"     Brown,  499,  542,  669. 

"     Buchanan,  159. 

"     Buford,  581. 

"     Casper,  179. 

"     Chadbourne,  216,  406. 

"     Clark,  216,  321,  443,  656,  664. 

"     Cobb,  254. 

"     Coeur  d'Alene,  431. 

"     Columbus,  352,  354,  355,460. 

"     Concho,  294,  295. 

"     Craig,  I  59,  200. 

"     Crawford,  405. 

"     Custer,  168,  171,  172,  1S9,  190. 

"     Custis,  168. 

"     Crawford,  405,  456. 

"     Dallas,  416. 

"     Dearborn,  402. 

"     Dodge,  179.  242,  44S. 

"     Donelson,  385. 

"     Douglas,  632. 

"     Drane,  334 ;    Fight  at,  353,  49S. 

"     Duncan,  216. 

"     Erie,  116,  466;  Battle,  693;  Defence 
of,  302  ;   Siege  of.  403. 

•'     Fauntleroy,  Skirmish  near,  537. 

"     Filmore,  200,  201. 

"     Fisher,  346. 

"     George,  302,  480.  5S6 ;  Battle.  693. 

"    Gibson,  292,  293,  061. 


720 


INDEX. 


Fort  Grant,  172. 

"  Gregg,  376. 

"  Griffin,  217. 

"  Halleck,  168. 

"  Hamilton,  353,    -:,■]■],  397,    398,  443, 

541,  551.  558,  565- 

"  Hancock,  270. 

•'  Harker,  179. 

"  Harrison,  454  ;   Battle.  49S. 

"  Hatteras,  321,  363. 

"  Hays,  242. 

"  Hays.  179. 

"  Howard,  433. 

"  Independence,  545. 

"  Inge,  199,  200. 

"  Jefferson,  401. 

"  Kearney,  179,  213,  422,  538,  653. 

'•  Keogh,  256,  475,  690. 

"  King,  314,  498,  512. 

"  Lafayette,  637. 

"  Lapwai,  169,  430,  431. 

"  Laramie,  179,  1S3,  537. 

"  Lamed,  179. 

"  Las  Lunas,  200. 

"  Leavenworth,    211,    213,    289,    290, 

319,  655,  670. 

"  Lewis,  627. 

"  Lyon,  662,  179,  244. 

"  McDermott,  168. 

"  McDowell,  165. 

"  McHenry,  194,  353,   35S,   359,  372; 

Defense  of,  302. 

"  Mcintosh,  Fight  near,  405. 

"  McKavett,  632. 

"  McPherson,  179. 

"  Madison,  403. 

"  Maginnis,  168,  172. 

"  Maitland,  Defense  of,  354. 

"  Marcy,  200,  543. 

"  Marion,  294. 

"  Mason,  222. 

"  Meade,  263. 

"  Meigs,  302. 

"  Millen,  Defense  of,  354. 

"  Missoula,  699. 

"  Morgan,  Siege  of,  395. 

"  Myers,  172,  471. 

"  Niagara,  5S6;  Battle  of,  456. 

"  Oswego,  302. 

"  Parole,  551. 

"  Pickens,  306,  324,  443. 

"  Preble,  634,  636. 

"  Randall,  411,  681,  698. 

"  Recovery,  432. 

"  Reno,  166. 

"  Rice,  256,  580,  639,  680. 

"  Richmond,  377. 

"  Riley,  177,    179,   212,  250,   264,   266, 

267,  291,  473,  632. 

"  Russell,  229. 

"  Sanders,  179,  322. 

"  Sedgwick,  179,  654. 

"  Shaw,  449;   Headquarters,  505. 

"  Sill,  217,  267,  293,  294. 

"  Smith,   203. 


Fort  Snelhng,  172,405,  533,  535,  541,668, 
698. 

"  Stansbury.  435. 

"  Stanton.  192, 200. 

"  Stedman,  Attack  on,  395. 

"  Stevenson,  541,  682. 

"  Stockton,  283. 

"  Sully,  63S,  639. 

"  .Sumter,  306. 

"  Tejon,  159. 

"  Thomas,  247. 

"  Thorn,    200,    201,  442. 

"  Totten,  639. 

"  Towson,  156. 

"  Trumbull,  159,  590. 

"  Union,  200,  203,  244,  543. 

"  Vancouver,  165,  167. 

"  Wagner,  132,  346. 

"  Waila  Walla,  158,  168,  170,  191. 

"  Wallace,   179. 

"  Warren,  308. 

"  Washington,  414. 

"  Washita,  212. 

"  Wayne,  155,  156,  201,  411,  543,  685. 

"  Whipple,  167,  523. 

"  Winnebago,  405. 


Wise,  201 


520. 


-M- 


596. 


"     Wood 
"     Yates, 

Fortress  Monroe,  355,  397,  424. 

Forts,  New  England  Coast,  303. 

Forwood,  Surgeon,  236,  237,  594 

Foster,  Gen.,  120,  396. 

Foster,  Lieut. -Col.,  483. 

Foster,  W.  L.,  Capt.,  467. 

Fountain,  Lieut.,  273  ;  Capt.,  69c 

Four  Lakes,  Battle  of,  344. 

Fourth  Artillery,  351. 

Fourth  Infantry,  452. 

Fourth  Sub- Legion,  452. 

Fowier,  S.  H.,  Lieut.,  471. 

Fowler,  W.  H.,  Lieut.,  304. 

Fowler,  H.  W.,  Capt.,  174, 

Fowler,  J.  L.,  Capt.,  192. 

Fox,  Col,  637. 

Frankfort,  386. 

Franklin,  11  ;  Battle  of,  215,  371, 

Franklin,  W.  B.,  Gen.,  120,  555, 

Franklin,  W.  S.,  Lieut.,  555. 

Franklin's  Corps,  366,  369.. 

Fraser,  U.  S.,  Lieut.,  334. 

Frederick  the  Great,  14. 

Fredericksburg,   Battle  of,  144,  : 
322,  324,  347,  348,  360,  361, 
366,  369,  381,  382,  3S3,  407, 
464,  493,  504,  53S,  549,  552, 
635.  636,  693. 

Freedly,  Capt.,  447. 

Freeman,  H.  B.,  Capt.,  505. 

Freeman,  E.,  Lieut.,  471. 

Freeman,  Lieut.  (T8th  Inf.),  648,  649,  65 

Freiner,  Capt.,  161. 

Fremont,  Gen.,  120,  193. 

French,  W.    II.,    Gen.,  305,  30 
374.  49-- 


.363- 
588,611. 


234.  306, 
362,  365. 
426,  445, 
561,  591, 


3-5-  373. 


INDEX. 


■jzi 


French,  Lieui.  (9th  Cav.),  2S6. 

French,  T.  H.,  Lieut.,  261,  540,  541. 

French,  J.  \V.,  Capt.,  699. 

Frenchman's  Creek,  5S0. 

Frohock,  W.  T.,  Capt.,  282. 

Front  Royal,  322. 

Frost,  I).  M.,  Lieut.,  194. 

Fry,  J.  B.,  Gen.,  307,  i. 

Fry,  S.  S.,  Gen.,  647. 

Funkstovvn,  361,  365  ;  Battle  of,  321,  349. 

Fuller,  A.  II.,  Lieut.,  iSS. 

Fulmer,  Capt.,  61S. 


G. 


Gadsden,  J.,  Col.,  Insp.-Gen.,  27. 
Gage,  Gen.,  zy 

Gageby,  J.  IL.  Capt.,  573;   Lieut.,  659. 
Gaines,  E.  P.,  Gen.,  72,  74,  154,  457,  4S4, 

512. 
Gaines'  Farm,  370. 
Gaines'  Mills,  160,  223,  225,231,  321,  322, 

347.  377.  378,  399.  425.  444,  463.  50O' 

55-.  557.  565.  591.  593.  635.  693- 
Gainesville,  361,  425. 
Gaither,  H.,  Col.,  432. 
Gall,  Chief,  475. 

Gallagher,  J.  IL,  Lieut.  268,  269. 
Gait,  ^lajor,  317. 
Galloway,  Lieut.,  620. 
Gamble,  G.  IL,  Capt.,  282. 
Gamble,  W.,  Major,  26S. 
Gansevoort,  P.,  Quartermaster-Gen.,  47. 
Gansevoort,  Lieut.,  380,  38 1. 
Garibaldi  Guards,  384. 
Garadeau.  J.  P.,  Dep.  Com. -Gen.,  69. 
Gardener,  Lieut.,  (19th  Inf.),  663. 
Gardiner,  Capt.  (2d  Art.),  314. 
Gardner,  F.,  Capt.,  531,  533. 
Gardner,  Lieut.,  W.  M.,  420,  421. 
Gardner,  C.  K.,  Major,  8,  26,  433. 
Gardner,  J.  L.,  Major,  319,  355,  366. 
Garesche,  Col.,  205. 
Garfield,  President,  327. 
Garita   de    Candelaria,    357;  Ninio  Per- 

dido,  439  ;  San  Cosme,  340. 
Garland,  Gen.,  339,  593;  Col.,  436,  521. 
Garland,  J.,  Col.,  519. 
Garlington,   E.    A.,    Lieut.,    265;    Major, 

Garnett,  L.,  Lieut.,  499,  500. 

Garnett,  R.  S.,  Capt.,  211,  526. 

{Jarrard,  Major,  202. 

Ciarrard,  Gen,,  221. 

Garza,  210,  267. 

Gates,  H.,  Gen.,  2. 

Gates,  Col.  (3d  Art.),  334.  338,  340,  343' 

Gates,  Lieut.  (i8th  Inf.),  649,  650. 

Gates,  W.,  Major,  304,  312. 

Gates,  L.,  Capt.,  304. 

Gatewood,  C.  B.,  Lieut.,  208,  209. 

Geary,  Gen.,  362,  365,  385. 

Geary,  W.  D.,  Lieut.,  568,  570. 

General  in  Chief,  4,  401. 


Gentry,  Col.,  4S3. 

Geronimo,    191,   219,  24S,   273,   462,  524, 

543.  573- 
Geronimo,  Campaign,   148,  208,  296,  412, 

4I3- 
Gettysburg,   140,    160,  236,  306,   307,  308, 

321,  322,  323,  324,  330.  348,  349.  390. 

362,   363,  365,  366,  383,  427,  446,  464, 

494,  504,505,  521,  539,  561,   571,  580, 

589,  598,  636,  693. 
Getty,    G.    H.,  Gen.,  ^^t,,   366,  370,  375, 

377.  448. 
Ghent,  Treaty  of,  73. 
Gibbon,  J.,  Gen.,  181,   185,    186,  1S9,  259, 

361,372,  506,  507,  509.  510- 
Gibbs,    A.,  Lieut.,   194,  197,   251  ;    Capt., 

195,  200,  201,  502. 
Gibbs,  T.  K.,  Lieut.,  390. 
Gibson,  G.,  Major,  50,    76,77;    Col.,  75, 

79.  80. 
Gibson,  G.,  Lieut.-Col.,  473,  479. 
Gibson,  J.  B.,  Lieut.,  305. 
Gibson,  H.  G.,  Capt.,  343,  344,  347. 
Giddings,  J.,   Hon.,  5S9. 
Giddings,  G.  R.,  Major,    589,  590,  692. 
Gilbert,  C.  C,    Capt.,    405,    407 ;    Gen., 

510,  639,  646,  660,  661. 
Gilbert.  W.  W.,  Lieut.,  657,  661. 
Gilbert,  Corp.,  368. 
Gill,  J.  H..  134. 

Gillem,  A.  C,  Gen.,  168,  307,  553. 
Gillespie,  Capt.,  157. 
Gillette,  Capt.,  625. 
Gillis,  J.,  Lieut.,  379,  389. 
Gillott,  C,  Lieut.,  268. 
Gilman,  J.  IL,  Major,  665. 
Gilpin,  W.,  Lieut.,  174. 
Gilpin,  T.,  Capt.,  174. 
Gittings,  Lieut.,  346. 
Glasscock,  Gen.,  73,  74. 
Glassford,  \V.  A.,  Lieut.,  136. 
Gleason,  J.,  Lieut.,  467. 
Glendale,  306. 

Godfrey,  E.  S.,  Capt.,  262,  267. 
Goe,  J.  B.,  Lieut.,  575. 
Golding's  Farm,  322. 
Goodhue,  Capt.,  580. 
Goodrich,  Lieut.,  42S. 
Goodwin,  Sergt.,  356. 
CJoose  Creek,  Attachment,  529,  448. 
I   Gordon,  Lieut.  (4th  Cav.),  214. 

Gordon,  Lieut. -(len.,  392. 
j   Gordon,  J.  W.,  Major,  545,  552. 
I   Gordon,  W.,  Capt.,  174. 
Gordon,    I).    S.,    Lieut.,    178;  Col.,    179, 

iSo;  Major,  181,  190. 
Gordon,  G.  A.,  Lieut.,  178,  229. 
Gordon,  G.  II.,  Lieut.,  194,  195. 
Gordonsville,  238. 
Gorgas,  Lieut.,   129,  132. 
Gouvion,  du,  Major,  iii. 
Gove,  J.  A.,  Capt.,  531. 
Grace  Creek  Battle,  694. 
Gracie,  A.,  Gen.,  473. 
Grafton,  H.  D.,  Lieut.,  305. 


46 


722 


INDEX. 


Graham,  W.  M.,  Gen.,  39S. 

Graham,  G.  W.,  Lieut.,  290,  291,  292. 

Graham,  J.,  Li9ut,,  174,  176. 

Graham,  J.  D.,  Lieut.,  580. 

Graham,  L.   P.,  Col.,  291,  292. 

Graham,  Capt.  (3d  Cav.),  204. 

Granger,   R.   S.,    Col.,    552;    Lieut.-CoL, 

630,  631,  633;  Gen.,  473. 
Granger,  G.,  Capt.,  645;  Col.,  627  5  Lieut., 

194. 
Grant,  U.    S.,    Gen.,    140,   141,   221,  317, 

348,  349.  370.  388.  39 1'  393'  409,  410, 

428,  459,  461,  463,  510,  571,  576,  613, 

614,  620,  621. 
Grant,  F.  D.,  Col.,  257. 
Grattan,  Lieut.,  489,  535. 
Grau,  Gen.,  552. 
Gravelly  Run,  362. 
Gray,  Lieut,  (nth  Inf.),  547. 
Gray,  T.,  Lieut.,  620. 
Gray,  R.,  Lieut.,  290. 
Gray,  D.C.G.S.,  69. 
Great  Britain,  war  with,  126,  173. 
Greble,  J.  T.,  Lieut.,  325. 
Green,  J.,  Major,  168,    169,    373  ;  Capt., 

I  So,  568. 
Green,  J.  M.,  Lieut.,  580. 
Green,  P.  R.,  Lieut.,  467. 
Green  Briar  River,  366. 
Green  Lake,  400. 
Greene,  Maj.-Gen.,  40,  41,  42. 
Greene,  J.  D.,  Col.,  495,  634,  635,  636. 
Greene,  G.  S.,  Lieut.,  332. 
Greene,  O.  D.,  Lieut.,  324. 
Grier,   W.  N.,  Col.,  203. 
Gregg,  Gen.,  235,  240,  323,  348. 
Gregg,  J.  I.,  Capt.,  232 ;  Col.,  268. 
Gresham,  J.  C,  Lieut.,  265. 
Gridley,  R.,  Col.,  iii,  328. 
Grier,  W.  N.,  Major,  160. 
Grierson,     B.    H.,    Col.,     289,    290,    295, 

296. 
Griffin,    Gen.,  548,  600;   Capt.,  376,   377, 

397- 
Griffin,  Lieut.  (13th  Inf.),  577. 
Griffin,  G.  H.,  Lieut.,  484. 
Griffin,  Sergt.,  423. 
Grimes,  W.  M„  Chaplain,  290. 
Grimsley,   T.,  Lieut.  174. 
Groome,  H.,  Lieut.,  174,  176. 
Grose,  Gen.,  367. 
Grose's  Brigade,  367. 
Gross,  F.  P.,  Lieut..  282. 
Ground  Squirrel  Church,  361. 
Grover,    Gen.,    205;  Col.,    16S,    170,    171, 

531.  695- 
Gruard,  Scout,  186. 
Grummond,  Lieut.,  653. 
Guard  at  Elberon,  327. 
Guard  at  the  White  House,  327. 
Guenther   Lieut.,    386,    387  ;    Capt.,    388, 

648. 
Guiteau,  327. 

Gunnison,  J.  W.,  Capt.,  119,  200. 
Gunther,  Capt.  (4th  Cav.),  216,  217. 


Guthrie,  J.  B.,  Lieut.,  580. 
Gwynne,  Capt.,  511,  512. 


Hacienda,  Nalvarte,  421. 

Hacquahalla,  Engagement  at,  271. 

Haefling,  C,  Sergt.,  215. 

Hagan,  Sergt.  (nth  Inf.),  546,  552. 

Hager,  Capt.,  597. 

Hagerstown,  324,  364,  365. 

Hagner,    Lieut.,    128,    129,  135,  304, 

Hains,  Lieut.,  325. 

Hale,  D.  E.,  Lieut.,  304. 

Hale,  H.  C,  Lieut.,  573. 

Hale,  O.,  Lieut.,  251 ;  Capt.,  262. 

Hale,  C,  Lieut.,  630. 

Hall,  J.  C,  Lieut.-CoL,  526. 

Hall,  R.  H.,  Lieut.-Col.,  497,  540. 

Hall,  Lieut,  (ist  Cav.),  161. 

Hall,  C.  S.,  Lieut,  584. 

Halleck,  Gen.,  114,  120,  141,  615. 

Halleck,  Camp.,  269. 

Haller,  Capt.,  462. 

Hamburg,  408. 

Hamilton,  A.,  Major-Gen.,  6,  i5.  23. 

Hamilton,  C.  S.,  Gen.,  472. 

Hamilton,  J.,  Col.,  346,  398. 

Hamilton,  J.  M.,  Lieut.,  2S1. 

Hamilton,  J.  W.,  153,174. 

Hamilton,  Lieut,  (ist  Inf.),  403,  539. 

Hamilton,  L.  M.,  Capt.,  251,  253. 

Hamilton,  Mr.,  77. 

Hamilton,  S.  T.,  Lieut.,  180,  187. 

Hammond,  W.  A.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  91,  92, 

93.  95- 
Hammond,  Lieut,  (ist  Cav.),  157. 
Hampson,  J.  A.    P.,  Lieut.,  539;    Capt., 

572;  Major,  573. 
Hamtranck,  J.  F.,  Col.,  401,  402. 
Hancock,  W.   S.,  Gen.,  347,  362,  389,  390, 

393'  394  ;  Lieut.,  427,  485. 
Hancock,  E.,  Paym.-Gen.,  100. 
Hancock  Barracks,  521. 
Hand,  E.,  Gen.,  3. 
Hand,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  198. 
Hanna,  Lieut.,  243,  244,  245,  246. 
Hanover,  Va.,  224,  232,  324,  349,  364,  365, 

377'  591- 
Hanovertown,  322. 
Harbach,  Lieut.,  552,  580,  667. 
Hardee,  Gen.,  78,  221,  222,  386,  647. 
Hardie,    J.   A.,  Col.,  29,  30. 
Hardie,  Capt.  (3d  Cav.),  210. 
Harding,  Lieut.,  649. 
Hare,  Lieut.,  185. 

Harker,  C.  G.,  Lieut.,  612;  Capt.,  622. 
Harmar,   J.,  Lieut.-Col.,  4,  22. 
Harmon,  W.  R.,  Lieut.,  291. 
Harney,  W.  S.,  Gen.,  175,  176,   197,  419, 

437,438,462,  489,  532;  Lieut.,    303; 

Col.,  404, 
Harney  Lake,  Fight  at,  344. 
Harper's  Ferry,  129,  335,  359,  426,  558. 


INDEX, 


723 


Harpeth  River,  Skirmish  at,  368. 

Harrison,  President,  60,  402. 

Harrington,  G.,  Lieut.,  203 

Harrington,  H.  M.,  Lieut.,  259. 

Harris,  G.  M.,  Lieut.,  373. 

Harris,  M.,  Lieut.,  162,  164. 

Harris'  Cavalry,  237. 

Harrison,  W.  IL,  Lieut.,  178. 

Harrison,  J.,  Lieut.  (5th  Cav.).  221,224. 

Harrison,  J.  F.,  Lieut.,  531,  533. 

Harrison's  Landing,  37S,  425,  464,  557 

Hart,  Lieut.,  659. 

Hart  Island,  637. 

Hartsuff,  Lieut.,  31S. 

Hart  well,  Lieut,  (nth  Inf.),  547,  548,  552. 

Hartwell,  Capt.  (Sth  Cav.),  272. 

Hartz,  Lieut.,  519,  625,  627. 

Haskell,  J.,  Major,  5. 

Haskell,  Lieut,  (ist  Inf.),  406. 

Haskin,  J.  A.,  Lieut.,  305. 

Haskin,  W.  L.,  Major,  301,  704. 

Hasson,  Lieut.,  278. 

Hatch,  J.  P.,  Gen.,  191,  194,  215. 

Hatch,  E.,  Col,  281,  2S3. 

Hatchee  Lustee,  Battle  of,  354. 

Hatcher's    Run,   325,  362,  369,  370,  393, 

694. 
Hatfield,  Capt.,  219. 
Hatheway,  J.  S.,  Capt.,  304,  305. 
Hawk  River,  Engagement  at,  417 
Hawkins,  J.  P.,  Col.,  82. 
Hawkins,  G.  W.,  Lieut.,  194. 
Hawkins,  H.  S.,  Capt.,  496 
Hawley,  W.,  Lieut.  667. 
Hawthorne,  H.  L.,  Lieut.,  265,  266. 
Hayden,  J.,  Lieut.,  Col.,  625. 
Hayden,  Lieut.  (2d  Inf.),  421. 
Hayden,  Lieut.  (3d  Art.),  347,  351. 
Hayes,  President,  325;  Gen.,  397. 
Hayes,  H.  B.,  Capt.,  232. 
Hayman,  Col,  368  ;    Major,  540. 
Haymarket,  360,  361. 
Haymond,  Capt.,  645,  648,  649. 
Hayne,  Col,  Insp.-Gen.,  27. 
Hays,  W.,  Gen.,  320,  360. 
Hays,  Te.\as  Rangers,  515. 
Hazen,  W.  B.,  Gen.,  496,  695. 
Hazlett,  Capt.,  379,  3S0,  381,  384,  385. 
Hazlitt,  R.,  Lieut.  (3d  Inf.),  437. 
Hazzard,  G.  W.,  Capt.,  360,  361. 
Hazzard,  Sergt.,  355. 
Head,  Lieut.,  547,  552. 
Head,  Chief,  172. 
Heald,  Capt.,  402. 
Healy,  Lieut.,  214,  215. 
Heath,  Capt.,  490. 
Heaton,  Lieut.,  322. 
Hebert,  P.  O.,  Col,  587. 
Heckman,  Gen.,  370. 
Hedberg,  Capt.,  625. 
Hedges,  J.,  Lieut.,  215. 
Heilman,  Capt.,  619,  620,625. 
Heileman,  Capt.,  312,  313,  314. 
Heintzelman,  S.  P..  Col,  634,  635. 
Heintzelman's  Corps,  369. 


Hcitman,  F.  \V.,  451. 
Henderson,  Lieut.,  314. 
Henderson's  Brigade,  354. 
Hendrickson,  Lieut.,  488. 
Henely,  A.,  Lieut.,  244,  245. 
Hennessy,  Frank,  Pvt.,  413. 
Hennissee,  Lieut.,  275. 
Henry,  Lieut.  (Rifles),  201. 
Henry,  G.  V.,  Col,  186,  266,  267,  287. 
Henry,  Sergt.,  499. 
I    Henry  House  Hill,  379,  380. 
Ilentig,  Capt.,  247. 
Henton,  Lieut.,  590,  594,  596. 
Herbert,  A.,  Lieut.,  304. 
Heron  Lake,  534 
Hesse,  Sergt.,  520. 

Heth,  H.,  Lieut.,  531,  S32,  536;  Gen.,  564. 
Hewitt,  Lieut.,  657,  663. 
Heyl,  Capt.,  216,  282,  285. 
Hibbets,  Lieut.,  653. 
Hicks,  J.  \V.,  Lieut.,  667. 
Higbee,  G.  H.,  Capt..  547.  583- 
Hill,  A.  P.,  Gen.,  305,  307,  348,  377.  393. 

563,  564. 
Hill,  Lieut.  (Ord.),  135. 
Hill,  B.  H.,  Lieut.,  305. 
Hill,  Lieut.  (2d  Drag.),  176. 
Hill,  D.  H  ,  Lieut.,  357. 
Hill,  J.  H.,  Lieut.,  533,  537. 
Hill,  J.  U.,  Lieut.,  511. 
Hillsboro,  234. 
Hindman,  Major,  312. 
Hinks,  E.  W.,  Col,  697,  698. 
Hinman,  L    S.,  Lieut.,  566. 
Hinton,  C.  B.,  Lieut.,  654. 
Hitchcock,  Lieut   (i8th  Inf.),  648. 
Hitchcock,  E.  A.,  Major,    511;  Col,  422, 

435'  436- 

Hitchcock,  Surgeon,  89. 

Hoag's  Bluff,  Engagement  at,  275. 

Hobart,  C,  Lieut.,  269. 

Hobart,  Capt.,  351. 

Hodgden,  S.,  Gen.,  44. 

Hodges,  Gen.,  463. 

Hodgson,  B.  H.,  Lieut.,  260. 

Hoffman,  Col,  445,  448,  519. 

Hoffman,  Lieut.,  304,  305. 

Iloff,  [.  V.  R.,  Capt.,  265. 

Hoff,  J.  J.,  Capt.,  667. 

Hoff,  W.,  Capt.,  485.  486. 

Hogan,  Lieut..  6S2. 

Holabird,  S.  B.,  Col,  Quartermaster- 
Gen.,  60. 

Holbrook,  Lieut.,  620. 

Holden,  L.  H.,  Surgeon,  200. 

Holding,  I.  \V..  Lieut..  407. 

Hollow  .Vsh,  Battle,  489. 

HoUoway,  Lieut.,  515,  517.  520. 

Holman,  Lieut.,  392. 

Holmes,  T.  IL,  Lieut.,  153. 

Holmes,  Theo.,  Major,  174.  520. 

nolt,  J.,  Judge.  Adv.-Gen.,  36,  37. 

Hood,  Gen.,  215,  221,  225,  371. 

Hooker,  J.,  Gen.,  140,  178,  305.  307,  348, 
35S,  360,  369.  380,  383,  561,  597- 


724 


INDEX. 


Hooker,  E.  A.,  Capt.,  282. 

Hoops,  Dep.  Com.  Gen.,  69. 

Hoover,  Lieut.,  592. 

Hoover's  Gap,  387,  648. 

Hoppin,  Lieut.,  1S9. 

Home,  Van,  Major,  440,  441. 

Horse  Artillery  Brigade,  320,  323. 

Horsehead  Hills,  2S4. 

Horton,  T.  H.,  Major,  612. 

Hospitarke,  Chief,  512. 

Hough,  A.  L.,  Col.,  530,  633,  6S7,  689. 

Houghton,  Mich.,  Riot  at,  411. 

House,  J.,  Col.,  312. 

Houston,  Senator,  231. 

Hovey,  H.  \V.,  Lieut.,  695. 

How,  J.  L.,  Lieut.,  580. 

Howard,    Gen.,   131,    132,    169,  189,  260, 

360,  372>^  374.  5o«.  51°-  569.  623. 
Howard,  G.,  Lieut.,  570,  572. 
Howard,  R.  V.  W.,  Capt.,  370. 
Howe,  A.  P.,  Col.,   358,  375  ;  Gen.,    372, 

382,  383. 
Howe,  M.  S.,  Lieut.,  174;  Col.,  202. 
Howe,  Lieut.  (4th  Art.),  373. 
Howell,  J.  W.,  Paym.-Gen.,  102. 
Howland,  Capt.,  202,  203. 
Hoya,  La,  304. 
Hoyer,  Lieut.,   161,  162. 
Iloyt,  G.  S.,  Lieut.,  654. 
Hualapais,  270,  271. 
Huamantla,  Skirmish  at,  340. 
Hubbard,  S.  L.,  Lieut.,  370. 
Hudson,  Lieut.,  (ist  Lif.),  405. 
Hudson,  E.  M.,  Capt.,  600;  Major,  625. 
Huey's  Brigade,  349. 
Huger,  Gen.,  129,  132,  333,  592. 
Huggins,  Capt.,  190. 
Hughes,  Capt.,  653. 
Hughes,  B.  M.,  193. 
Hugo,  Lieut.,  286. 
Hull,  Gen.,  402,  454,  455. 
Hull,  Capt.,  644,  648,  652,  653,  654. 
Hulbert,  W.,  Lieut.,  485. 
Humason,  S.  D.,  2d  Lieut.,  631. 
Humphrey,  Capt.  (4th  Art.),  351. 
Humphreys,   A.   A.,   Gen.,    118,120,315, 

367,  446. 
Humphreys,  Capt.  (15th  Inf.),  627. 
Hungry  Hill,  Battle  of,  159,  343- 
Hunt,  H.  J.,  Gen.,  317,  318,  319,  320,  325, 

333.    348,    364,    379.   384.    397,    398, 

463- 
Hunt,  L.  C,  Col.,  669. 
Hunt,  J.  S.,  Lieut.,  370. 
Hunter,  D.,  Gen.,   153,  232,  240,  391,  444, 

472. 
Hunter,  Lieut.  (8th  Cav.),  270. 
Hunter,  Lieut.  (loth  Inf.), 
Hunter,  Lieut.  (12th  Inf.),  541,  566,  567. 
Hunterstown,  324. 

Huntington,  Lieut.,  551  ;   Sergt.,  547. 
Huntsville  Barracks,  429. 
Hurst,  Lieut.,  570;  Capt.,  573. 
Huston,  D.  H.  Col.,  407,  479,  552. 
Hutchins,  B.  T.,  Lieut.,  232. 


Hutcheson,  Lieut.,  280. 
Hyer,  Lieut.,  653,  654. 


Ide,  W,  C,  Capt.,  5S0. 

Ilges,   G.,   Major,  47S,   554;    Capt.,   594, 

597,  600. 
Illinois  Vols.,  408. 
Independence,  Mo.,  40S. 
Indian  Bureau,  250. 
Indian  Skirmishes,  477,  478. 
Indian  Territory,  663. 
Indiana  Vols.,  Sixty-sixth,  577,  639. 
Indians : 

Apaches,  148,  159,  176,  191,  200,218, 
223,  227,  245,  248,  249,  252,  270,  271, 
273.  -95.  -96.  370,  374,  472,  542,543- 
Arapahoes,  182,  183,  252,  529. 
Bannocks,  229,  274,  430,  478,  533,  569. 
Cherokees,  155,   156,  315,  334,  335,  354. 

458. 
Cheyennes,  182,  183,  218,  226,  228,  229, 
242,    244,    252,    263,  272,  276,  291, 
294,  372,    413,    474,    475,  505,  529, 
632. 
Choctaws,  406,  433. 
Comanches,    176,    217,    223,    242,     252, 

273.  275,  -76,  293,  294,  474.  542. 
Creeks,  y^^,'  353.  4i6,  43--  670. 
Crows,  260,  479,  507. 
Dakotas,  572. 
Floridas,  154,    175,  303,  305,  330,   331, 

332,^  335- 
Kickapoos,  295. 

Kiowas,  242,  252,  272,  275,  279,  293,  294. 
Klamaths,  343. 
Lipans,  295,  542. 
Miamis,  401,  414. 
Modocs,  56S. 
Mohaves,  491. 
Navajoes,  441,  442,  537. 
Nez    Perces,    169,   189,    229,    260,   261, 

373.  412,  430,  439>'477,  47S,  5-3- 
Piegans,  iSo,  583. 
Piutes,  i6g,  374. 
Pottawattomies,  354. 
Pueblos.  442. 
Puget  Sound,  343. 
St.  Carlos  Agency,  245. 
Sacs  and  Foxes,  403. 
Seminoles,  J2,>   88,  314,    333,  341,  353' 

358.  417,456,  457,471- 
Sheep-Eater,  430. 
Sioux,  182,  183,  186,  190,  226,  229,    245, 

24S,  252,  263,  264,  287,  358,  373.  431, 

450,   478,    505,    507,  522,  529,   533, 

632,  641,  682,  690. 
Umatillas,  37,  343. 
Utes,  229,  248,  510,  632,  689. 
Wichita  Agency,  293,  474,  698. 
Yakimas,  343. 
Yanktons,  534. 
Yellow  Med,icine  Agency,  344. 


INDEX 


725 


Infantry,  First              Regiment,  401 

Second 

414 

Third 

432 

Fourth 

% 

" 

Fifth 

" 

Sixth 

4S0 

" 

Seventh 

498 

" 

KiL;hth 

5" 

" 

Nintli 

526 

" 

Tenth                        " 

531 

" 

Eleventh 

545 

" 

Twelfth 

555 

" 

Thirteenth               " 

575 

" 

P'ourteenth 

610 

" 

Fifteenth                  " 

" 

Sixteenth                " 

629 

" 

Seventeenth 

634 

" 

Eighteenth             " 

643 

" 

Nineteenth 

657 

" 

Twentieth 

666 

" 

Twenty-first           " 

673 

" 

Twenty-second      " 

680 

" 

Twenty-third       ,  " 

692 

" 

Twenty-fourth 

695 

" 

Twenty-fifth           " 

697 

Infernal  Caverns,  Battle,  694. 

Ingall 

s,  Quartermaster-Gen.,  60 

Inge, 

Lieut.,  176. 

Ingersoll,  Lieut.,  467. 

Ingham,  Lieut.,  547. 

Ink-pah-du-tah,  Chief,  534,  535. 

Inspector-Gen's.,   Dept.,    5,  6,  i 
Irish  Bend,  306,  322. 

2,  24,  32, 

Irish 

brigade.  362. 

Iron  Star,  Chief,  6S8. 

Irons, 

J.  F.,  Lieut..  304,  305. 

Irvin, 

M.,  Uep.  Com.-Gen.,  69. 

Irvine 

,  Lieut.,  198. 

Irvine 

,  R.  J.  C,  Lieut.,  353. 

Irving 

,  Capt.,  351. 

Irwin 

Gen.,  38 1. 

Irwin 

D.  S.,  Lieut.,  437- 

Irwin 

J.  R.,  Lieut.,  304. 

Iverson,  A.,  Lieut.,  2ri. 

Izard 

G.,  Capt.,  23,  123. 

Izard 

J.  F.,  Lieut.,  153,  155. 
J. 

Jack,  Capt.,  373. 

Jackson,  T.  J..  Gen.,  224,  305,  307,  322, 

576,  577,  588,  593,  600. 
Jackson,  G.  A.,  Gen.,  73,  456. 
Jackson,  R.  H.,  Gen.,  307,  37S,   380,  3S2. 
Jackson,  T.  K.,  Lieut.  (8th  Inf.),  520. 
Jackson,  Lieut.  (15th  Inf.),  623. 
Jackson,  W.  H.,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  200,  201. 
Jackson,  Major  (2nd  Cav.),  192. 
Jackson  Barracks,  448,  698. 
Jackson  Camp,  Capture,  322. 
Jackson's  Cavalry,  367. 
Jackson,  Fight  near,  370. 
Jackson,  Mt".,  392. 


Jackson,  Siege  of,  348. 

Jacobi,  J.  C,  Chaplain,  282. 

Jacobs,  G.  \V.,  Lieut.,  467. 

Jacobs,  I.  K.,  Lieut.,  467. 

Jalapa,  Mexico,  356. 

James  City,  325. 

James,  Army  of  the,  370,  371,  389. 

Jaquette,  Surgeon,  596. 

Jarvis,  C.  E.,  Lieut.,  418. 

Jasper,  Skirmish  at,  368. 

Jefferson,  President,  6,  46,  402,  625. 

Jefferson    Barracks,    198,    211,   405,    433, 

458,  512,575- 
Jerome,  Lieut.,  275,  688. 
Jerome,  L.  IL,  Lieut.,  188,  189. 
Jesup,  T.  H.,  Gen.,  50,    52,   55,  315,  334, 

353-  404- 
Jewett,  Capt.,  612,  622,  625,  626;  Major, 

633- 
Johnson.  President,  58,  503. 
Johnson,  R.  M.,  Hon.,  78. 
Johnson,  Gen.,  C.  S.  A.,  563,  600, 
Johnson,    R.  \V.,  (len.,  221,  339,  346,368, 

613,622. 
Johnson,  A.  B.,  Lieut.,  498. 
Johnson,  J.  B.,  Lieut.,  195,  207,  234,  263. 
Johnson,  C.  P.,  Lieut,,  297. 
Johnston,  J.   E.,  Col.,    29,  30;  Gen.,  211, 

346. 
Johnston's  Surrender,  321. 
Johnston,  A.    S.,  Gen.,  221,   222,  482,  535, 

644. 
Johnston,  Capt.  (ist  Drag.),  157. 
Johnstone,  J.  P.,  Lieut.,  305. 
Jones,  S.,  Gen.,  236,  307,  600. 
Jones,  L.,  Lieut.,  193. 
Jones,  R.,  Capt.,  Adjt.-Gen.,  9,  332. 
Jones,  J.  P.,  Lieut.,  319. 
Jones,  W.  G.,  Capt.,  540. 
Jones,  Chief,  Sam.,  513. 
Jones,  T.  M.,  Lieut.,  520. 
Jones,  W.,  Com.-Gen.,  47. 
Jonesboro,  448,  624,  651,  661. 
Jordan  Creek,  Battle,  694. 
Jordan,  C,  Lieut.,  631. 
Jordan,  Lieut.  (2d  Inf.),  424,  435. 
Jordan,  Sergt.,  286. 
Joseph,    Chief,    189,    260,    262,   462,  508, 

523- 
Judah,  Gen.,  463. 
Judd,  Lieut.,  339. 

Judge  Advocate-General's  Dept.,  33,  37. 
Juniper  Canon,  Battle,  694. 


K. 


Kamiarkin,  Chief,  462. 
Kansas  City,  408. 
Kansas  Troubles,  358. 
Kansas  Vol.  Cavalry,  254. 
Kauffman,  Capt.,  275. 
Kautz,    A.  v..    Gen.,  232, 

525,  626. 
Keais,  J-  L.,  Lieut.,  334. 


234,  463,  523, 


720 


INDEX. 


Kearny,  S-  W.,  Lieut.-Col.,  153,  154,  155, 

156,  157  ;  Major,  433,  435. 
Kearny,  W.,  Lieut.,  531. 
Kearneysville,  325. 
Keeler,  S.,  Lieut.,  467. 
Keeling,  W.  H.,  Lieut.,  580. 
Keifer,  J.  M.,  Gen.,  392. 
Kellogg,  L.  M.,  Lieut.,  531,  533. 
Kellogg,  W.  C,  Lieut.,  539;    Capt.,  542, 

644,  653,  654. 
Kelly,  Gen.,  364. 
Kelly,  H.  B.,  Lieut.,  531. 
Kelly,  J.,  Capt.,  630. 
Kelly,  Lieut.  (4th  Cav.),  214. 
Kelly's  Ford,  364,  365. 
Kelly,  W.,  Capt.,  269,  271. 
Kelly,  Sergt.,  270. 
Kendall,  Lieut.,  620. 
Kendrick,  H.,  Capt.,  315,  317.  318- 
Kenesaw    Mountain,  323,    448,  622,    624, 

651,  660. 
Kennedy,  W.  B.,  Lieut.,  290. 
Kennington,  Sergt.,  546. 
Keogh,  M.  W.,  Capt.,  251,  259. 
Ker,  C,  Lieut.,  174. 
Kerin,  Lieut.,  233,  234,  235. 
Kerns,  Capt.,  378. 
Kernsville,  363. 
Kerr,  Lieut.  (17th  Inf.),  641. 
Kerr,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  201. 
Ketcham,  H.  H.,  Lieut.,  681,  684. 
Ketchum,  W.  S.,  Capt.,  490;  Col.,  552. 
Keteltas,  H.,  Capt.,  622,  625;  Col.,  612, 

615. 
Keyes,  4  E.   D.,  Gen.,  307,  333,  343.  545' 

552,596,600. 
Kid,  Indian  Chief,  296. 
Kidd,  M.  H.,  Major,  290. 
Kidd,  W.,  Lieut.,  425. 
Kidder,  Lieut.,  180. 
Kilpatrick,  J.,  Gen.,  307,  349.  365- 
Kimball's  Brigade,  364. 
King,  Capt.  (ist   Inf.),  405.  594.  657,  658, 

659. 
King,  C.  L.,  Capt.,  563. 
King,  E.  A.,  Col.,  495. 
King,  Gen.,  387,  388,  622,  651. 
King,    J.    H.,  Capt.,  528,    529,    612,    613, 

616,  617,  618,  619. 
King,  J.  K.,  Gen.,  649. 
Kingsbury,  Lieut.,  378. 
Kingsbury,  C.  E.,  Lieut.,  174. 
Kingsbury,  G.  W.,  Lieut.,  568,  570. 
Kingsbury,  J.,  Col.,  403. 
King's  Division,  361. 
Kinney,  Lieut.,  381,  644. 
Kinzie,  D.  H.,  Lieut.,  381. 
Kinzie,  J.,  Lieut.,  266. 
Kirby,  E.,  Gen.,  307. 
Kirby,  R.  M.,  Capt.,  304. 
Kirk,  Gen.,  614. 
Kirkland,  Lieut.,  649. 
Kirkman,  Capt.,  543. 
Kislingbury,  Lieut.,  190. 
Klamath  Fort,  568. 


Klinbrans,  G.  Pvt.,  413. 
Kline,  J.,  Capt.,  654. 
Kneass,  Capt.,  648. 
Knipe,  Gen.,  215. 
Knox,  H.,  Gen.,  328,  421. 
Knoxville,  322,  347. 
Kramer,  A.,  Capt.,  246. 
Krause,  Lieut.,  449,  594,  600. 
Ku  Klux  Klan,  631. 
Kyle,  Lieut.,  168. 


Labor  Riots,  374,  654. 

Lacey,  F.  E.,  Major,  424,  425  ;  Capt.,  428. 

La  Cole  Mill,  Battle  of,  456,  693. 

Lafferty,  Lieut.,  270,  275. 

Lagnel,  J.  A.  de,  Lieut.,  319, 

Laidley,  Lieut.,  129,  135. 

Lakes,  Four,  Engagement,  529. 

Lake  Frontier,  403. 

Lake  Okeechobee,  Engagement  at,  458. 

Lambert,  Lieut,  638. 

Lame  Deer,  Chief,  412,  476,  687. 

La  Motte,  R.  S.,  405,  570,  572,  580,  581. 

Landan,  Pvt.,  541- 

Landers,  Div.,  364. 

Lane,  John  F.,  Capt.,  174. 

Lane,  Lieut.  (i8th  Inf.),  649. 

Lane,  Lundy's,  526. 

Lane,  W.  B.,  Major,   195,  196,  198,  199, 

201. 
Earned,  B.  F.,  Paym.-Gen.,  109,  467. 
Lassiter,  W.,  Quartermaster,  633. 
Latimer,  A.  E.,  Capt.,  552. 
Laurel  Hill  Battle,  346,  364,  693. 
Lava  Beds,  The,  373. 
Lawless,  Capt.,  178. 
Lawler's  Brigade,  410. 
Lawrence,  J.,  J.A.G.,  33. 
Lawrence,  Major,  415;   Col,  467. 
Lawson,  Thomas,  Surgeon  Gen.,  88-90. 
Lawson,  Capt.,  207. 
Lawton,  A.  R.,  Gen.,  307. 
Lawton,  H.  W.,  Capt.,  218,  219,  296,  524, 
Lay,  Capt.,  447. 

Layton,  C.  R.,  Capt.,  630;  Major,  670. 
Lazelle,    H.   M.,   Capt,,   182,   527;    Col., 

655,  688. 
Lazelle,  W.,  Pvt.,  410. 
Leadbetter,  D.,  Gen.,  307. 
Lear,  Major,  436. 
Learned,  S.,  Col,  526. 
Leavenworth,  H.,  Col.,  415,  432,  433,  481. 
Leavenworth,  M.  H.,  Lieut.,  232. 
Lebo,  T.  C,  Capt.,  296;  Lieut.,  290. 
Lee,  R.  E.,  Gen.,   58,   120,   178,   219,  221, 

222,  321,  348,  363,  369,  380,  381,  382, 

383.  385.  389.  393.   395.  396,  562,  588. 

599- 
Lee,  A.  T.,  Major.,  428. 
Lee,  F.  H.,  Gen.,  221,  223,  225,  520. 
Lee,  F.,  Col.  (2d  Inf.),  42-- 
Lee,  J.,  543- 


INDEX. 


■27 


Lee,   J.    F.,   Capt.,    Jdg.-Adv.-Gen.,    34. 

128,  132,  304. 
Lee,  Lieut.  (4th  Cav.),  214. 
Lee,  P.  L.,  Lieut.,  290,  291. 
Lee,  W.,  Col.,  2. 
Leesburg,  234. 
Lee's  Mill,  321. 

Leetown,  Engagement  near,  595,  635. 
Legate,  Capt.,  312. 

Legion  of  the  United  States,  301,  401. 
Leitendorf  Mountains,  245. 
Lendrum,  Lieut.,  339,  340. 
Leonard,  Patrick,  Sergt.,  181. 
Leoser,  Col.,  178,  179. 
Lewis,  Capt.,  402. 

Lewis,  Col.  (19th  Inf.),  207,  663. 

Lewis  and  Clarke  Expedition,  402. 

Lewis,  G.,  Lieut.,  243,  472,  474,  537. 

Lewis,  Lieut.  (2d  Cav.),  192. 

Lewis,  M.,  Quartermaster-Gen.,  47. 

Leyden,  J.  A.,  Lieut.,  452. 
Liberty,  322. 

Libby  Prison,  552. 

Lieber,  G.  N.,  Lieut.,  545,  547,  552. 

Lincoln  Barracks,  567. 

Lincoln,  Lieut.,  511. 

Lincoln,  President,  95,  117,  131,  213,  444, 
447,  503,  545,  588,  610. 

Lind,  Lieut.,  649. 

Lindsay,  A.  J.,  Col.,  194,  201,  316. 

Lines,  W.  E.,  Sergt.,  389. 

Linnard,  \V.,  Quartermaster-Gen.,  47. 

Lipansi.  295,  542. 

Little  Pat,  Scout,  266. 

Little  Pig  Horn,  257,  507. 

Little  Pig  Horn,  Monument,  267. 

Little,  Lieut.  (iSth  Inf.),  649. 

Little  Muddy  Creek,  188. 

Little  Rock,  661. 

Little  Rock  Mt.,  Skirmish  at,  569. 

Little  Salmon  River  Battle,  694. 

Little  Turtle  Chief.  414. 

Livingston,  L.  L.,  Capt.,  347,  349. 

Livingston,  M.,  Lieut.,  348. 

Livingston,  W.,  Com. -Gen.,  671. 

Lloyd,  T.  J.,  Lieut..  580. 

Lobos  Island.  418. 

Lochahatchee,  Fight  at,  354. 

Locke,  Capt.,  594,  596.  597.  599. 

Lodor.  R.,  Lieut.-Col.,  327. 

Logan,  Capt.,  510;  Gen.,  196. 

Lomax,    L.    L.,  Lieut.,   211,212;  Major, 
129.  163. 

Lone,  Wolf,  Chief,  254. 

Long,  A.  L,,  Lieut.,  319. 

Long,  Eli,  Capt.,  214. 

Lone;,  O.,  Capt.,  38. 

Loncistreet,  Gen.,  346,  384,   385,  515,  517, 
■518,  619. 

Lookout  Mountain,  624,  650,  652. 

Lookout  Valley,  387. 

Loomis,  G.,   Capt.,  387;    Col.,  471.473; 
Lieut.-Col.,  485;  Major,  416. 

Loosley,  Lieut.,  594,  596 ;   Sergt.,  590. 

Lorain,  L.,  Lieut.,  345. 


Lord,  G.  E.,  Surgeon,  260. 

Lord,  J.  H.,  Lieut.,  268,  321. 

Lord,  Lieut.  (15th  Inf.),  621. 

Lord,  R.  S.  C,  Capt.,  1C4. 

Loring,  W.  W.,  Capt.,  193,  197,  199,  438; 

Col.,  200,  201. 
Loud,  J.  S.,  Capt.,  282,  287. 
Ivouisiana,  Gov.  of,  402. 
Louisiana  Purchase,  The,  402. 
Louisiana  Tigers,  592. 
Louis,  St.,  Mo.,  156. 
Louisville,  386. 
Love,  G.  M.,  2d  Lieut.,  631. 
Lovejoy  Station,  Battle  of,  215. 
Lovell,  C,  Lieut.,  420,  421. 
Lovell,  Surgeon-Gen.,  87,  88. 
Lowe,  Capt.,  547  ;  Major,  221. 
Lowell,  Camp,  244. 
Lowell,  C.  R.,  Capt.,  232,  238,  240;  Col., 

163. 
Ludlow,  Capt.,  257  ;  Lieut.,  386,  387,  388. 
Lugenbeel,    P.,     Lieut.-Col,    411,    469; 

Major,  660,  662. 
Lundy's  Lane  Battle,  587,  693. 
Luning,  Lieut.,  540. 
Lupton,  L.  P.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Luray,  322. 
Lyford,  Lieut.,  135. 
Lyman,  Capt.,  243,  272,  474. 
Lynchburg,  391. 

Lynde,  Major,  201,  501,  502,  503. 
Lynn,  D.  D.,  Lieut.,  492. 
Lyon,    N.,    Gen.,   213,  407 

419,  422,  592. 
Lyster,    Capt.,    6G4,    665 ; 

Major,  and  Bvt. -Lieut. -Col.,  497 
Lytle,  C.  S.,  Sergt.,  272. 


M. 


MacAdams,  Capt.,  180,  192. 

McAllister,  Lieut.,  130,  135. 

McAlpin,  J.,  1st  Sergt.,  214. 

McCabe,  R.  K.,  Ensign,  402. 

McCall,  G.  A.,  Cien.,  28,  347,  424. 

McCall,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  597. 

McCann,  B.  Pvt.,  687. 

McCleave,  Lieut.,  271. 

McClellan,    Gen.,  114,    120;    Capt,  211, 

213,  214,  223,  346,  361,  366,  367,  380, 

58c^. 
McClellan's  Creek,  Engagement  at,  276. 
McCleary,  J.,  Lieut,  490. 
McCleery,  Lieut.  (i8th  Inf.),  645;  Capt., 

653. 
McClernand,  Gen.,  614. 
McClernand,  E.  J.,  Capt.,  179. 
McClintock,  Capt.,  597,  602,  603. 
McCloud  River,  Expedition  to,  343. 
McClure,  O.  \V.,  Lieut.,  153. 
McComas,  Judge,  20S. 
McConnell,  Lieut.,  3S4,  648. 
McCook,  A.   McD.,  Gen.,   366,   3S5.  496, 

523,  613,  614,  617,  646,  647. 


423 


Lieut., 
Lieut.,   658 ; 


/zc 


INDEX. 


McCoy,  J.,  Lieut.,  451,  630. 
McDonald,  W.,  Capt.,  27. 
McDougall,  Capt.,  578. 
McDowell,    Irvin,    Gen.,    205,    305,    361, 

364,444,  445,  547,    5S8,    611;  Lieut. 

Irvin. 
McElhone,  Lieut.,  592. 
Macfeeley,  R.,  Maj.  2;  Gen.,  463. 
McGilvray,  Capt.,  325,  362,  395. 
McGinnis,  J.  T.,  Lieut.,  5S0. 
McGowan,  A.  B.,  Lieut.,  566. 
McGrath,  P.,  Lieut.,  232. 
McGregor,  Lieut,,  163. 
McGuire,  Lieut.,  445. 
McHenry,  Secretary,  87. 
Mcintosh,  L.,  Col.,  467,  469,  470. 
Mcintosh,  D.  Lieut.,  260. 
Mcintosh,  J.,  Lieut.,  211,  212,  224, 
Mcintosh,  J.  B.,  Capt.,  221,  223. 
Mcintosh,  Capt.  (iSth  Inf.),  592. 
Mclntyre  Lieut.  (2d  Inf.),  430. 
Mclntyre,  J.  B.,  Lieut.,  211,  214,  215. 
McKa\ett,  Capt.,  511,  515. 
McKean,  T.  J.,  Lieut.,  153. 
McKee,  S.,  Capt.,  161. 
McKee,  S.  A.,  Capt.,  425,  427,  428. 
McKee,  Dr.,  199;  Asst.-Sur.,  501,  502. 
McKee,  G.  W.,  Major,  135,  338. 
McKee,  W.  R.,  Col.,  338. 
Mackenzie,  R.  S.,  Col.,  R.   S.,   216,   217, 

218,  220,   294,  695,   698 ;  Gen.,   326, 

373'  496,  542,  632. 
McKibbin,  D.  B.,  Gen.,  589,  593,  594,  595, 

692  ;  Capt.,  592,  601,  602,  605. 
McKibbin,  C,  Capt.,  596,    597,    600,  602, 

605,  609,  626,  627,  628. 
McKibbin,  J.,  597. 
McKim,  J.,  Lieut.,  493. 
McKinney,  Lieut.,  218. 
McKinstry,  Lieut,  416. 
McKnight,  J.,  Capt.,  377-392;  Capt.,  397. 
McKnight's  Battery,  391. 
McLanburg,  Capt.,  635. 
McLane,  G..  Lieut.,  194,  195,  201,  209. 
McLaughlin,  Capt.,  216. 
McLean,  H.  T.,  Lieut.,  232. 
McLellan,  C.   B.,  Lieut.,   232,    233,    239 ; 

Capt.,  242,  24-4,  246;  Major,  192. 
McLellan's  Fork,  243. 
McLoughlin,    Lieut.,    425,  428. 
McLoughlin,  G.  H.,  Sergt.,  423. 
McMasters,    C,  Lieut.,  163;  Capt.,  178; 

1st  Sergt.,  214. 
McMillan,  Capt.,  158. 
McNab,  J.,  Lieut.,  531,  532. 
McNally,  Lieut.,  200,  201. 
McNally,  Capt.  (Texas  Rangers),  274. 
McNeal,  J.,  Major,  467. 
McNeil,  J.  W.  S.,  Lieut.,  174. 
McNeill,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  201. 
McPherson,  J.  B.,  Gen.,  119. 
McPherson  Barracks,  429,  654. 
McQuade,  H.,  Lieut.,  232. 
McQuesten,  Capt.  (2d  Cav.),  178. 
McQuiston,  Lieut.,  235. 


McRae,  J.    H.,    Lieut.,    202,  209;  Capt., 

432- 
Mackall,  W.  W.,  Gen.,  307  ;  Capt.,  305. 
Mackanootney  Village,  Ught  at,  343. 
Mackey,  Capt.,  207. 
Macomb,  A.,  Gen.,  124,  320,  332,  404. 
Madden,  Lieut.,  232,  235,  246,  654. 
Maddox,  Asst.  Surgeon,  273. 
Madigan,  T.,  Sergt.,  424. 
Madison,  President,  7,  8,  27,  47,  48,  73. 
Madison  Barracks,  554,  571. 
Madison,  C.  H.,  349. 
Madrid,  Capture  of,  407. 
Magnetic  Instrument,  144. 
Magruder,  J.  B.,  Gen.,  305,  307. 
Maguago,  Battle  of,  301,  402,  454. 
Mahon,  S.  K.,  Lieut.,  630. 
Mahony,  Pvt.,  541. 
[   Major,  561,  565,  566. 
Major-General,  48. 
Maloney,  M.,  Major,  409,  410,  487. 
Malvern  Hill,  160,  321,  322,  324,  325,  347, 

360,  369,  377,  378,  425,  444,  464,  538, 

548,  552>  557,  592,  635,  693. 
Manassas,  160,  378,  428,  539,  547,  593. 
Maney,  Lieut.,  286. 
Mangres,  Chief,  296. 
Manigault,  G.  PL,  Gen.,  27,  146. 
Manly,  Sergt.,  197. 
Mann,  J.  D.,  Lieut.,  267. 
Mansfield,  J.  K.,  Gen.,  29,  119,  120;  Capt., 

366,  370,  394. 
Mansura,  306. 
Meany,  J.,  Col.,  434. 
March,  T.  J.,  Lieut.,  253. 
Marcy,  R.  B.,  Capt.,  536;  Gen.,  29,  30. 
Markley,  Lieut.,  425. 
Marpool,  Sergt.,  541. 
Mars  La  Tour,  Battle  of,  225. 
Marsh,  S.  S.,  Capt.,  426,  427. 
Marshall,  L.  H,,  Lieut.,  531,  537  ;  Major, 

692. 
Marshall,  E.  G.,  Lieut.,  491. 
Marshall,  H.  Coqj.,  541. 
Marston,  Capt.,  407. 
Marston,  M.,  Maj.,  467. 
Martin,  J.  G.,  Lieut.,   304,   305,  307,   387, 

381,  383,  391,  393,  416,  516. 
Martin's  Mass.  Battery,  548. 
Martinsburg,  324. 
Maryes  Height,  362. 
Mason,  E.  C,  Col.,  450. 
Mason,  J.  S.,  Col.,  529,  530,  626. 
Mason,  Julius,  Major,  227. 
Mason,  J.  S.,  Lieut.,  413. 
Mason,  Capt.,  (4th  Art.),  351. 
Mason,  S.  T.,  Capt.,  193,  196. 
Mason,  Major  R.,  B.,  153,  154,  156,  158. 
Massachusetts,  Prov.  Congress  of,  83. 
Massachusetts  Volunteers,  13th,  546. 
Massacre,  Grattan,  4S9. 
Massacre  at  Fort  Mimms,  432. 
Matagorda  Bay,  443. 
Matamoras,  Skirmish  at,  340. 
Matedequin  Creek,  322. 


IXDEX. 


729 


Mauck,  Lieut.,  214. 

Maumee  Rapids,  Battle  of,  401. 

Maumee  River,  Engagement  at,  414. 

Maury,  D.  H.,  Lieut.,  194,  195. 

Maury,  Z.   NL    I'.,  Lieut.,    174,  195,   196, 

201. 
Maus,  Lieut.,  209,  412. 
Maxwell,  J.  E.,  Lieut.,  442. 
May,  C.  A.,  Lieut.,  174,  175,  514- 
May,  J.,  Lieut.,  194. 
May,  J.  H.,  Lieut.  (12th  Inf.),  566. 
Maynadier,  Capt.  (Ord.  Dept.),  12S,  135; 

Gen.,  221. 
Maynadier,  H.  E.,  Lieut.,  531,    532,    536; 

Major,  562,  565,  566,  567. 
Mazzatzal  INIountains,  Battle,  694. 
Meade,  Gen.,  120,  140,  330,  ZlZy  389.   393' 

447.  548,  593.  597- 
Meadow  Bridge,  161,  325,  362. 
Meade's  Division,  380,  3S2. 
Meagher,  Gen.,  492. 
Meagher,  P.  L.,  Lieut.,  580. 
Mebane,  Lieut.,  318. 
Mechanicsville,    161,  321,    347,  349.   362, 

377,  424,  492. 
Medcalfe,  Lieut.  (Ord.  Dept.),  135. 
Medical  Dept.,  83,  99. 
Meeker,  Agent,  207,  230. 
Meigs,  Governor,  454. 
Meigs,  M.  C.,  Gen.,  59,  307,  588. 
Meigs,  J.  R.,  Major,  119. 
Meinell,  P.,  Lieut.,  348. 
Memphis,  409. 
Mendenhall,  Col,  327. 
Mentges,  F.,  Col.,  20;  Insp.   So.  Army, 

20,  22. 
Merchant,  C.  S.,  Col.,  359. 
Merchant,  A.,  Lieut.,  319. 
Meredith,  Capt.,  620. 
Meredith,  Mr.,  344. 
Merriam,  IL  C.  Col.,  430,  695,. 
Merrill,  L.,  Major,  257;  Capt.,  469,   471  ; 

Col.,  640. 
Merritt,  W.,  Gen.,  161,  162,  163,  164,  178, 

179,  228,  230,  236,  238,  282,  283,  392. 
Mesilla,  Battle  of,  201. 
Mesilla,  Engagement,  501. 
Metcalf,    R.,    Lieut.,   389,   390,   393,  394, 

397- 
Mexico,  War  with,   10,  54,  55,  79,  89,  90, 

116,  117,  129.  13s.  156,  157.  158,  175. 

274.  304-  335.  350.  405,  587- 
Mexico,  City  of,  304,  317,  338,  340,  356, 

357.417.436.526. 
Mexico,  Raid  into,  542. 
Miami,  Battle  of,  301,432. 
Miami  Rapids,  452. 
Miami  River,  Engagement,  401. 
Micanopy,  Fight  at,  314,  315. 
Micanopy  Chief,  457. 
Michaelis,  Lieut.,  135. 
Michie,  Lieut.,  192. 
Michigan,  17th  Regiment,  425. 
Michler,  Lieut.  15th  Cav.),  227. 
Middleburg,  349. 


Middleton,  Battle  of,  215,  234,  364. 

Mitfim,  T.,  Gen.,  16,  39,  40. 

Miles,    N.    A.,  Gen.,   1O9,   188,    189,  190, 

192,  218,  219,  242,  200,  261,  262,  294, 

374,  412,  473,  474,  475,  476,  477.  478. 

479,  569,  663,  687. 
Miles,  D.  S.,  Col.,  422,  426 ;  Capt.,  499. 

516. 
Miles,  E.,  Lieut.,  562,  565. 
Milford,  322. 
Military  Telegraph,  145. 
Mill  Creek,  Engagement  at,  229. 
Miller.  John,  Col.,  433. 
Miller,  Jas.,  Col.,  454.  455.  466. 
Miller,  NL  P.,  Captain,  374.375- 
Miller,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  597,  600. 
:   Miller,  \V.  A.,  Lieut.,  C54,  659. 

Miller,  S.  A.,  Lieut.,  561. 
I  Milligan,  Major,  141. 
Mills,  M.,  Surgeon,  90. 
Mills,    A.,   Lieut.,  644;  Capt.,   649.   652, 

653,654;  Major,  186,  207;  Col.,  208. 
Mills,  S.  C,  Lieut.,  570. 
Mills,  J.,  Major,  4,  5,  22. 
Milne,  1-ieut.,  360. 
Milroy,  Gen.,  383. 

Mimmack,  B.  P.,  Lieut.,  555,    560.  565. 
Mine   Run,  361,  362,  428,  447,  550.   55i- 

562,  599,  636. 
Minn,  N.  G.,  451. 
Missionary  Ridge,  448,  624,  627,  649,  659, 

680. 
Missouri  Vols.,  nth,  409. 
Missouri  River,  402. 
Mitchell,  W.  G.,  Col.,  255, 
Mitchell,  Major,  332. 
Mitchell,  John,  Lieut.,  362. 
Mix,  Lieut.,  178;  Capt.,  180. 
Mizner,  J.  K.,  Lieut.,  232  ;    Col.,  297. 
Mizner,  H.  R.,  Col.,  567,  641  ;  Capt.,  645, 

651,652. 
Moale,  E.,  Lieut.,  657,  665. 
Mobile,  625. 
Modoc  War,  168,  345. 
Moffatt,  J.  F.,  Lieut.,  2S2. 
Mohave  Fort.  567. 
Molinard,  Capt..  323. 
;   Molino  del   Rey,  317,  340,  357,  421.  439, 
'  459.  487.  526.  587.  611. 

I    Monahan.  Adjt.,  204. 
Monroe,  J.,  President,  9.  50,  72,  74,  76. 
Monroe,  Major  (2d  Art.),  317,  318. 
Montemorelos,  417. 
,   Monterey,  ^04.   316,   324.  336.   355-  405. 

417,  436.  437,  458. 
Monte vallo.  Flight  at,  36S. 
Montgomery,  W.  R.,  Capt.,  511,  514,  517 
Montgomery.  Ala.,  625. 
Mooney,  Capt.,  660. 
Moore,  Surgeon-Gen.,  96,  97. 
Moore,  E.  D.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Moore,  F.,  Lieut.,  284;  Major,  281. 
Moore,  S.  W.,  Lieut..  153. 
Moore,  O.  H.,  Major,  490,  496. 
Moore,  J.  N.,  Capt.,  232. 


730 


INDEX. 


Moore's  Cavalry,  392. 

-Mordecai,  A.,  Capt.,  128,  130,  132. 

Morgan,  C.  II.,  Gen.,  372. 

Morgan,  J.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  84,  86. 

Morgan,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  208. 

Morgan,  H.  C,  Capt.,  563,  566. 

Mormons,  177,  319,  442. 

Moro  River  .Skirmish,  442. 

Moroney,  Lieut.,  596. 

Morris,  A.,  Lieut.,  360. 

Morris,    W.    W.,    Col.,  320 ;    Gen.,    325, 

326. 
Morris,   L.   T.,  Lieut.,  660,  661  ;   Major, 

665. 
Morris,  R.  M  .,  Lieut.,  194,  197,  200,  201. 
Morris,  R.  L.,  644,  651,  653,  654. 
Morris,  Capt.  (2d  Inf.),  420. 
Morris,  L.  N.,  Capt.,  436. 
Morris,  J.  L.,  Sergt.,  272. 
Morrison,  P.,  Col.,  519,  521. 
Morrison,  J.  T.,  Lieut.,  290. 
Morrison,  T.  W,,  Lieut.,  631. 
Morristown,  2. 

Morrow,  Col.  (13th  Inf.),  581. 
Morrow,  A.  P.,  "Major,  208,  282,  285. 
Morton,  Gov.  of  Indiana,  553. 
Morton,  J.  St.  C,  Brig.-Gen.,  119. 
Morton,  Lieut.,  (3d  Inf.),  447. 
Morton,  Chas.,  Capt.,  193. 
Morton's  Ford,  321,  325. 
Mosby,  Gen.,  163,  163;  Col.,  363. 
Mosquito  Inlet,  Fight  at,  315. 
Mott,  Gen.,  390. 
Moulton,  Lieut.,  160. 
Mountfort,  Capt.,  312. 
Mt.  Jackson,  349,  364. 
Mt.  Vernon  Barracks,  429. 
Mower,  J.  A.,  Col.,  697 ;  Capt.,  407. 
Moylan,     S.   Col.,     Quartermaster-Gen., 

40. 
Moylan,  M.,  Lieut.,  251  ;  Capt.,  171,  261, 

262. 
Muddy  Run,  322. 
Mudge,  P.  R.,  Lieut.,  334. 
Muhlenberg,  C.  P.,  Lieut.,  380. 
Muhlenberg,  E.  D.,  Lieut.,  365. 
Muir,    Lieut.,   641  ;    Major,   454;    Capt., 

684,  685. 
Mullany,  J.  R.,  Major,  692. 
Mulligan,  Capt.,  61S,  659. 
Mumford,  W.  G.,  Dep.  Com.-Gen.,69. 
Mumfordville,  385. 
Munroe,  Capt.,  483. 
Murfreesboro,  Battle   of,   214,    386,    387, 

448,  658,  659. 
Murphy,  M.,  Sergt.,  214. 
Murray,  R.,  Surg. -Gen.,  96. 
Murray,  A.  M.,  Lieut.,  322,  325. 
Murray,  A.  (loth  Inf.),  531,  534. 
Murray,  F.  K.,  U.  S.  Navy,  343. 
Muscleshell  River,   581. 
Myers,  A.  J.,  Gen.,  136, 137,  138,  139,  142, 

143,  144,  145,  146. 
Myers,  J.  W.,  Lieut.,  290. 
Myrick,  Lieut.,  290,  346,  347. 


N. 


Nacogdoches,  625. 

Naglee,  Gen.,  366. 

Namozine  Church,  325. 

Nance,  Lieut.,  192. 

Napoleon,  143. 

Nashville,  386,  3S8. 

Natchez,  218,  524. 

National  Guard,  Cal.,  413. 

Nauman,  G.,  Lieut.,  304 ;  Capt.,  305. 

Navy,  The,  139. 

Neil  Dow  Station,  Battle  of,  624,  660. 

Neill,  T.  IL,  Gen.,  294,  382,  473,    552. 

Neill,  Lieut.,  (i8th  Inf.),  649. 

Negley,  Gen.,  368,  646,  647. 

Nelson,  A.  D.,  Col.,  293,  531,  570,  567. 

Nelson,  R.,  Lieut.,  424. 

Nelson's  Division,  386. 

Nelson's  Farm,  363. 

Nelson's  Line,  367. 

New  Sergt.,  273. 

Newberry,  S.  S.,  Capt.,  564. 

New  Bridge,  320,  321,  322,  347. 

Newburg,  21. 

Newby,  Capt.,  194. 

New  Hampshire  (ist  Inf.),  Cont.  Line,  3. 

New  Hope  Ch.,  448,  622,  624,  651,  660. 

Newman,  T.,  Lieut.,  5S0. 

New  Madrid,  Capture  of,  323. 

Newmarket,  391. 

New  Mexico,  345. 

New  Orleans,  394,  662. 

New  Orleans,  Election  Riots,  583. 

New  Orleans,  Battle  of,  302,  401,  431,  498. 

Newport  Barracks,  417,  428,  429,  575. 

New  River,  Skirmish  at,  367. 

Newtown,  322. 

Newton,  N..  Lieut.,  194. 

New  York  Harbor  Forts,  303. 

New  York  Vol.,  548,   599. 

Niagara,  Battle  of,  302,  403,  526,  568,  569. 

Nicholas,  R.  C,  Col,  403. 

Nicholls,M.  H.,  Lieut.,  531. 

Nichols,  Lieut.,  i6i. 

Nicodemus,  Major,  145,  146. 

Nicodemus,  W.  J.  L.,  Capt.,  566. 

Nicoll,  A.  T.,  Col.,  8,  24,  26. 

Noble,  C.  H.,  Lieut.,  630. 

Noel,  Capt.,  483. 

Nolan,  N.,  Capt.,  290,  295;  Lieut,  237. 

Noland,  C.  F.  M.,  Lieut-,  153. 

Nolan's  Ford,  324. 

Nolen,  L.,  Lieut.,  566. 

Nordstrom,  C.  E.,  Lieut.,  291. 

Norfolk,  Capture  of,  363. 

Norris,  Major,  141. 

North  Anna,  362,  369,  390,  464,  552,  601, 

693- 
North  Carolina,  2d  Regt.,  160. 
Northwestern  Territory,  22,  23. 
North,  W.,  Major,    Adjt.-Gen.,  6,  7,  21. 
Northern  Army,  2. 

Northern  Cheyenne  Agency  Fight,  6SS. 
Northern  Pacific  Surveyors,  182. 


INDEX. 


731 


Northem  Virginia,  Army  of,  377. 
Northrop,  L.  B.,  Lieut.,  1^3. 
Norton,  Capt.,  597,  iSo,  166. 
Norvell,  J.  M.,  Lieut.,  567,  568. 
Norwood,  Capt.,  190. 
Notson,  Surgeon,  236. 
Nottoway,  C.  H.,  362. 
Nourse,  Chas.  J.,  Capt.,  9,  312. 
Nowlan,  IL  J.,  Lieut.,  251. 
Noyes,  Capt.,  180,  184,  1S8. 
Nugent,  R.,  Capt.,  580,  581. 


O. 


Oakes,  Capt.,  221. 

Oak  Mill,  321. 

O'Heirne,  Lieut.-Col.,  628. 

O'Brien,  Capt.,  337;  Lieut.,  356. 

Oceleston,  Lieut.,  618. 

O'Connell,    J.    D.,    Capt.,  589,   590,  591, 

59-'  593'  596'  597- 
O'Connell,  Major  (17th  Inf.),  638. 
O'Connell,  Lieut.  (4th  Cav.),  216. 
O'Connor,  C.  M.,  Lieut.,  268. 
O'Donohoe,  Lieut.,  362. 
O'Fallon's  Creek,  190. 
Ofrtey,   Lieut.,   408;     Capt.,   410;     Col., 

641. 
Ogden,  Capt.  (i8th  Inf.),  653,654;  Lieut., 

645.  64s. 
Ogden,  Lieut,  (ist  Cav.),   161. 
Ohio,  Army  of  the,  646. 
Ohio  Vols.,  409. 
Okalona,  Battle  of,  215. 
Okeechobee,  Battle  of,  404,  483. 
Oklahoma  Lands,  670. 
Olustee,  Fight  at,  346. 
Olustee,  306,  308. 
O'Mara,    J.,  Q.  M.  Gen.,  44,  45- 
O'Mara,  Lieut.  (5th  Cav.),  221. 
O'Neale,  J.  M.  P.,   Lieut.,  174. 
O'Neill,  Col,  475- 
Opequan,  Battle  of,  325. 
Orange,  C.  H  ,  361,  580. 
Ord,  E.  O.  C,  Capt.,  343,  345  ;  Gen.,  372 ; 

Lieut.,  333. 
Ordnance  Department,  126,  135,  329,  330. 
Orleman,  L.  M.,  Lieut.,  290. 
O'Rorke,  V.  M.,  Col,  119,  384. 
O'Ryan,  Sergt.,  244. 
Osage  Indians,  155. 
Osborne,  N.   W.,  Capt.,   580;  Col,   479; 

Lieut.-Col,  497. 
Osceola,  Chief,  354,  457. 
Ostrander,  Lieut.,  649 
Otis,    Elmer,    Lieut.,    211  ;     Capt.,    214; 

Col,  475- 
Otis,  E.    S.,   Col,  551,  669;  Lieut.-Col, 

680,  686,  687,  6S9. 


Otis,  11.  G.,  Lieut.,  373'  374- 
Ovenshine,  Lieut.-Col,  628. 
Overton,  Capt.,  596,  598. 
Owen,  W.  K.,  Lieut.,  269. 
Owyhee  Canon  Battle,  694- 


Pacific  Coast,  The,  343. 

Packard,  Nichols,  632. 

Page  Trumpeter,  182. 

Paint  Creek,  242. 

Palfrey,  William,  I'aym.-Gen.,  100,  loi. 

Palmer,  I.  N.,  Gen.,   22,    178;  Col,    189; 

Lieut.,  194-197. 
Palmer,  J.  M.,  Gen.,  622,  651,  652. 
Palmer's  Division,  371. 
Palo  Alto,  304,  316,  336,  355,  417,  436. 
Pamunky  River,  Skirmish  on,  564. 
Paradise  Valley,  270. 
Parke,  Cien.,  393. 
Parke,  J.  B.,  Major,  633. 
Parker,  Alex.,  Col,  466. 
Parker,  C.  Capt.,  286;  Lieut.,  282. 
Parker,    Daingerfield,    Col,   451  ;  Lieut., 

447- 
Parker,  D.,     Adjt.  and  Insp.-Gen.,  8,26; 

Paym.-Gen.,  106. 
Parker,  Lieut.,  (2d  Inf.),  424. 
Parker,  R.  C,  Capt.,  565,  566. 
Parker's  Stone,  360. 
Parnell,  \V.  R.,  Lieut..  268,  269. 
Parr,  Sergt.,  546. 
Parrott,  R.  P.,  Lieut.,  332. 
Parry,  E.  R.,  Capt.,  667. 
Pascoffer.  Chief,  435. 
Pasteur,  E.,  Col,  432. 
Patriot  War,  315. 
Patten,  G.  W^,  Capt.,  418. 
Patterson,  Capt.  (20th  Inf.),  667. 
Patterson,  Gen.,  339,  417,  444,  5S8. 
Patterson,  J.  H.,  Capt.,  545,  547. 
Patterson,  Major  (3d  Inf.),  451. 
Patterson's  Command,  365. 
Paul,  C.  R.,  Lieut.,  654. 
Paul,  G.  R.,  Capt.,  500,  501. 
Paulding,  T.,  Lieut.,  232,  236. 
Pawnee  Fork  Bluff,  448. 
Pawnee  Killer,  Chief,  226. 
Pay  Department,  100,  1 10. 
Payne,  M.,  Capt.,  351  ;    Col,  355;  Major, 

3'6'  319.  35^- 
Peace  of  Paris  Signed,  20,  25. 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  651,  660. 
Pealock,  Sergt.,  541- 
Pearce,  Lieut.,  659. 
Pea  Ridge. 

Pearson,  J.  E.  O.,  Lieut.,  635. 
Peck,  Gen.,  363. 
Peck,  L.,  Lieut.,  520,  589. 
Pecos  River,  Fight  at,  406. 
Pegram,  Gen.,  178. 
Peiham,  Peter,  Capt.,  467. 
Pelouse,  L.  H..  Lieut.,  612. 
Peninsular  Campaign,  324.  424. 
Peninsula,  The,  444. 
Penna.  Reserves,  380. 
Penna.  Vol,  599. 
Pennington.  Lieut.,  325. 
Pennock,  Lieut.,  161. 
Pennsylvania,  First  Continental  Line.  3. 


:32 


INDEX. 


Pennypacker,  G.,  Col.,  630,  633. 

Penrose,  J.  W.,  Capt.,  418. 

Penrose,  W.  H.,  Capt.,  571,  572,  633. 

Pensacola,  322. 

Pensacola,  Capture  of,  433. 

Peoples,  S.,  Lieut.,  384. 

Pepoon,  S.,  Lieut.,  291. 

Peralto,  Battle  of,  472,  538. 

Perkins,  B.  R.,  Capt.,  566. 

Perkins,  D.,  Capt.,  153. 

Perrine,  H.  P.,  Capt.,  248. 

Perry,  Capt.  {8th  Cav.),  168,  169,  374. 

Perry,  D.,  Capt.  (5th  Inf.),  467. 

Perry,  Lieut.  (14th  Inf.),  589,  600. 

Perry  Munday's  Ferry,  Fight  at,  374. 

Perryville,  Battle  of,  367,  36S. 

Perry ville  (Ky.),  386,  646. 

Petersborough,  Battle,  693. 

Petersburg,   306   346,   362,  364,   369,  371, 

39 1  >  393.  540- 
Petersburg,  R.  R.,  370,  393. 
Peterson,  Capt.,  615. 
Pettit,  Lieut.,  412. 
Phelps,   E.,  Capt.,  660;  Lieut.,   270,  275, 

657. 
Philadelphia,  Tenn.,  2,  348,  352. 
Philamont,  234,  240. 
Phil  Kearney  Massacre,  179. 
Phillips,  Capt.,  409,  410. 
Phister,  Capt.,  652. 
Phisterer,  F.,  Lieut.,  645. 
Pickell,  Lieut.,  353. 
Pickens  Fort,  377. 
Pickering,  T.,  Col.,   2,  41,  42,  43. 
Pickett  Camp,  344. 
Pickett,   Gv   Capt.,   462,  517,  518;  Gen., 

360,  385. 
Pickett,  G.  B.,  Lieut.,  631. 
Pickett's  Charge,  384. 
Picolata,  416. 
Piedmont,  321,  391. 
Piegan  Indians,  Expedition,  180,  583. 
Pierce,  B.  K.,  Major,  304;  Capt.,  351. 
Pierce,  J.,  Paym.-Gen.,  loi,  102. 
Pigeon's  Ranch,  Engagement  at,  1 59. 
Pike,  J.  M.,  Major,  480. 
Pike,  R.,  Sergt.,  536. 
Pike,  Z.  M.  B.,  Col.,  610;  Major,  480. 
Pillow,  Gen.,  439,   470,  526,  587. 
Pickney,  Gen.,  24. 
Pine  Run,  361. 
Pine    Ridge    Agency,  264,  412,  413,  431, 

524,  641. 
Pinkney,   N.,  433,  466,  481. 
Piper,  A.,  Capt.,  343;  Col,  398. 
Pitcher,  M.  S.,  Capt.,  531,  533. 
Pitcher,  T.  G.,  Capt.,  520,  559;  Col.,  411, 

412. 
Pitt  Fort,  3,  36. 
Pitt  River,  Expedition  to,  343. 
Pittsburg  Landing,  214,  385. 
Plattsburg,  Siege  of,  302,  415,  456,  480. 
Pleasant  Grove,  395. 
Pleasant  Hill,  306. 
Pleasanton,  Gen.,  178,  179,  341,  560,  595. 


Pleasanton's  Brigade,  234. 

Pleasants,  Lieut.,  547,  580. 

Plenty  Horses,  Chief,  413,  690. 

Plum  Creek,  660. 

Plummer,  Capt.,  405,  407,  704. 

Plympton,  Lieut.,  467  ;  Major,  417  ;  Lieut.- 

Col.,  499. 
Pocotaligo,  Engagement  at,  246. 
Pohlman,  Lieut.,  650. 
Poinsett,  Secretary  of  War,  316,  329,  335. 
Point  Isabel,  Engagement,  499. 
Point  of  Rocks,  363. 
Poland,  J.  S.,  Lieut.,  425;  Col,  641. 
Poland,  Lieut.  (Ord.  Uept.),  135. 
Polk,  President,  513,  614. 
Pollock,  O.  W.,  Capt.,  693. 
Ponca  Agency,  411. 
Pond,  R.  H.,  Capt.,  566. 
Pope,  Brig.-Gen.,  255. 
Pope,   Gen.,  120,  213,  271,  379,  380,  445, 

473.  549.  593.  595- 
Pope,  H.  C,  Capt.,  193. 
Pope's  Army,  140,  361,  365,  407. 
Poplar  Creek  Agency,  554. 
Poplar  Spring  Church,  637. 
Poppenberg's  Band,  635. 
Po  River,  362. 

Portail,  Chevalier  du,  Brig.-Gen.,  1 11,  116. 
Port  Conway,  364,  365. 
Porter,  A.,   Lieut,  194,    196,    197  ;   Gen., 

444. 
Porter,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  596,  597. 
Porter,  Col.  (ist  Art.),  303. 
Porter,  F.  J.,  Gen.,  224,  377,  378,  379,  3S0, 

611;  Lieut.,  367,  537,  591,  595. 
j   Porter,  G-,  Capt.,  304. 
Porter,  H.,  Lieut.,  131. 
Porter,  J.  E.,  Lieut.,  259. 
Porter,  Lieut.  (4th  Inf.),  458. 
Porter,  S.  A.,  Lieut.,  268. 
Port  Hudson,  306,  307,  308,  322,  394. 
Port  Republic,  Engagement  at,  364. 
Port  Royal  (Va.),  139,  346,  349. 
Potomac,  Army  of,  93,  306,  320,  370,  378, 

383.389.391.447-      ■ 
Potter,  Capt.  (15th  Inf.),  625. 
Potter,  C.  H.,  Lieut.,  654. 
Potter,  J.   H.,  Capt.,  501,  660;    Col.,  510, 

696. 
Pourier,  Scout,  186. 

Powder  River  Expedition,  218,  529,684. 
Powell,  A.  M.,  Capt.,  682. 
Powell,  J.  E.,  Lieut.,  406. 
Powell,  Lieut.  (14th  Inf.),  591,  592,  649. 
Power,  John,  Capt.,  630. 
Pratt,  H.  C,  Lieut.,  580. 
Pratt,  J.,  Capt.,  467. 
Pratt,  J.  P.,  Lieut.,  552. 
Pratt,  R.  H.,  Lieut.,  290,  294. 
Prentiss,  J.  H.,  Lieut.,  304. 
Presidential  Election,  310. 
President's  Proclamation,  543. 
Presidio    (Cal.),    164,   16S,  191,   208,  32=:, 

394.  398-         ^       ^^ 
Preston,  Lieut.,  265,  266. 


LVDEX. 


711 


I'revost,  Surgeon,  S9. 

Price,  J.,  Mr.,  67. 

I'rice,  Sterling,  Col.,  15S;  Gen.,  213. 

Price,  \V.   K.,  Major,  26S,  272,  273,  274, 

275,276,278. 
Prime,  N.,  Lieut.,  635. 
Prince,  Capt.  (4lh  Inf.),  463;    Gen.,  559. 
Prince,  Lieut.  (Ord.  Dept.),  135. 
Prince,  W.  E.,  Major,  408. 
Prior,  Capt.,  402. 
Proctor,  Lieut.,  644. 
Proctor's  Creek,  370. 
Prophet,  The,  Indian  Chief,  453. 
Pueblo,  Siege  of,  317,  339,  357,  4i9i  438- 
Puget  Sound  Indians,  343. 
Pulaski,  36S,  371,372- 
Purcellville,  324. 
Purchase  of  Alaska,  325. 
Purington,  G.  A.,  282. 
Putnam,  II.  S.,  Col.,  119. 
Putnam,  J.  E.,  Lieut.,  565,  566. 
Pyne,  C.  M.,  Lieut.,  492. 


Q- 


Quartermaster-General's  Dept.,  38,  66. 
Queenstown  Heights,  Battle  of,  26,  302, 

480,  693. 
Quirk,  Lieut.,  178. 
Quitman,  Gen.,   337,   339,  340,  357,  421, 

439- 


R. 


Racoon  Ford,  321,  322,  325. 
Radiere,  de  La,  Lieut. -Col.,  in. 
Raguet,  Llewellyn,  Lieut.,  194. 
Raid  into  N.  C,  370. 
Railroad  Troubles,  383. 
Rains,  G.  R.,  Major,  343,  510. 
Rain  in  the  Face,  Chief,  257. 
Ramsey,  Geo.  D.,  Gen.,  133,  135,  307. 
Ramsey,  W.,  Lieut.,  135. 
Randlett,  Capt.,  273,  274,  287. 
Randol,  Capt.,  3S0. 
Randolph,  W.  F.,  Lieut.,  3S3. 
Rangers,  Battalion  of,  153. 
Rankin,  W.  G.,  Capt.,  681. 
Ransom,  Capt.  (5th  Art.),  3S4. 
Ransom,  D.  R.,  Capt.,  343 
Ransom,  R.,  Lieut.,  211. 
Ransom's  Battery,  379,  381,  382. 
Ransom,  T.  B.,  Col.,  526. 
Rapidan  Station,  321. 
Rapidan,  The,  349,  389,  580. 
Rappahanock,    The,    234,    235,    347,  361, 
364,    382,  389,  464,  550,  562,  580,  636. 
Rappahanock  Station,  360,  447. 
Rathbone,  H.  R.,  Capt.,  566. 
Rathbone,  J.L.,   Lieut.,  566. 
Raulston,  G.  F.,  Lieut.,  290. 
Raven  Little,  Chief,  252. 
Rawles  Battery,  396. 


Rawles,  J.  B.,  Capt.,  377,  394,  395,  398. 

Rawn,  C.  C,  Capt.,  505. 

Rawolle,  Capt.,  184. 

Read,  A.,  Mr.,  260. 

Read,  J.  G.,  Capt.,  558. 

Read,  O.  B.,  Capt.,  554. 

Reams'  Station,  362. 

Rebellion,    The,    56,80,90,  96,117,   131, 

132,  138,  139.  145.  331.343.  49'- 
Reconstruction,   I  he,  638,  661. 
Rector,  \V.,  Lieut.-Col.,  174. 
Red   Cloud    Agency,  183,  263,  374,  476. 

Redmond,  N.,  Lieut.,  368. 

Red  River,  217,  394. 

Red  River  Expedition,  533. 

Red  River  Tom,  543. 

Red  Rock  Mountains,  Battle,  694. 

Reed,  J.,  Col.,  2. 

Reed,  Lieut.  (loth  Inf.),  540. 

Reese,  A.  A.,  Lieut.,  277,  278. 

Reeve,  I.  V.  D.,  Capt.,  520;  Col.,  579, 
580,  581. 

Regimental  Bands,  353. 

Regimental  Losses,  Civil  War,  308,  701. 

Regular  Brigade,  The,  647. 

Regular  Division,  The,  637. 

Reilly,  \V.  Van,  Lieut.,  259. 

Relief  Camp,  447. 

Remilina,  542. 

Reno's  Div.,  364. 

Reno,  J.  L.,  Lieut.,  130,  132. 

Reno,  Major,  185,  255,  257,  259,  260,  474, 
507. 

Resaca,  Ga.,  323,  44S,  660. 

Resaca,  de  la  Palma,  304,  316,  336,  355, 
417,  436,  458. 

Reserve  Brigade,  The,  590,  591. 

Return  of  the  Army,  403. 

Review  at  Washington,  447,  541. 

Revolutionary  Army,  3. 

Reynolds,  J.  F.,  Gen.,  183,  207,  343.  345- 
361,  366,  379.  473.  58.1.  661,  6c)2; 
Lieut.,  336. 

Reynolds,  J.  J.,  Col.,  203,  69S. 

Reynolds,  Scout,  260. 

Rhett,  T.  G.,  Lieut.,  194. 

Richards,  W.  V.,  Capt.,  629, 633  ;  Quarter- 
master, 630. 

Richardson,  Fort,  241,  242. 

Richardson,  Gen.,  595. 

Richardson's  Div.,  360. 

Richmond,  360,  361,  364,  390.  552. 

Richmond,  Raid  on,  349. 

Rich  Mountain,  366,  367. 

Ricketts  Battery!  376. 

Ricketts,  J.  B.,  Gen.,  307  ;  Lieut.,  305. 

Ridgeley,  R.,  Lieut.,  336,  337. 

Rigby,  Capt.,  3S3. 

Riley,  Bennett,  Major,  482 ;  Gen.,  405. 

Riley's  Brigade,  356,  419,  422. 

Ringgold,  Battle  of,  215. 

Ringgold,  S.,  Lieut.,  332,  335,  336;  Capt., 

513- 
Rio  Grande,  283. 


734 


INDEX. 


Riots,  Labor,  447,  451. 

Ripley,  E.,  Lieut.,  467;  Major,   128,    129, 

133.  135- 
Rittenhouse,  Capt.,  385. 
Ritter,  J.  D.,  2d  Lieut.,  612. 
Ritzius,  H.  P.,  699, 
Roach,  Capt.,  312. 
Roanoke  Creek,  362. 
Robbin,  S.,  Lieut.,  251. 
Roberts,  B.  S.,  Lieut.,  193,    194,   195,  196, 

197,  201. 
Roberts,  J.  C,  Col.,  373. 
Roberts,  Surgeon,  89. 
Robertson,  E.  B.,  Capt.,  526. 
Robertson,  Capt.  (6th  Inf.),  490. 
Robertson,  J.,  Capt.,  320,  322. 
Robertson,  B.  H.,  Gen.,  178,  236  ;  Lieut., 

183,  191. 
Robertson's  Ford,  349. 
Robinett,  Chas.,  Lieut.,  408,  667  ;  Capt., 

409. 
Robinson,  G.  T.,  Capt.,  290. 
Robinson,  J.  C,  Gen.,  472. 
Robinson  River,  321,  322. 
Robinson,  S.,  Lieut.,  467. 
Rochester,  W.  B.,  Paym.-Gen.,  no. 
Rockford,  Lieut.,  580. 
Rock  River,  Engagement  at,  403. 
Rockwell,  C.  P.,  Lieut.,  135. 
Rodenbough,    T.   F.,    Lieut.,    178;    Gen. 

609,  704. 
Rodgers,  J.  L.,  Lieut.,  322. 
Rodman,  Capt.,  128,  135. 
Rodman's  Division,  380. 
Rodman's  Gauge,  131. 
Rodney,  G.  B.,  Lieut.,  368,  374. 
Rodney,  J.  W.,  Lieut.,  369. 
Roe,  J.,  Com. -Gen.,  69;  Capt.,  185. 
Rogan,  P.,  Sergt.,  509. 
Rogers,  D.,  543. 
Rogue  River,  227,  343. 
Rogue  River  War,  Oregon,  159. 
Roland,  Capt.,  318;   Lieut.,  515. 
Roler,  Dr.,  578. 
Roman  Nose  Chief,  207. 
Romayne,  Lieut.,  477. 
Romeyn,  Lieut.,   262. 
Roost,  Buzzard's,  Engagement,  622. 
Root,  Capt.,  354. 
Roper's  Church,  369. 
Rose,  Col.,  631. 

Rosebud  River  Engagement,  529. 
Rosecrans  Corps,  368. 
Rosecrans,  Gen.,  221,    366,   367,  385,  386, 

387,  576,  618,  620,  627,  646. 
Rosecrans,  M.,  Lieut.,  471. 
Rosencrantz,  F.,  Lieut.,  631. 
Rossell,W.H.,  Capt.,  538  ;  Lieut.,  531,  537., 
Ross,  S.,  Capt.,  389. 
Rosser,  Gen.,  163. 
Round  Top,  383,  427,  447,  504. 
Rousseau,  Gen.,  613,  614,  617,  647,  648. 
Rousseau's  Brigade,  385. 
Rowalt  Sergt.,  279. 
Royall,  Col.,  186,  220,  221,  225. 


Roys,  E.  G.,  Lieut.,  216. 

Rucker,  Capt.,  286. 

Rucker,  D.  H.,  Col.,  59,  60;  Major,  232. 

Rucker,  J.  A.,  Lieut.,  245,  346,  24S. 

Rucker,  L.  IL,  Lieut.,  282. 

Rudolph,  M.,  Major,  22. 

Ruff,  C.  F.,  Capt.,  193,  194,  196,  197,  201 

Ruff's  Mills,  323. 

Ruger,  T.  H.,  Col.,  654 ;  Gen.,  655. 

Ruggles,  D.,  Gen.,  473. 

Rush,  B.,  Surg.-Gen.,  86. 

Raisin  River,  402. 

Russell  Barracks,  566. 

Russell,  Capt.  (2d  Inf.),  416. 

Russell,  C.  S.,  Capt.,  547,  552,  553. 

Russell,  D.  A.,  Lieut.,  462  ;  Gen.,  463. 

Russell,  F.  D.  L.,  Lieut.,  371. 

Russell,  G.  C,  Col.,  432,  433. 

Russell,  J.,  Lieut.,  202. 

Russell,  J.  P.,  Surgeon,  467. 

Russell,  N.  B.,  Major,  444,  445. 

Russell.  W.,  Col.,  498. 


Sabine  Cross  Roads,  395. 

St.  Augustine,  477. 

St.  Carlos  Agency,  245. 

St.  Clair,  A.,  Gen.,  2,  4,  22,  44,  401,  414. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  321. 

St.  Patrick's  Bayou,  395. 

Sacket,  D.  B.,  Gen.,  29,  176,  211. 

Sackett's  Harbor,  52,  415,693. 

Sacrificios,  417. 

Sailor's    Creek,   164,    239,    325,  363,   370, 

396- 
Salem  Church,  238,  322,  361 
Salient  Point,  The,  397. 
Saline  River,  Engagement  at,  291. 
Salmon  River,  Skirmish  at,  ^i"},. 
Salade,  Camp,  440. 
Salt  Lake  City,  536. 
San  Antonio,  281,  326,  339,  340,  420,486, 

526,  632. 
San  Augustine,  Engagement,  502. 
Sanborn,  W.  Q.,  Lieut.,  580. 
San  Carlos  Agency,  247. 
San  Cosmo  Gate,  588. 
Sand  Hills,  Engagement  at,  448. 
Sanders,  W.  P.,  Gen.,  232,  233,  240. 
Sanderson,  J.  P.,  Col.,  577,  579,  612,  613. 
Sanderson,  Lieut.  (7th  Inf.),  416. 
Sanderson,  W.  F.,  Capt.,  193. 
Sands,  Lieut.  (6th  Cav.),  247. 
Sands,  Capt.  (4th  Art.),  351. 
Sanger,  J.  P.,  Lieut.,  346;  Insp.-Gen.,  12. 
San  Geronimo,  419. 
Sanford,  Major,  168,  169. 
San  Francisco,  Loss  of  the,  342,  343. 
vSan  Juan  Island,  344,  462. 
San  Juan  d'Ulloa,  418. 
Santa  Anna,  Gen.,  90,  337,  340,  41S,  420, 

440,  459,  486. 
Santa  Fe,  441,  689. 


INDEX. 


735 


706. 


29,  158,  175, 


Santa  Rosa  Island,  322,  324,  443. 

Santa  Maria  River,  Kngagement  at,  275. 

Sargent,  Lieut.  {2d  Cav.),  192. 

Sargent,  \V.,  Gen.,  4,  22. 

Sartle,  Lieut.,  626. 

Satanta,  Chief,  252,  254. 

Satterlee,  R.  S.,  Surgeon,  94. 

Saunders,  H.,  Lieut.,  415. 

Saunders,  T.  R.,  Lieut.,  415. 

Saussure,  W.  D.  de,  Capt.,211. 

Savage  Station,  225,  360,  464. 

Savage,  J.,  Capt.,  232. 

Scammel,  A.,  Gen.,  2,3. 

Scanlan,  I^artley,  Muse,  424. 

Scar-faced  Charlie,  168. 

Schenck,  Capt. 

Schindel,  J.  P.,  Lieut.,  49: 

Schoepf,  Gen.,  646. 

Schoeppe,  Gen.,  368. 

Schofield,  Gen.,  213,   228,  253,  294,  307, 

371,695. 
Schotield  Camp,  655. 
Schrader,  Von,  Lieut.,  573. 
Schriver,    E.    P.,  Col.,    29,    30,   315,   545, 

546,  547.  552- 
Schuyler,  P.,  Gen.,  i,  67,  84. 
Schuyler,  Mr.,  41. 
Schuylkill  Arsenal,  63. 
Schwan,  Lieut.,  541. 
Schwatka,  Lieut.,  207. 
Sconchin,  168. 
Scott,  Gen.,  29,  50,  72,  89, 

195.  196,  313.  314.  316,    337.  338,  343. 

353'  356,  405,  415'  437.  43^.  439.  45^. 

457,  459,  462,  486,  499.  516,  547,  587. 

588. 
Scott,  R.  N.,  Col.,  463;  Capt.,  591. 
Scott,  ^L,  Major,  468,  469.  470,  471. 
Scott,  1).  P.,  2d  Lieut.,  631. 
Scott,  n.  L.,  Lieut.,  267 ;  Capt.,  29. 
Scott  Cross  Roads,  363. 
Screven,  Capt.,  515,  516. 
Seawell,  \V.,  Col.,  491. 
Secessionville,  346. 
Secretary  of  War,  5S4. 
Sedgwick,  Gen.,  211, 

382,  383- 
Seeley,  F.  W.,  Lieut.,  369. 
Selden,  Lieut.,  17S,  472,  4S8.  51 
Sellers,  Lieut.,  539. 
Selnia,  216,  369. 
Seminole  War,  353,  417.457- 
Semple,  Capt.,  625. 
Seven  Days'  Fight,  444. 
Seyburn,  S.  V.,  Lieut.,  531 
Seymour,    T.,    Gen.,   305, 

379- 
Shackelford,  Lieut.,  317. 
Shafter,  Col.,  295,  412,  542,  695. 
Sharp's  Carbine,  131. 
Sharpsburg,  445. 
Shaumburg,  J.  W.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Sheels,  Judge,   5S2. 
Shelby,  Lsaac  O..  2d  Lieut..  631. 
Shelby ville,  215,  387. 


219,  315,  381, 


520. 


.543-      ^ 
307,  346,   377. 


.Shenandoah  Valley,  349,  3S9,  391. 

Shepherd,  Lieut.,  515. 

Shepherdstown,  321,  322,  349,   407,  426, 

538,  635- 
Shepherd,  U.  L.,  Capt.,  439;  Major,  443; 

Col.,  386,  451,  611,  617,  625,  626,  627, 

643,  646,  647,  648. 
Sherburne,  Lieut.,  406. 
Sheridan,  P.  H.,  Gen.,  124,    161,  162,  163, 

164,  179,  180,  236,   238,   239,  253,  257, 

280,  291,  292,  321,  349.  Z(>3'  387.  4'2, 

463,   474,  475-    581,667;  Lieut.,  344; 

Capt.,  575,  680. 
Sheridan,  M.,  Capt.,  251. 
Sheridan's  Cavalry,  368,  396. 
Sheridan's  Farm,  369. 
Sheridan's  Raid,  321,  322,  325,  362. 
Sherman,  T.  W.,   139,  t,t,2„  337,  34i.  344. 

346,  368,  377,  397. 
Sherman,  W.  T.,  (ien.,  228,  253,  285,  288, 

292.  293,  338,  345.  346,   3S8,  447,  575' 

577.  579-614,  644,  651.  657,  680. 
Sherman,  Willie,  577. 
Sherman's  Battery,  356. 
Sherman  Camp,  430,  576. 
Sherrin,  John,  Blacksmith,  272. 
Shields,  Gen.,  196. 
Shields,  Lieut.  (3d  Art.),  339,  340. 
Shields,  Dennis,  Pvt.,  496. 
Shields'  Division,  364. 
Shiloh,  367,  448,  614,  624,  627,  644,  657, 

658. 
Shipp,  Lieut.,  296. 
Shippen,  Wm.,  Surgeon.-Gen.,  86. 
Shiras,  A.  E.,  Col.,  82. 
Shorkley,  Capt.,  625,  629. 
Shoup,  F.  A.,  Gen.,  307. 
Shunk,  Lieut.,  131,  135. 
Sibley,    Gen.,    178;     Lieut.,     186,     187; 

Major,  443. 
Sickles,  Gen.,  348.  369,  3S4 
Sidell,  W.  H.,  612. 
Sierra  Almagre,  Engagement  at,  442. 
Sierra  Carmel  Mts,  270. 
Sierra  Madres  Expedition,  247. 
Sigel,  Gen.,  391. 
Signal  Corps,  136,  149. 
Sill,  J.  W.,  Gen.,  616. 
Silvey,  W.,  Capt..  308. 
Simon,  Lieut.,  383. 
Simonds,  J.,  Col.,  4S0. 
Simons,  Lieut.,  645.  648. 
Simonson,  Col.,  193,  201,  202. 
Simpson,  W.  A.,  Lieut.,  312. 
Simson,  Lieut.,  215. 

Sinclair,  Lieut.,  592,  594,  596;    Capt,  597. 
Sinclair's  Battery,  326. 
Sioux  Campaigns,  358,  431,  450,  641. 
Sitting  Bull,  260,  262,  264,  451,  475-  -'76, 

479.554-573.581,687. 
Sixteen  .Mile  Creek,  Skirmish  near,  582. 
Skinner,  Lieut.,  540. 
Slatersville,  321. 
Slaughter,  J.  E.,  Gen.,  309. 
Sleephack,  H.,  Sergt.-Major,  485. 


736 


INDEX. 


Slemmer,  A.   J.,  Gen.,    307  ;    Major,  617, 

618,  627. 
Slim  Buttes.  183, 187,  529. 
Slocum,  H.  W.,  Gen.,  307,  365,  366. 
Smalley,  Capt.,  324. 
Smart,  Chas.,  Surgeon. 
Smead,  J.  R.,  Capt.,  377,  37S,  3S0. 
Smedberg,  C.  G.,   Lieut.,   589,    594,   595, 

600. 
Smedberg,  W.  R.,  Lieut.,  5S9. 
Smith,  P.  F.,  Gen.,  193,  195, 196,  198,  437, 

468,  499. 
Smith,  Col.  (14th  Inf.),  183. 
Smith,  Major,  (12th  Inf.),  561. 
Smith,  Lieut.  (9th  Cav.),  287. 
Smith,  Lieut.   (3d  Art.),  342. 
Smith,  A.  E.,  Lieut.,  251,  259. 
Smith,  A.  J.,  Col.,  251. 
Smith,    C.  F.,    Major,   444;  Capt.,    316, 

317,  468,  499;  Lieut.,  315;  Col.,  531, 

533'  535.  537- 
Smith,  Constantine,  Lieut.,  577. 
Smith,  C.  S.,  Capt.,  575,  577. 
Smith,  Campbell,  Judge  Adv.-Gen.,  33. 
Smith,  E.  L.,  Capt.,  659,  662. 
Smith,  F.  G.,  Lieut.,  368. 
Smith,  F.  W.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Smith,  G.  W.,Gen.,  120;  Capt.,  648,  649, 

650,  651. 
Smith,  J.  E.,  Col.,  627. 
Smith,  J.  F.,  Lieut.,  631. 
Smith,  Lieut.  (12th   Inf.),  570,  572. 
Smith,  J.  L.,  Col.,  433,  467. 
Smith,;.  L.  K.,  Bvt.  Col.,  119. 
Smith,  J.  M.,  Capt.,  439. 
Smith,  J.  P.,  Lieut.,  471. 
Smith,  J.  R.,  Capt.,  421. 
Smith,  Kirby,Gen.,  58,221,615;  Capt. ,223. 
Smith,  Larkin,  Major,  520. 
Smith,  Lemuel,  Sergt.,  384. 
Smith,  O.  M.,  Capt.,  680. 
Smith,  R.  B.,  Lieut.,  546,  552. 
Smith,  W.,  Gen.,  no. 
Smith's  Division,  366,  367. 
Smither,  R,  G.,  Lieut.,  291. 
Smithsburg,  324,  349,  365. 
Smyrna  Station,  651. 
Smyser,  Lieut.,  3S6. 
Smyth,  A.,  Col.,  25,  26. 
Snake  Canon,  Battle,  694. 
Snelling,  J.,  Capt.,  454;  Col,  467. 
Snelling,  J.  G.  S.,  Capt..  531,  532. 
Snelling,  Lieut.  (8th  Inf.),  517,   51S. 
Snickers  Gap,  Battle,  693. 
Snow,  Pvt.,  215. 
Snyder,  S.,  Col.,  543. 
Soley,  Lieut.,  354. 

Solomon  River,  Engagement  of,  212. 
Somerby,  Lieut.,  270,  271. 
Sorass  Lake,  Fight  at,  373. 
South  Bend,  347. 
South  Fork,  Maliker  River,  694. 
South  Mountain,  132,  321,  322,  324,  361, 

364,  380,  658. 
South  Warner  Mountains,  Battle,  694. 


Southworth,  Lieut.,  325,  392. 

Spangler,  J.  W.,  Lieut.,  232  ;  Sergt.,  231. 

Spaniards,  The,  52. 

Spaulding,  Lieut.,  174,  178;  Capt.,  i8o. 

Spencer,  j.  C,  Sec.  of  War,  28. 

Spencer,  T.  J.,  Lieut.,  290. 

Spicers'  Brigade,  370. 

Spokane  River,  Battle  of,  344. 

Spooner,  Lieut.,  3S3,  3S8. 

Spotted  Tail,  435,  462,  522. 

Spottsylvania,    161,    362,    369,    389,    464, 

540,  552,  563. 
Sprague,  J.  1 .,  Col.,  552,  693. 
Spring  Creek,  Attack,  6S6. 
Springfield,  368,  423;  Armory,  129. 
Sprole,  Lieut.,  270;   Capt.,  278. 
Squirrel  Level  Road,  Battle  of,  541,  565. 
Stacey,  M.  H.,  Lieut.,  557  ;  Capt.,  566. 
Stafford,  Lieut.,  J.  S.,  580 ;   Capt.,  627. 
Stagg,  J.,  Chief-Clk.,  War  Dept.,  22. 
Stager,  Anson,  Col.,  145,  146. 
Stambaugh,  C.  B.,  Lieut.,  180. 
Standing  Rock  Agency,  639,  640. 
Stanhope,  Capt.,  557,  566,  593. 
Staniford,  Thos.,  Col.,  434,  515. 
Stanley,  D.   S.,  Lieut.,   211,   212;  Capt, 

213  ;  Gen.,  214,  256,  409,  684. 
Stanley,   W.,  Sgt.-Maj.,  539;  Lieut.,  540. 
Stansbury,  D.,  Lieut.,  402. 
Stanton,  Hon.  E.  M.,  81,  95,  96,  114. 
Staples,  Lieut.,  580. 
Starr,  J.  M.,  Major,  236;    Lieut.,  2S2. 
Starring,  Lieut.,  135. 
State  Rangers,  274. 
Steadman,  Gen.,  646. 
Steadman's  Brigade,  36S. 
Steele,    F.,    Col.,   668;  Major,   545,  552; 

Lieut.,  422,  423  ;  Capt.,  490. 
Steelhammer,  Capt.,  626,  627. 
Steen,  Enoch,  Lieut.,  153. 
Stephens,  Pvt.,  541. 

Steptoe,  Capt.,  338,  341,  526;  Major,  344. 
Steuben,  Baron,  Major-Gen.,  6,  14,  16,  18, 

19,  20,  21,  24. 
Stevens,  I.  I.,  Gen.,  119,  ico. 
Stevens,  G.,  Lieut.,  175. 
Stevenson,  C.  L.,  Capt.,  471  ;  Gen.,  473. 
Stevenson,  J.  D.,  Lieut.,  277,  278. 
Steward,  Pvt.,   541. 
Steuart,  G.  H.,  Lieut.,  211. 
Stewart,  C,  Gen.,  68,  69. 
Stewart,  Gen.  (C.  S.  A.),  593. 
Stewart,  Capt.  (15th  Inf.),  625. 
Stewart,  J.  (5th  Art.),  336,  361. 
Stewart,  Lieut.  (3d  Art.),  344,  346. 
Stewart,  J.,  Capt.  (iSth  Inf.),  654. 
Stewart,  R.   T.,  Lieut.,  227. 
Stockney,  Sergt.,  275. 
Stille,  L.  R.,  Lieut.,  26S. 
Stimpson,  637. 
Stockton,  Commodore,  157. 
Stokes,  W.  A.,  Major,  644. 
Stoll,  Lieut.,  235. 
Stone,  C.  P.,  Col.,  130,588. 
Stone,  Capt.  (5th  Art.),  395,  396. 


IXDIiX. 


717 


Stone  Calf,  Chief,  475. 

Stone  River,  367,  371,  386,  624,  647. 

Stoneman,  Gen.,  179,   202,   204,  221,  233, 

3^0,  347. 
Stoneman  Raid,  235,  365. 
Stonewall  Jackson,  Gen.,  463. 
Stony  Creek,  302,  321,  693. 
Stony  Point,  693. 
Strawberry  Hill,  325 ;  Plains,  348. 
Stringer,  Samuel,  Surgeon,  85. 
Strong,  Gen.,  132  ;  Lieut..  131. 
Strong,  E.  B.,  Lieut.,  471. 
Strother,  L.  H.,  Lieut.  413. 
Stuart,  J.  E.    1!.,   Gen.,  17S,  200,  211,  212, 

232,  237,  520. 
Stuart,  Jas.,  Lieut.,  194,  197,  199. 
Stuart,  15.,  Pvt.,  508. 
Stuart  Raid,  383,  548. 
Sturgis,  Gen.,  255,  260,  262,  264,  260,  261, 

263,  292;  Capt.,  211,  213. 
Sturgi.s,  Lieut.   (2d  Inf.),  415. 
Sturgis,  Lieut.  (7th  Cav.),  259. 
Sturgis,  Lieut.  (4th  Art.),  374. 
Sturgis  Division,  364. 
Sub-Legion,  4,  401,  414. 
Subsistence  Dept.,  67,  82. 
Suffolk,  Siege  of,  363.  370. 
Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  234. 
Sullivan,  Gen.,  11. 
Sullivan,  Sergt.,  213. 
Sully,  A.,  Col.,  44S;  Capt.,  423. 
Sulphur  Springs,  360,  361. 
Summit  Point,  325,  363. 
Summit  .Springs,  226,  231. 
Sumner,  E.  V.,  Capt.,  153;   Major,    176. 

195,  197;  Col.,   211,   219;  Gen.,  348, 

360,  490. 
Sumner,  E.  V.,  Jr.,  Capt.,  161,   267,  26S, 

269,  451- 
Surrender  of  Lee,  447. 
Sutherland,  C,  Surgeon-Gen.,  97  ;  Lieut., 

652. 
Sutherland  Station,  363. 
Swaine,  P.  T.,  Lieut.,  531,  612,  680. 
Swan,  C,  Paym.-Gen.,  103,  104. 
Swartwout,  R.,  Quartermaster-Gen.,  48. 
Swartwout,  Capt.  (2d  Art.),  316. 
Swartwout,  Capt.  (17th  Inf.),  638. 
Swayne,  Lieut.,  536. 
Sweeney,  T.  W.,  Lieut.,  421. 
Sweet,  A.  J.,  Lieut.,  699;  Capt..  225. 
Sweitzer,  N.  B.,  Capt.,  161,  162  ;  Gen.,  192. 
Swift,  E.,  Lieut.,  271. 
Swigert,  Lieut.,  2d  Cav.  180. 
Sword  Bearer,  168,  264,  450. 
Swords,  T.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Sykes,  Gen.,  347.  378,  380,  385,  422,  424, 

444,  445,  446,  538,  547,  548,  556,  557, 

589,  590,  592,  593,  595.  658  ;  Col.,  668, 

669. 
Symmes,  J.  C,  Capt.,  531. 


T. 


Tait,  Mr.,  73. 
47 


Talcott,  (;.,  Lieut.-Col.,  127,  130,  131. 

Tall  Bull.  Chief,  226. 

Tallahatchie,  Battle  of,  215. 

Tampa  Bay,  416. 

Tampico,  2,2)^- 

Tassin,  Capt.,  A.  G.,  566. 

Taylor,  Z.,  Cien.,89, 116,158,  175,  316,331, 

335.  yA  337. 33^^  355. 404.  405. 417. 

433.  457.  45''*-  459.  467,  468,  483,  510, 

513,  514;  Capt.,  498. 
Taylor,  Lieut.  (9lh  Cav.),  265,  286. 
Taylor,  E.  B.,  Lieut.,  644,  654. 
Taylor,  W.  W.,  Lieut.,  193,  194. 
Taylor,  J.  P.,  Lieut.-Col.,  80. 
Taylor,  Capt.  (i8th  Inf.),  649. 
Taylor,  F.  (Capt.),  304,  305,  337,  342. 
Taylor,  J.  IL,  211,  232. 
Taylor,  J.  G.,  Capt.,  520. 
Taylor's  Battery,  358. 
Taylor's  Fight,  354. 
Taylor's  Ridge,  660. 
Tecumseh,  453,  454. 
Telegrafo,  418,  419,  438. 
Temple,  Lieut.,  597  ;  Capt.,  636. 
Ten  Eyck,  Capt.,  649,  650,  653. 
Terrett,  B.  A.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Terrill,  W.  R.,  Capt.,  377,  385,  386 ;  Gen., 

397- 
Territt,  Lieut,  (ist  Inf.),  405. 
Terry,  Gen.,  184,  185,  187,  191,  259,  370, 

475,  496,  508,  640,685,  686. 
Thatcher,  Capt.,  594,  596,  597. 
Theaker,  Major,  627. 
Thebaud,  Q.,  Sergt.,  494. 
Theller,  E.  W.,  Lieut.,  169. 
Thiemann,  A.,  Lieut.,  566. 
Third  Sub-Legion,  432. 
Thomas,  B.  M.,  Gen.,  473. 
Thomas,    G.    H.,    Gen.,    221,    222,    231  ; 

Lieut.,    333,   336,  341,  354,  386,  3S7, 

388,  588,  617,  620,  644,  645,  646,  647. 
Thomas,  E.  J.,  Lieut.,  336. 
Thomas,  E.,  Capt.,  362,  373. 
Thompson,  Gen.,  314. 
Thompson,  J.  K.,  Lieut.,  692. 
Thompson,  O.  A.,  Lieut.,  580,  582. 
Thompson,  L.,  Capt.,  iSo. 
Thompson,  Capt.  (2d  Art.),  324. 
Thompson,  W.,  Capt.,  251. 
Thompson,  A.  R.,  Lieut.-Col.,  482. 
Thompson,  Capt.  (iSth  Inf.),  645,  648. 
Thorns,  F.  J.,  Lieut.,  339. 
Thornburg,  Major,  207,  229.  230,  510. 
Thornburg  Command.  286. 
Thornton,  Lieut.  (2d  Drag.),  174,  175. 
Thornton,  Capt.  (Ord.),  128,  135. 
Thruston,  Capt.,  644,  648,  652. 
Ticonderoga,  84. 
Tidball,  J.  C,  Gen.,  320,  321. 
Tidball,  J.  L.,  Lieut.,  531. 
Tidball  Battery,  378,  425,  559,  595. 
Tilden,  Lieut.,  420. 
Tilford,  Capt.,  263. 
Tilton,  J.,  Surgeon-Gen.,  87. 
Tipton,    S.  S.,    Lieut.,    194. 


738 


INDEX. 


Todd,  G.  H.,  Lieut.,  135,  654. 

Todd's   Tavern,  161,    321,  322,  325,  361, 

362. 
Toll  Gate,  Engagement  at,  275. 
Tolopotomy,  362,  564. 
Tompkins,  D.  D.,  Capt.,  304. 
Tompkins,  \V.  W.,  Capt.,  174. 
Tompkins'  Division,  369. 
Tongue  River,  Engagement,  529. 
Tonti  Basin,  Battle,  694. 
Torbert,  Gen.,  238,  393,  473. 
Torbert's  Division,  161,  162,  163,  164. 
Torbet,  F.  H.,  Capt.,  654. 
Torrey,  Capt.,  580,  583. 
Totten,  J.,  Gen.,  29  ;  Capt.,  323,  423. 
Totten,  J.  G.,  Gen.,  124. 
Tower,  Gen.,  120,  419. 
Towle,  J.,  Capt.,  467. 
Town  Creek,  Engagement  at,  323. 
Townsend,  E.  P.,  Col.,  572,  589. 
Townsend,  F.,  Major,  643,  645,  646,  648. 
Townsend,  E.  D.,  Lieut.,  315. 
Towson,  N.,  Paym.-Gen.,  ic6,  109,  312. 
Trabue,  Gen.,  614. 

Tracy,  A.,  Major,  621,  625;  Capt.,  531. 
Tracy,  G.  H.,  Major,  612. 
Treacy,  I,ieut.,  200. 
Treadwell,  Lieut.,  131,  135. 
Trenor,  E.,  Capt.,  153,  156. 
Trent  Affair,  635. 

Trevilian   Station,  238,  306,  321,  322,  325. 
Trimble,  J.  R.,  Gen.,  307  ;  Lieut.,  160. 
Trolinger,  A.  M.,  Lieut.,  566. 
Troup,  G.  M.,  Hon.,  73. 
Trousdale,  W.,  Col.,  587. 
Truckee  River,  Fight  at,  344. 
True,  Lieut.,  653. 
Truman,  Lieut.,  649,  6^0. 
Trumbull,  J.,  Com.-Gen.,   67,  68,  69,  116. 
Tucker,  Lieut.  (6th  Cav.),  236. 
Tucker,  S.  S.,  Capt.,  193,  197. 
Tudor,  W.,  Judge-Adv.-Gen.,  33. 
Tullahoma,  368,  371,  388. 
Tupper,    Lieut.,    235,    246;     Capt.,   247; 

Major,  249. 
Turkey  Bend,  322,  347,  557. 
Turnbull,  Lieut.,  348. 
Turner,  Capt.,  157. 
Turner,  J.  \V.,  Gen.,  307. 
Tuscawilla  Pond,  Engagement  at,  354. 
Tuscumbia  Creek,  367. 
Tustenuggee,  Chief,  417,  458. 
Twiggs,  Gen.,  174,  195,  222,  313,  318,  319, 

336,  337,  339,  353'  406,  437,  438,  443, 

468,  513,  519,  555. 
Twiggs'  Brigade,  417,  41S,  419. 
Two  Strikes,  Chief,  522. 
Tyler,  D.,  Gen.,  307,  335. 
Tyler,  W.  W.,  Lieut.,  282. 
Tyler,  C.  R.,  Adjt.,  633. 
Tyler,  Capt.  {2d  Cav.),  181. 


U. 


Umatilla  Agency,  37. 


Umatilla  Indians,  343. 

Underwood,  E.,  Lieut.,  198;    Major,  643. 

Union  Mills,  369. 

Uniontown,  234,  240. 

Upper  California,  405. 

Upperville,  234,  324,  349- 

Upton,    E.,    Col.,    374,   654;    Gen.,    397; 

Lieut.,  322. 
Urmston,  T.  D.,  Lieut.,  565. 
Utah,  Expedition  to,  358,  471. 
Ute  Jack,  230. 
Utes,  229,   248. 
Utoy  Creek,  Battle,  624,  651. 


Valencia,  Gen.,  356,  419. 

Vallandingham,  C.  L.,  576. 

Valley  Farm,  370. 

Valley  Forge,  14,  16. 

Valois,  Lieut.,  287. 

Valverde,  Battle  of,  472,  503,  538. 

Van    Buren,    A.,    Lieut.,    153,    196,    197; 

Capt.,  198. 
Van  Buren,  M.  E.,  Lieut.,  194,  197;  Capt. 

200. 
Van  Camp,  Lieut.,  221 ;  Capt.,  223. 
Van  Cleve,  H.  P.,  Gen.,  472,  647. 
Vance,  D.  M.,  Capt.,  630. 
Vancouver,  167,692. 
Van  Derslice,  Lieut.,  596. 
Van  Derveer,  J.  S.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Vande  Wiele,  Capt.,  290. 
Van    Dorn,    E.,    Major,  223;    Col.,   443; 

Capt.,  221. 
Van  Duzer,  C.  F.,  Lieut.,  557. 
Van   Horn,  J.  J.,   Col.,    525,  699;  Capt., 

537- 
Van  Ness,  D.,  Capt.,  304. 
Van  Reed,  Lieut.,  380,  384,  393. 
Van  Rensselaer,  Lieut.  (14th  Inf.),  591. 
Van  Rensselaer,  Major-Gen.,  26,  29. 
Van  Swearingen,  Capt.,  484. 
Van  Valzah,  Capt.,  699. 
Van  Vhet,  S.,  Lieut.,  333,  336,  337. 
Van  Vliet,  Major  (loth  Cav.),  296. 
Van  Voast,  Col.,  529;    Lieut.-Col.,  633; 

Major,  653,  654. 
Varnum,  C.  A.,  Capt.,  265. 
Vasques,  Lieut.,  403. 
Vaughn  Plank  Road,  321. 
Vera  Cruz,  Siege  of,  4,  124,  304,  316,  320, 

338,  339-  356,  403,  418,  436,  437,  440, 

499,  587. 
Vernon,  Capt.,  597  ;   Lieut.,  589. 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  629. 
Vicksburg,  Siege,  323,  348,  409,  680. 
Victoria,  Chief,  295,  296. 
Viele,  Capt.,  295. 
Villard,  Lieut.,  415. 
Villers  Plantation,  Battle,  498. 
Vinal,  W.  H.,  ist  Lieut.,  630,  633. 
Vincennes,  453. 
Vincent,  F.  rT,  Lieut.,  282,  285,  322. 


IXDEX. 


739 


Vincent's  Brigade,  384. 

Vinton.  J.  K.,  Capt.,  336,  337,  338,  515. 

Vinton,  F.  S.,  Lieut.,  210. 

Viven,  J.  L.,  Lieut.,  566,  567,  569. 

Vodges,  L,  Gen.,  307. 

Voltigeurs,  The,  5S7. 

Von  Luettwitz,  Lieut.,  207. 

Von  Schrader,  W.  F.,  Lieut.,  570,  572. 

Vose,  J.  S.,  Col.,  434 ;  Capt.,  467. 

Vose's  Battery,  396. 

Voris,  Lieut.,  638. 


W. 


Wade,  J.  F.,  Col.,  230,  282 ;  Lieut.,   232, 

Wade^  R.  D.  A„  Major,  339. 
Wade,  W.,  Capt.,  127,  128,  130. 
Wads  worth,  J.,  Gen.,  68,  69. 
Wadsworth,  D.,  Col.,  126;   Major,  123. 
Wagner,  IL,  Lieut.,  552. 
Wagner,  J.  P.,  Lieut.,  563. 
Wagner,  O.  G.,  Bvt.-Major,  119. 
Wahoo  Swamp,  Battle  of,  334,  353,  498. 
Wainwright,  Lieut.,  12S,  135 
WainvTright,  R.  P.  P.,  Capt.,  153. 
Wainwright,  S.  A.,  Major,  633. 
Waite,  C.  A.,  Co).,  406,  411,   471  :  Major, 

517;  Lieut.,  515 
Walbach,  J.   De  B.,  Major,  303,  Col.,  8, 

354.  358.  359- 
Walcutt,  C.  C,  Col.,  289. 
Walker,  W.  S..  Col.,  211. 
Walker,  Lieut.  (6th  Inf.),  484. 
Walker,  J.  S  ,  Lieut.,  162. 
Walker,  Lieut.  (14th  Inf.),  594,  596. 
Walker,  W.  H.  T.,  Capt.,  4S6 ;  Major,  531, 

537- 
Walker,  S.  H.,  Capt.,  193. 
Walker,   J.  G.,  Lieut.,  194,  196,  197,    198, 

199,  200 
Walker's  Springs,  274. 
Wall,  Lieut.,  202  ;  Capt.,  33S,   339. 
Walla  Walla,  Fight  at  Fort,  527. 
Wallace,  Gen.,  614. 

Wallace,  G.  W.,  Major,  566;   Co!.,  567. 
Wallace,  Lieut.  (2d  Cav.),  1S5,  192. 
Wallace,  Lieut.  (3d  Inf.),  449. 
Wallen,  Gen.,  463;  Col.,  429. 
Walnut  Grove,  Engagement  at,  279. 
Walnut  Hills,  576,  680. 
Walsh,  Lieut.  (4th  Cav.),  219. 
Walsh,  F.  W.,  Capt.,  290. 
Wann,  W.  L.,  Lieut.,  58 1. 
Wapping  Heights,  Fight  at,  505. 
Ward,  H.  C,  "Lieut.,  630,  633. 
Ward,  Lieut,  (ist  Cav.),  161,  174. 
Ward,  Lieut.  (6th  Cav.),  235. 
Ward,  Lieut.  (3d  Inf.),  438. 
Warner,  W.  H.,  Capt.,  119. 
War  of  1S12,  301,  302,  303,  313,  328,  329, 

332,  402,  432,  586. 
Warren,  Gen.,  393,  492.  548,  549,  555,  563, 
590,  591,  597. 


Warren,  J.,  Paym.-Gen.,  100 

Warren,  Lieut.  (Engrs.j,  157. 

Warren,  Capt.  (17th  Inf.),  638. 

Warrenton,  361,  428. 

Warrenton  Springs,  322. 

Washington,  Gen.,  i,  4,  11,  13,  14,  16,  21, 

23.  39.  41.  43.  44.  67,   100,    191,   III, 

423. 
Washington,  Capt.  (4th  Art.),  356 ;  Major, 

^42. 
Washington,  C,  Capt.,  576. 
Washington  Barracks,  326. 
Washita,  Battle  of,  252  ;  Monument,  269. 
Waterbury,  Lieut.,  583. 
Waterford,  234,  240. 
Watkins,  Col,  667,  668. 
Watson,  J.  L.,  Lieut.,  153. 
Watson,  G.,  Lieut.,  304. 
Watson,  Capt.,  382  ;  Lieut.,  384,  397. 
Watson,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  594,  596. 
Watts,  Lieut.,  201. 
Wayne,  H.  C,  Lieut.,  305  ;  Gen.,  307. 
Wayne,   A.,    Gen. -in-Chief,  4,   5,  22,  301, 

402,  414,  432,  452. 
Waynesboro,  164,  322,  325. 
Weaver,  Lieut.,  327,  669 ;  Sergt.,  296. 
Webb,  A.  S.,  Gen.,  384. 
Webb,  H.  L.,  Col.,  526. 
Webb,  C.  A.,  Major,  633. 
Webb.  J.  A.,  Sergt.,  392. 
Webb,  N-  S.,  Capt.,  531. 
Webb's  Brigade,  360. 
Webster,  Lieut.  (Art.),  684. 
Webster,  L.  B.,  Capt.,  305. 
Webster,   Sergt.-Major,  214;    Lieut.   (4th 

Cav.),  216. 
Wedemeyer,  W.  G.,  Capt.,  630. 
Weedon,  G.,  Col.,  2. 
Weed,  Gen.,  385,  397. 
Weed,  L.  H.,  Capt.,  377,  380,  382. 
Weed's  Batterv,  378. 
Weed's  Brigade,  384. 
Weeks,  Lieut.,  273. 
Weir,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  597. 
Weir,  Lieut.  (Ord),  135. 
Weir,  G.  V.,  Lieut.,  381,  393. 
Weir,  T.,  Lieut.,  251. 
Weir's  Battery,  384. 
Weitzel's  Division,  364. 
Welch,  Lieut.,  339. 
Welcker,  Lieut.,  132. 
Weld,  Lieut.,  636. 
Weldon,   R.  R.,  321,  540,  551,  552,  637, 

693- 
Wellington's  War  in  Spain,  340. 
Wells,  Lieut.  (2d  Cav.),  178,  180. 
Wells.Capt.  (8th  Cav.),  270,  271,  276. 
Wenie,  T.  M.,  Lieut.,  664. 
Wessells,  Col.,  653';  Capt.,  207.  419,  42a 
West,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  208. 
West,  F.,  Lieut.,  243,  245. 
West,  R.  M.,  Capt.  (7th  Cav.),  251. 
Western,  C.  B.,  Lieut.,  268,  269. 
Westover,  321. 
West  Point,  21,  86,  112,  124,  142,  355. 


740 


INDEX. 


Wham,  Paym.,  696. 

Whartenby,  Major,  404. 

Wharton,  Capt.,  153,  49°- 

Wheaton,     F.,     Col.,    429;     Gen.,     431; 

Lieut.,  211. 
Wheaton,  H.,  Judge-Adv.-Gen.,  34. 
Wheelan,  Capt.,   1S8,  192. 
Wheeler,  J.,  Lieut.,  201,  618. 
Wheeling,  Headquarters,  611. 
Wheelock,  T.  B.,  Lieut.,  153,  154,  I55- 
Whipple,  A.  W.,  Major-Gen.,  119. 
Whistler,  J.  N.  G.,  Col.,  478,  627,639,  669, 

680,  683. 
Whistler  Chief,  226. 
Whitall,  S.  R.,  Lieut.,  631. 
Whitehead,  F.  F.,  Lieut.,  654. 
White   House,  349,  362. 
Whiteley,R.  H.  K., Lieut.,  12S;  Gen.,  135. 
White  Oak  Swamp,  360,  362. 
White  River  Agency,  Massacre,  529. 
White  River,  Skirmish  at,  249. 
Whiting,  Gen.,  593. 
Whiting,  H.,  Lieut.  (5th  Inf.),  467- 
Whiting,  H.,  Capt.  (ist  Art.),  303. 
Whiting,  L.,  Major.  305. 
Whiting,  C.  J.,  Capt.,  225. 
Whitman,  Lieut.,  205. 
Whitney,  Lieut.,  363. 
Whitside,  Major,  265. 
Whittemore,  Major,  573 ;  Capt.,  626,  627. 
Wichita  Agency,  293,  474,  698. 
Wichita,  Battle  of,  474. 
Wichita,  Little,  242. 
Wichita  Mts.,  E.xpedition  to,  223,  231. 
Wickham,  Gen.,  163;  Col.,  233. 
Wickhff,  C,  Major,  5S7. 
Wikoff,  C.  A.,  612,  615. 
WUcox,  C.  M.,  Gen.,  157,  510. 
Wilcox,  Lieut.  (iSth  Inf.),  653. 
Wilderness,   t6i,  322,  348,  349,  360,  369, 
377.  389'  428,  464.  S40,  548,  55-.  563. 
599,  636,  693. 
Wilkin,  Capt.    (17th  Inf.),  637. 
Wilkins,  J.  D.,  Capt.,  445;  Col.,  479. 
Wilkins,  Capt.  (14th  Inf.),  591,  595. 
Wilkins,  Quartermaster-Gen.,  45,  47. 
Wilkinson,  J.,  Gen.-in-Chief,  414. 
Wilkinson,  Lieut.  (8th  Cav.),  274. 
Wilkinson,  B.,  Lieut.,  366. 
Willard,  Major,  600. 
Wiilcox,  O.  B.,  Col.,  567,  569,  571. 
Willet's  Point,  119,  124. 
WiJUams,  Mr.,  74. 
Williams,  S.,  Gen.,  307,  397. 
Williams,  W.,  Major,  589. 
Williams,  L.  A.,  Major,  232. 
Williams,  Capt.  (7th  Inf.),  510. 
Williams,  G.  A.,  Capt.,  40S,  409,  410. 
WiUiams,  W.  G.,  Capt.,  119. 
Williams,  J.,  Col.,  123. 
Williams,  L.  A.,  Lieut.,  531. 
Williams,  S.,  Lieut.,  305- 
Williams,  Lieut.  (5th  Inf.),  620. 
Williamsburg,  84,  160,  240,  306,  307,  320, 
321,  324,  347,  377.  557,  565- 


Williamsport,  321,  324,  349. 

Willis,  H.,  Pvt.,  272. 

Willow  Creek,  373. 

Wills,  Lieut.,  539. 

Wilmington,  N.  C,  565. 

Wilson,  J.  II.,  Gen.,  215,  216,  362,  368, 

368. 
Wilson,  H.,  Lieut. -Col.,  405,  435. 
Wilson,  D.  B.,  Lieut.,  699. 
Wilson,  G.  S.,  Lieut.,  56S. 
Wilson,  Lieut.  (3d  Cav.),  203. 
Wilson,  J.  K.,  Sergt.,  519,  520. 
Wilson,  L.,  Capt,,  660. 
Wilson's  Creek,  213,  323,  407,  423. 
Winchester,  163,  306,  307,  322,  349,  363, 

364,  365,  3S3. 
Winder,  W.  H.,  Gen.,  8,  26,  586. 
Winder,  E.  S.,  Capt.,  174. 
Winder  J.  H.,  Capt.,  305. 
Windsor,  363. 
Wingate,  Lieut.,  19S. 
Winn,  Capt.,  192. 
Winnamucca,  Chief,  344. 
Winslow,  C,  Col.,  548. 
Winthrop,  Col.,  Jdg.-Adv.-Gen.,  37. 
Winthrop,  F.,  Capt.,  560,  561,  564. 
Wisconsin,  N.  G.,  451. 
Wistar,  Gen.,  370. 
Witherell,  Capt.,  664. 
Withlacoochee,  Battle,  314,  334. 
Witters,  J.  M.,  Col.,  526. 
Wood,  T.  J.,  Capt.,  211  ;  Gen.,  120,    178, 

189,  615. 
Wood,  E.  D.,  Col.,  119. 
Wood,  W.  H.,  Col.,  411,  553,  634. 
Wood,  C.  E.  S.,  Lieut.,  170,  236,  407,653, 

654- 
Wood,  P.  G.,  Lieut.,  573;  Capt.,  644-  648. 
Woodall,  Z.  T.,  Sergt.,  243. 
Woodbury,  T.  G-,  Quartermaster,  633. 
Woodruff,  Lieut.  (2d  Art.),  325. 
Woodruff,  Lieut.  (6th   Inf.),  510,  705. 
Woodruff,  Lieut.  (2d  Inf.),  416 
Woodruff,  D.,  Major,  561. 
Woods,  C,  Col.,  429,  473,  474,  483- 
Woods,  J.  S.,  Lieut.,  41 7.- 
Woodward,  G.  A.,  Col.,  627. 
Wool,  Gen.,    27,    28,    89,    337,    355,  363, 

562. 
Woolperths  Cross  Roads,  349. 
World's  Fair,  Chicago,  451. 
Worth,  W.  J.,  Gen.,   127,  128,  175,   196, 
303,316,  317,  336.  337,  339,  340.  355- 
410,  435,  439,  468,  469,  476,  486,  511, 
513,  515,516,519. 
Wotherspoon,  Lieut.,  570,  572.  573. 
Wounded  Knee,  311,  524. 
Wright,  Gen.,  346,  389,  447. 
Wright,  Gen.  (C.  S.  A.),  592. 
Wright,  Lieut.   (7th  Inf.),  506. 
Wright,  Lieut.  (9th  Cav.),  285. 
Wright,  D.,  lAeut.,  200. 
Wright,  T.  F.,  Lieut.,  56;. 
I   Wright,  I.  B.,  Lieut.,  552. 
Wright,  W.  M.,  Lieut..  414- 


IXDEX. 


741 


Wright,  G.,  Major,  470;  Lieut.-Col.,  344, 

526,  52S. 
Wright,  E.  H.,  Major,  232. 
Wright's  Expedition,   159. 
Wyllis,  Major,  401- 
Wyncoop,  Col.,  196. 
Wyoming,  X.  G.,  641. 
Wyse,  Capt.,  340,  341. 


V. 


Yard,  J.  E..  Major.  291  :   Col.,  655. 
Va:es,  G.  W.,  Capt.,  259. 
Yazoo  Pass,  410. 
Yeaton,  Lieut.,  204. 
Yellow  Jacket  Pass,  230. 
Yellow  Medicine  Agency,  344 
\'ellow  .Station,  161. 
Yellow  Tavern,  237,  322. 


York,  Battle  of,  26,  302,  480. 
Yorke,  Capt.,  61S,  625. 
Yorktown,  Celebration  at,  543. 
Yorktown,    112,  233,  321,    322,  324,  366. 

369,  370,  444,  463.  S4«.  55(^'  59'-  59(^. 

635-  <^93- 
\oung,  Prigham.  177,  535. 
Young,  Capt.   (Sth    Cav.),  270,  273,  276, 

274.  27S. 
Young,  Lieut.  (4th  Inf.),  183. 
Young  Mule,  Chief,  172. 
Youner,  W.  C,  Lieut.,  •?i2. 


Zantzinger,  Capt.,  312. 

Zara  Zara,  Attack  on  Fort,  448. 

Zaragoza,  542. 


SUPPLEMENTAL. 


Abraham  Lincoln,  Fort,  689. 


B. 


Beall.  L.  J.,  Lieut.,  194. 

Benedict,  Capt.,  706. 

Birdsall,  E.  B.,  Capt.,  511. 

Bonnell,  J.,  Capt.,  511. 

Brooks,  Col,  15. 

Browne,  W.  C,  Lieut.,  511. 

Buel,  Lieut.  (Ord.),  131. 

Buell,  D.  C,  Gen.,  141.  367.  S^S-  jS?.  439- 

632,  643-  645.  646,  658. 
Byrne,  C,  Lieut.,  480. 


Cabaniss,  C.  H.,  Lieut.,  643- 
Cadwallader,  Gen.,  1 5. 
Carey,  A.  B.,  Col,  100. 
Carter,  W.  H.,  Capt.,  232. 
Casey,  Lieut.,  188,  6S7,  688. 
Crowley,  Lieut.,  705. 

D. 

Daveiss,  C.  C  Lieut.,  511. 
Davies,  Col,  15. 
Dyer,  A.  B.,  Lieut.,  351. 

E. 
Ebstein,  F.  H.  E.,  Capt.,  673. 


Gates,  C.  R.,  Lieut.,  511. 
H. 

Harvie,  J.,  Lieut.,  511. 
Hayward,  W.,  Lieut.,  511. 
Holtzendorf,  Baron,  15. 
Hutchinson,  Lieut.,  649,  650. 


Johns,  T.,  Lieut..  51 
Johnson.  T.  S.  J.,  51 


Kello,  ^V.  O.,  Lieut.,  511. 

King,  C,  Capt.,  ix. 

Kingsbury,  Lieut.  (2d  Cav.),  184. 

L. 
Lee,  A.,  Gen.,  16. 
Liscum,  E.  H.,  Lieut.,  565. 
Luipler,  C.  S.,  Lieut.,  566. 

O. 

O'Brien,  L.,  Lieut.,  511. 
Ogden,  E.  A.,  Lieut.,  511. 


Phillips,  J.  A.,  Lieut.,  511. 
Powell,  Lieut.  (i8th  Inf.),  649. 


Riell,  J.  H.,  Lieut.,  511. 
Robinson,  F.  U.,  Lieut., 
Roe,  C.  F.,  Capt..  185. 


Selden,  Lieut.  (8th  Inf.),  511. 
Sheppard,  A.  L..  Lieut.,  511. 

U. 
Ury,  A.,  Lieut..  153. 

Y. 

Van  Home.  Major.  440,  441. 

W. 
Whipple.  J.  H..  Lieut..  511. 
Wilson,  R.  H..  Lieut..  511. 
Wood.  H.  C,  Col,  704- 


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